leornian

Old English

Alternative forms

• liornian

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *lizaną. Cognate with Old Frisian lirnia, Old Saxon līnon, and Old High German lernēn. Related to lǣran and lār.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈle͜or.ni.ɑn/, [ˈle͜orˠ.ni.ɑn]

Verb

leornian

1. to learn

   Ǣlċe dæġe iċ leorniġe mā be þisse mǣran byrġ.

   Every day I learn more about this great city.

2. to study
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

     Þā hē þās bōc hæfde ġeleornode and of Lǣdene tō Engliscum spelle ġewende, þā ġeworhte hē hīe eft tō lēoðe.

     When King Alfred had studied this book and translated it from Latin verse into English prose, he converted it back into verse.

Conjugation

Conjugation of leornian (weak class 2)

infinitive	leornian	leornienne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	leorniġe	leornode
second person singular	leornast	leornodest
third person singular	leornaþ	leornode
plural	leorniaþ	leornodon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	leorniġe	leornode
plural	leorniġen	leornoden
imperative
singular	leorna
plural	leorniaþ
participle	present	past
	leorniende	(ġe)leornod

Descendants

• Middle English: lernen
  • English: learn
  • Scots: lerne, leirn, lairn