born English · revision 2588

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 725 (Old English Genesis)|origins=ang beran}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /bɔːn/, US /bɔːrn/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|born]], [[inh|ang|boren]], also geboren, the past participle of [[m|ang|beran|t=to bear, carry]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) the source of [[bear]].^(COED 2004) It is akin to Old High German [[m|goh|giboran]] and Old Norse [[m|non|borinn]].^(MWU 2024) The ''-e-'' of the Middle English participle tended to drop after ''-r-'', as in slain.^(Etymonline) ''Born'' and [[borne]] were differentiated about 1600:^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline) ''borne'' kept the sense “carried”.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Brought forth by birth: Old English, about 725, in a version of Genesis.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In modern use the link with ''bear'' is no longer felt, and ''to be born'' has become in effect an intransitive verb.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) “Having from birth a certain character”, as in ''a born poet'', is from the early 14th century^(Etymonline) or the late 10th century in the OED's ''to be born a poet'' construction.^(OED 1989) “Destined from birth” is from 1357.^(HTOED) “Innate, inherited” is from 1710,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and the colloquial ''in all one's born days'', “in one's lifetime”, by 1742.^(Etymonline) An American verb ''born'', “to give birth to; to come to birth”, is from 1932, chiefly in ''borning''.^(OED 1989)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – brought forth by birth.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * early 14th century – born with a character.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1357 – destined.^(HTOED)

+ * c. 1600 – ''born'' and ''borne'' differentiated.^(Hoad 1986)

+ * 1710 – innate.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1742 – ''in one's born days''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1932 – verb, to give birth.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Brought into life by [[birth]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Having a quality or talent from birth: ''a born teacher''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # Destined from birth.^(AHD)^(HTOED)

+ # Native to a place: ''Irish-born''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bear]]

+ * [[borne]]

+ * [[birth]]

+ * [[bairn]]

+ * [[burden]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Born'' is used of birth, while ''borne'' is the past participle of ''bear'' in its other senses, “carried, endured”.^(Hoad 1986) Wright's dialect dictionary records Scots and northern ''born fool'', “an innate fool”, and ''born devil'', “a downright rogue”.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}