Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
burglarize, burgle (vv.)
Both these verbs are only a bit over a century old, and both are Standard today, although burglarize seems to have more widespread acceptance, perhaps because burgle is a back-formation (see also -ISE). Your house can be burglarized whether you are at home or not, whereas—theoretically, at least—someone can rob you only by taking your possessions when you are present; and to rob your house someone would have to take the whole structure, again, in your presence; to rob you, the thief would have to make off only with only something of yours, not with you yourself. But see ROB. See also BACK-FORMATION.
