'harbor' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'herebeorg', where 'here-' meant 'army' and '-beorg' meant 'shelter' or 'protection'.

'harbor' changed from the Old English word 'herebeorg' into Middle English forms such as 'herberge' (influenced by Old French 'herberge'), and eventually became the modern English word 'harbor/harbour'.

Initially, it meant 'shelter or lodging' (often for an army or for ships); over time it came to mean more broadly 'a place of refuge for ships' and metaphorically 'to hold or shelter feelings or people'.