bairn

American  

[bairn, beyrn] / bɛərn, beɪrn /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. a child; son or daughter.

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bairn British  

/ bern, bɛən /

noun

1. a child

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Usage

What does bairn mean? Bairn is a Scottish or Northern English word for child.

Etymology

Origin of bairn

before 900; Middle English bern, barn, Old English bearn; cognate with Gothic, Old Norse, Old High German, Old Saxon, barn, Old Frisian bern, Middle Dutch baren, Albanian me barrë pregnant; akin to Lithuanian bérnas boy, fellow, bear ¹

Example Sentences

“Tunes hiv been whirlin aroon in the air an in ma heid an hairt since I wis a bairn, an I wis composing tunes an songs even then,” she wrote in her book.

From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2022

It would take more than 50 years for vital clues to the identity of the "unknown bairn" to finally be revealed.

From BBC • Sep. 28, 2022

Twa gods guides me: the ane of tham is blin, Yea and a bairn brocht up in vanitie; The next a wife ingenrit of the sea, And lichter nor a dauphin with her fin.

From Slate • Feb. 14, 2012

"It's going to take a lot of persuading, because we bred him ourselves and he's our bairn," he said.

From The Guardian • Feb. 19, 2011

But we heard a coyote howl upwind and we heard a cow bawling for her late weaned bairn.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck