beorn

Old English

Alternative forms

biorn

Etymology

The origin is disputed. A phonetically exact correspondence exists in Old Norse bjǫrn (“bear”), from Proto-Germanic *bernuz (more at *berô), generally accepted as cognate with the form in proper names, 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.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /be͜orn/, [be͜orˠn]

Noun

beorn m (nominative plural beornas)

(poetic) man, warrior
- 10th century, The Wanderer:
  Til biþ sē þe his trēowe ġehealdeþ, · ne sċeal nǣfre his torn tō ryċene
  beorn of his brēostum ācȳþan, · nemþe hē ǣr þā bōte cunne,
  eorl mid elne ġefremman. · Wel bið þām þe him āre sēċeð,
  frōfre tō fæder on heofonum, · þǣr ūs eal sēo fæstnung stondeð.
  Good is that keeps his belief, should not ever unfold his wrath,
  fighter of his breasts, too quickly, unless before this help he would
  know how to help out a man with strength. It's good for him who seeks
  help from the Father in heavens, where this whole fastening stands for us.
- Biorn under beorge bordrand onswaf. ― Stout by the stone-way his shield he raised. (Beowulf 2559)
- se beorn on waruþe scip gemette ― the man found a ship on the strand. (Legend of St Andrew)

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	beorn	beornas
accusative	beorn	beornas
genitive	beornes	beorna
dative	beorne	beornum

Synonyms

guma

Derived terms

Derived names

Descendants

Middle English: beorn, bern, berne, beren, barn (merged with beron, baroun)
- (English: baron)
- Scots: bern, beirn

References

"† berne, n.", Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition 1989; first published in New English Dictionary, 1887.
“berne (n.), Etymology,”, in Oxford English Dictionary‎^[1], June 2024