Middle English Dictionary Entry

bā̆rn n.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms bā̆rn n. Also bearn, bern, baren, -in, -on. Pl. bā̆rnes, bērns; (early) bearn(en; (Orm.) bærn, barrness.
Etymology OE bearn

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
An offspring, a son or daughter; beren ~, give birth to a child; streonen to barne, beget; godes ~, the Son of God.
Show 27 Quotations
2.
(a) An infant, a child; also, an unborn child; litel ~; of ~ litel, since childhood; ben with ~, bounden with ~, be with child; ben a ~, be childish; (b) barn-bishop, boy-bishop; ~ cappe, child's hat; ~ fader, a nickname; ~ laik, child's game; ~ laiken, child's toy; ~ pouch, child's purse; ~ site, a parent's anxiety about a child.
Show 25 Quotations
3.
(a) A human being, a person; pl. people; mannen bearn, people; Israel barnes, the people of Israel; (b) godes barn, a devout Christian destined to enter the kingdom of heaven, a child of God; (c) erres ~, helle ~, a wicked or a cursed creature, a child of wrath.
Show 16 Quotations
4.
A man; esp. a youth, a young warrior.
Show 18 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. (Note particularly in sense 3.(a), 1st quot. the form bem, which is an error.)--notes per MLL

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