birken

American  

[bur-kuhn, bir-kuhn] / ˈbɜr kən, ˈbɪr kən /

adjective

Scot. and North England.

1. birchen; birch.

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Etymology

Origin of birken

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at birk, -en ²

Example Sentences

V. O weary Winter soon will pass, And spring will cleed the birken shaw; And my young babie will be born, And he’ll be hame that’s far awa.

From The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence. With a New Life of the Poet, and Notices, Critical and Biographical by Allan Cunningham by Burns, Robert

They hunted high, they hunted low, By heathery hill and birken shaw; They raised a buck on Rooken Edge, And blew the mort at fair Ealylawe.

From Ballads of Scottish Tradition and Romance Popular Ballads of the Olden Times - Third Series by Sidgwick, Frank

I'll visit aft the birken bush Where first thou kindly tauld me Sweet tales o' love, and hid my blush, Whilst round thou didst infauld me.

From The Home Book of Verse — Volume 2 by Stevenson, Burton Egbert

Oh, wad that my time were ower but,    Wi’ this wintry sleet and snaw, p. 159That I might see our house again    I’ the bonny birken shaw!—

From The Life of Mansie Wauch Tailor in Dalkeith, written by himself by Moir, David Macbeth

The gorcock unalarmed crows among the moors and mosses—the blackbird whistles in the birken shaw—and the cony erects his ears at the mouth of his burrow, and whisks away frolicsome among the whins or heather.

From Recreations of Christopher North, Volume 2 by Wilson, John