See also: Bern

Middle English edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Old English bearn, contracted forms of Old English berern, bereærn (barn, granary). Equivalent to bere +‎ -ern.

Alternative forms edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛrn/, /ˈbɛːrn/

Noun edit

bern (plural bernes)

  1. barn, farm building, granary
    • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎[1], published c. 1410, Matheu 3:12, page 2r, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:
      whos wynewing cloþ is in his hond .· ⁊ he ſchal fulli clenſe his coꝛn flooꝛ / and he ſchal gadere his wheete in to his berne .· but þe chaf he ſchal bꝛenne wiþ fier þat mai not be quenchid
      His winnowing fan is in his hand; he'll fully clean his threshing-floor, he'll gather up his wheat into his barn, and he'll burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Descendants edit
  • English: barn
  • Scots: bern
  • Yola: barrn
References edit

Etymology 2 edit

Inherited from Old English beorn; probably from Proto-Germanic *bernuz.

Alternative forms edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

bern (plural bernes)

  1. A man or human.
  2. A knight, soldier or warrior.
  3. A lord or noble.
Usage notes edit

This noun was frequently conflated with baroun in later Middle English.

References edit

Etymology 3 edit

Noun edit

bern

  1. Alternative form of barn (child)

Etymology 4 edit

Verb edit

bern

  1. Alternative form of beren

Etymology 5 edit

Verb edit

bern

  1. Alternative form of bernen

Scots edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English bern, from Old English bereærn.

Noun edit

bern (plural berns)

  1. barn

West Frisian edit

Etymology edit

From Old Frisian bern, barn, from Proto-West Germanic *barn.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

bern n (plural bern, diminutive berntsje)

  1. child, children

Derived terms edit

Further reading edit

  • bern (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011