biernan
Old English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Metathesis of earlier *brinnan, from Proto-Germanic *brinnaną. Cognate with Old Saxon brinnan, Old Dutch brinnan, Old High German brinnan, Old Norse brinna, Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (brinnan).
Pronunciation
Verb
biernan (West Saxon)
- (intransitive) to burn
- c. 900, translation of Orosius' History Against the Pagans
- Man ġeseah swelċe se heofon burne.
- It looked like the sky was on fire.
- translation of "Alexander the Great's Letter to Aristotle"
- Þā fȳr fēollon on þā eorðan swelċe birnende þæċele, and eall se feld barn.
- The fires fell to the earth like a flaming torch, and the whole field burned.
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "The Nativity of the Lord"
- Se cyning þā hēt ġebindan þā cneohtas handum and fōtum and āweorpan intō þām birnendan ofne.
- The king then had the boys bound by their hands and feet and yeeted into the burning oven.
- Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Manuscript A, year 1066
- Hēr forþfērde Ēadweard cyning, and Hereweald eorl fēng tō þām rīċe and hēold hit fēowertiġ wucena and ǣnne dæġ, and hēr cōm Willelm and ġewann Engla land, and hēr on þissum ġēare barn Cristes ċiriċe, and hēr ætīewde comēta þȳ nigontēoðan dæġe ēastermōnaþes.
- This year, King Edward died • Harold Godwinson took the throne and held it for 281 days • William the Conqueror came and conquered England • Canterbury Cathedral burned down • a comet appeared on April 19th.
- c. 900, translation of Orosius' History Against the Pagans
Conjugation
Conjugation of biernan (strong class 3)
| infinitive | biernan | biernenne |
|---|---|---|
| indicative mood | present tense | past tense |
| first person singular | bierne | barn, born, bearn |
| second person singular | biernst | burne |
| third person singular | biernþ | barn, born, bearn |
| plural | biernaþ | burnon |
| subjunctive | present tense | past tense |
| singular | bierne | burne |
| plural | biernen | burnen |
| imperative | ||
| singular | biern | |
| plural | biernaþ | |
| participle | present | past |
| biernende | (ġe)burnen | |