Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
biernan. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
biernan, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
biernan in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
biernan you have here. The definition of the word
biernan will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
biernan, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Old English
Etymology
Metathesis of earlier *brinnan, from Proto-West Germanic *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 sē 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 biernende þæċele, and eall sē 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"
Hé wearð ða afylled mid graman, and hét onǽlén þone ófen swiðe ðearle, and hét gebindan ða cnihtas handum and fotum, and awurpan into ðam byrnendum ófne.- He was filled with anger, and commanded the oven to be heated very intensely, and commanded the youths to be bound hands and feet, and cast into the burning oven.
- Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Manuscript A, year 1066
Hēr forþfērde Ēadward 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.
Conjugation
Derived terms
Descendants