Old English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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The origin is disputed. A phonetically exact correspondence exists in Old Norse bjǫrn (bear), from Proto-Germanic *bernuz (more at *berô), but the English word is never used for "bear", and the Old Norse word is never used for "warrior". While it is not implausible that the term for a wild animal could become a poetic term for a warrior, Germanic scholars have been reluctant to accept any relationship between the two. Some consider it to be a variant of Old English bearn (child, offspring, son", hence "boy, servant), while others derive it from a Proto-Germanic *beron- (carrier) (hence "servant; man, warrior", more at baron). Celtic origin has also been considered; thus, Rhys took this to be a Germanic reflex of the Celtic title Brennus, and Bradley connected British Bernicia (Welsh brenhin, brenin).

The word has the form biorn in early Old English attestations; it survives into early Middle English as beorn and takes the variant spellings bern, berne, burn, burne, bearn, bieren, beern, beerne in later Middle English. Middle English usage often interchanges it with baron. As berne, it survives into the 16th century in Scottish dialect, but becomes indistinguishable from bairn.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /be͜orn/, [be͜orˠn]

Noun

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beorn m (nominative plural beornas)

  1. (poetic) man, warrior
    • 10th century, The Wanderer:
      Til biþ sē þe his trēowe ġehealdeþ, · ne sċeal nǣfre his torn tō ryċene
      beorn of his brēostum ācȳþan, · nemþe hē ǣr þā bōte cunne,
      eorl mid elne ġefremman. · Wel bið þām þe him āre sēċeð,
      frōfre tō fæder on heofonum, · þǣr ūs eal sēo fæstnung stondeð.
      Good is that keeps his belief, should not ever unfold his wrath,
      fighter of his breasts, too quickly, unless before this help he would
      know how to help out a man with strength. It's good for him who seeks
      help from the Father in heavens, where this whole fastening stands for us.
    • Biorn under beorge bordrand onswaf.Stout by the stone-way his shield he raised. (Beowulf 2559)
    • se beorn on waruþe scip gemettethe man found a ship on the strand. (Legend of St Andrew)

Declension

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Strong a-stem:

singular plural
nominative beorn beornas
accusative beorn beornas
genitive beornes beorna
dative beorne beornum

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Middle English: beorn, bern, berne, beren, barn (merged with beron, baroun)

References

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  • "† berne, n.", Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition 1989; first published in New English Dictionary, 1887.