bærnan

Old English

Etymology

Metathesis of earlier *brænnan, from Proto-West Germanic *brannijan, from Proto-Germanic *brannijaną, causative of *brinnaną (Old English birnan).

Cognate with Old Frisian berna, Old Saxon brennian, Old Dutch brennen, Old High German brennen, Old Norse brenna, Gothic *𐌱𐍂𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽 (*brannjan).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbær.nɑn/, [ˈbærˠ.nɑn]

Verb

bærnan (West Saxon)

1. (transitive) to burn
   • late 10th c., Ælfric of Eynsham, "The Passion of St. Bartholomew the Apostle"

     Sē lǣċe ċierfþ oþþe bærnþ, and sē untruma hrīemþ, þēah hwæðre ne miltsaþ hē þæs ōðres wānunge, for þon þe ġif sē lǣċe ġeswīcþ his cræftes, þonne losaþ sē forwunoda.

     The surgeon cuts or burns, and the patient screams, yet the surgeon doesn't give in to the patient's cries, because if he lets up from his task, the patient will die.

2. to cauterize

Conjugation

Conjugation of bærnan (weak class 1)

infinitive	bærnan	bærnenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	bærne	bærnde
second person singular	bærnest, bærnst	bærndest
third person singular	bærneþ, bærnþ	bærnde
plural	bærnaþ	bærndon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	bærne	bærnde
plural	bærnen	bærnden
imperative
singular	bærn
plural	bærnaþ
participle	present	past
	bærnende	(ġe)bærned

Derived terms

• forbærnan
• onbærnan

Related terms

• birnan

Descendants

• Middle English: brennen
  • English: bren
  • Scots: brenn, bren, brend