"beorn" meaning in Old English

See beorn in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /be͜orn/, [be͜orˠn]
Etymology: 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. Etymology templates: {{cog|non|bjǫrn||bear}} Old Norse bjǫrn (“bear”), {{der|ang|gem-pro|*bernuz}} Proto-Germanic *bernuz, {{m|gem-pro|*berô}} *berô, {{noncog|ang|bearn|t=child, offspring, son", hence "boy, servant}} Old English bearn (“child, offspring, son", hence "boy, servant”), {{cog|gem-pro|*beron-|t=carrier}} Proto-Germanic *beron- (“carrier”), {{m|en|baron}} baron, {{der|ang|cel|-}} Celtic, {{cog|cy|brenhin}} Welsh brenhin, {{m|cy|brenin}} brenin Head templates: {{head|ang|nouns|nominative plural|beornas|||g=m|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} beorn m (nominative plural beornas), {{ang-noun|m|beornas}} beorn m (nominative plural beornas) Inflection templates: {{ang-decl-noun-a-m|beorn}}, {{ang-decl-noun|beorn|beornas|beorn|beornas|beornes|beorna|beorne|beornum|num=|title=|type=strong a-stem}} Forms: beornas [nominative, plural], strong [table-tags], beorn [nominative, singular], beornas [nominative, plural], beorn [accusative, singular], beornas [accusative, plural], beornes [genitive, singular], beorna [genitive, plural], beorne [dative, singular], beornum [dative, plural]
  1. (poetic) man, warrior Tags: masculine, poetic Categories (topical): People Synonyms: guma, biorn
    Sense id: en-beorn-ang-noun-SRwkptkl Categories (other): Old English entries with incorrect language header

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for beorn meaning in Old English (5.6kB)

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "enm",
            "2": "beorn",
            "3": "bern",
            "4": "berne",
            "5": "beren",
            "6": "barn"
          },
          "expansion": "Middle English: beorn, bern, berne, beren, barn",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "enm",
            "2": "beron"
          },
          "expansion": "beron",
          "name": "m"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "enm",
            "2": "baroun"
          },
          "expansion": "baroun",
          "name": "m"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "merged with <i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"enm\">beron</i>, <i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"enm\">baroun</i>"
          },
          "expansion": "(merged with beron, baroun)",
          "name": "i"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Middle English: beorn, bern, berne, beren, barn (merged with beron, baroun)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 2,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "baron"
          },
          "expansion": "English: baron",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "(English: baron)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 2,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "bern",
            "3": "beirn"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: bern, beirn",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: bern, beirn"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "bjǫrn",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bear"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse bjǫrn (“bear”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*bernuz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *bernuz",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gem-pro",
        "2": "*berô"
      },
      "expansion": "*berô",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "bearn",
        "t": "child, offspring, son\", hence \"boy, servant"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English bearn (“child, offspring, son\", hence \"boy, servant”)",
      "name": "noncog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gem-pro",
        "2": "*beron-",
        "t": "carrier"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *beron- (“carrier”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "baron"
      },
      "expansion": "baron",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "cel",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Celtic",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "brenhin"
      },
      "expansion": "Welsh brenhin",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "brenin"
      },
      "expansion": "brenin",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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).\nThe 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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "beornas",
      "tags": [
        "nominative",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "strong",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "table-tags"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ang-decl-noun-a-m",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "inflection-template"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "a-stem",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "class"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beorn",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "nominative",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beornas",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "nominative",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beorn",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "accusative",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beornas",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "accusative",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beornes",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "genitive",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beorna",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "genitive",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beorne",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "dative",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beornum",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "dative",
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "nouns",
        "3": "nominative plural",
        "4": "beornas",
        "5": "",
        "6": "",
        "g": "m",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "beorn m (nominative plural beornas)",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "m",
        "2": "beornas"
      },
      "expansion": "beorn m (nominative plural beornas)",
      "name": "ang-noun"
    }
  ],
  "inflection_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "beorn"
      },
      "name": "ang-decl-noun-a-m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "beorn",
        "2": "beornas",
        "3": "beorn",
        "4": "beornas",
        "5": "beornes",
        "6": "beorna",
        "7": "beorne",
        "8": "beornum",
        "num": "",
        "title": "",
        "type": "strong a-stem"
      },
      "name": "ang-decl-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Old English",
  "lang_code": "ang",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "ang",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "ang:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "(please add an English translation of this quotation) (Beowulf 2559)",
          "text": "Biorn under beorge bordrand onswaf.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "english": "the man found a ship on the strand. (Legend of St Andrew)",
          "text": "se beorn on waruþe scip gemette",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "man, warrior"
      ],
      "id": "en-beorn-ang-noun-SRwkptkl",
      "links": [
        [
          "poetic",
          "poetic"
        ],
        [
          "man",
          "man"
        ],
        [
          "warrior",
          "warrior"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(poetic) man, warrior"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "guma"
        },
        {
          "word": "biorn"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "poetic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/be͜orn/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[be͜orˠn]"
    }
  ],
  "word": "beorn"
}
{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "enm",
            "2": "beorn",
            "3": "bern",
            "4": "berne",
            "5": "beren",
            "6": "barn"
          },
          "expansion": "Middle English: beorn, bern, berne, beren, barn",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "enm",
            "2": "beron"
          },
          "expansion": "beron",
          "name": "m"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "enm",
            "2": "baroun"
          },
          "expansion": "baroun",
          "name": "m"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "merged with <i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"enm\">beron</i>, <i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"enm\">baroun</i>"
          },
          "expansion": "(merged with beron, baroun)",
          "name": "i"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Middle English: beorn, bern, berne, beren, barn (merged with beron, baroun)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 2,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "baron"
          },
          "expansion": "English: baron",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "(English: baron)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 2,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "bern",
            "3": "beirn"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: bern, beirn",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: bern, beirn"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "bjǫrn",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bear"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse bjǫrn (“bear”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*bernuz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *bernuz",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gem-pro",
        "2": "*berô"
      },
      "expansion": "*berô",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "bearn",
        "t": "child, offspring, son\", hence \"boy, servant"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English bearn (“child, offspring, son\", hence \"boy, servant”)",
      "name": "noncog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gem-pro",
        "2": "*beron-",
        "t": "carrier"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *beron- (“carrier”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "baron"
      },
      "expansion": "baron",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "cel",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Celtic",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "brenhin"
      },
      "expansion": "Welsh brenhin",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "brenin"
      },
      "expansion": "brenin",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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).\nThe 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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "beornas",
      "tags": [
        "nominative",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "strong",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "table-tags"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ang-decl-noun-a-m",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "inflection-template"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "a-stem",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "class"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beorn",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "nominative",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beornas",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "nominative",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beorn",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "accusative",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beornas",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "accusative",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beornes",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "genitive",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beorna",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "genitive",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beorne",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "dative",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beornum",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "dative",
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "nouns",
        "3": "nominative plural",
        "4": "beornas",
        "5": "",
        "6": "",
        "g": "m",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "beorn m (nominative plural beornas)",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "m",
        "2": "beornas"
      },
      "expansion": "beorn m (nominative plural beornas)",
      "name": "ang-noun"
    }
  ],
  "inflection_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "beorn"
      },
      "name": "ang-decl-noun-a-m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "beorn",
        "2": "beornas",
        "3": "beorn",
        "4": "beornas",
        "5": "beornes",
        "6": "beorna",
        "7": "beorne",
        "8": "beornum",
        "num": "",
        "title": "",
        "type": "strong a-stem"
      },
      "name": "ang-decl-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Old English",
  "lang_code": "ang",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
        "Old English lemmas",
        "Old English masculine a-stem nouns",
        "Old English masculine nouns",
        "Old English nouns",
        "Old English poetic terms",
        "Old English terms derived from Celtic languages",
        "Old English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
        "Old English terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "Old English terms with quotations",
        "Requests for translations of Old English quotations",
        "ang:People"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "(please add an English translation of this quotation) (Beowulf 2559)",
          "text": "Biorn under beorge bordrand onswaf.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "english": "the man found a ship on the strand. (Legend of St Andrew)",
          "text": "se beorn on waruþe scip gemette",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "man, warrior"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "poetic",
          "poetic"
        ],
        [
          "man",
          "man"
        ],
        [
          "warrior",
          "warrior"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(poetic) man, warrior"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "poetic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/be͜orn/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[be͜orˠn]"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "guma"
    },
    {
      "word": "biorn"
    }
  ],
  "word": "beorn"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Old English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (8203a16 and 304864d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.