burn English · revision 4765

+ English has two words spelled ''burn'': the verb “to be on fire” and its noun, and a Scottish word for a stream.^(Cresswell 2021)^(Hoad 1986) Both are Old English, but they are not related.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

+

+ {{homograph|1|fire}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=a. 1160|origins=gem-pro *brinnaną}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|brennen]], later burnen,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from two originally distinct Old English verbs: [[inh|ang|beornan|alt=beornan, byrnan|t=to be on fire]] (intransitive) and [[ang|bærnan|t=to set on fire]] (transitive),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) with influence from [[non|brenna|t=to burn, light]].^(Etymonline) Both contain forms with the r moved (metathesis) from Germanic *bren-, *bran-:^(Hoad 1986)^(Barnhart 1988) [[gem-pro|*brinnaną]], also the source of Old Saxon, Old High German and Gothic brinnan, and its causative *brannijaną, the source of German brennen and Old Norse brenna.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) Barnhart links it through a present stem *bhre-n-u- to [[ine-pro|*bʰrewh₁-|alt=*bhreu-]], the root of [[brew]].^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To set on fire or consume with fire, as brennen: probably before 1160 in Barnhart,^(Barnhart 1988) the early 12th century in Etymonline,^(Etymonline) where it also meant to be inflamed with passion and to shine or glow like fire.^(Etymonline) The form burnen is probably before 1200, in Layamon, but did not prevail until the 1550s.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The distinction between the intransitive and transitive verbs began to break down in late Old English.^(Barnhart 1988) The noun, the act of burning, is from about 1300, from Old English bryne,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) and the usual spelling was brenne until the mid-16th century;^(Etymonline) a mark or injury made by burning is from 1523.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''Burn the midnight oil'' (mid 17th century) and ''burn the candle at both ends'' (mid 18th century) recall lighting by candles and lamps.^(Cresswell 2021) ''Burn one's bridges'' is by 1892, in Mark Twain, perhaps from cavalry raids in the American Civil War,^(Etymonline) and ''burn one's boats'', from armies that cut off their own retreat, is late 19th century.^(Cresswell 2021) Money that ''burns a hole in one's pocket'' is from 1850,^(Etymonline) and a ''slow burn'', growing anger, is by 1938.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The firing of a spacecraft's engine is called a burn from 1965.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1160 – to set on fire.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * a. 1200 – ''burnen''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1300 – noun, the act of burning.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1523 – noun, a mark made by burning.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1850 – ''burn a hole in one's pocket''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1892 – ''burn one's bridges''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1938 – ''slow burn''.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1965 – the firing of a rocket engine.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To be on [[fire]], or to destroy or damage by fire.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To use as [[fuel]]: ''burn coal''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To injure or be injured by heat, fire, the sun or a [[caustic]] substance.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To give out light or heat: ''a light burned in the window''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To feel very hot or painful, or to feel a strong emotion: ''burn with anger''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To [[record]] data on a CD or DVD.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An injury or mark caused by burning.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A firing of a spacecraft's rocket engine.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[burner]]

+ * [[burnt]]

+ * [[sunburn]]

+ * [[heartburn]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|stream}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1000|origins=gem-pro *brunnô}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|ang|burna|t=spring, stream]], also burne and burn,^(Hoad 1986)^(OED 1989) a form with the r moved (metathesis) of [[gem-pro|*brunnô]],^(Hoad 1986) seen in Old Saxon and Old High German brunno, German Brunnen “well”, Dutch bron, Old Norse brunnr and Gothic brunna.^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) Its ultimate origin is unknown.^(Hoad 1986) It is the same word as [[bourn]] “stream”.^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A spring, fountain, stream or river: about 1000 in the OED.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In later English the word survived mainly in Scotland and the north of England, where it means a brook or small stream.^(OED 1989)^(Wright 1898)^(Collins 2023) The poets also used it, like flood, of the sea (about 1400).^(OED 1989) Compounds such as ''burnside'' and ''burn-trout'' are from 1724.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1000 – a spring or stream.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1400 – poetic, the sea.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1724 – compounds such as burn-trout.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(Scottish, northern England)'' A small [[stream]] or brook.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[brimstone]]

+ * [[bourn]]

+ * [[brew]]

+ * [[brand]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}