larn

English

Etymology

Possibly from Old English læran (“to teach”). Compare with German lehren with identical meaning. But probably just a variant of standard English learn.

Verb

larn (third-person singular simple present larns, present participle larnin, simple past and past participle larned or larnt)

1. (Northern England, especially Geordie) To learn.
2. (Northern England, especially Geordie, Appalachia, near archaic) To teach.
   • 1954, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring:

     A bump of the boot to the seat, Tom thought, would be the way to larn him.

   Larn yersel te taalk propa like!

References

• A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Bill Griffiths, 2005, Northumbria University Press, →ISBN
• Frank Graham (1987) The New Geordie Dictionary, →ISBN
• Northumberland Words, English Dialect Society, R. Oliver Heslop, 1893–4
• Todd's Geordie Words and Phrases, George Todd, Newcastle, 1977[1]
• Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English (Montgomery, M. & J. Hall, 2004, U. of Tennessee Press)

Anagrams

• lRNA