forbirnan
Old English
Alternative forms
- forbeornan, forbyrnan, forbiernan
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *frabrinnan. Equivalent to for- + birnan.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /forˈbir.nɑn/, [forˈbirˠ.nɑn]
Verb
forbirnan
- (intransitive) to burn (completely): burn down, burn up
- late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Exodus 3:2
- Mōȳsēs ġeseah þæt sē þyrne barn and næs forburnen.
- Moses saw that the bush was burning without being consumed.
- c. 900, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History
- Eft ġelamp æfter tīde fæce þætte sē ilca tūn forbarn and sēo ilce ċiriċe.
- Then after a while the same town burned down again, along with the same church.
- c. 900, translation of Orosius' History Against the Pagans
- Ethna fȳr āflēow upp swā brād and swā miċel þætte eall þā clifu þe nēah þǣre sǣ wǣron forburnon tō ascan.
- Mount Etna erupted so explosively that all the cliffs near the sea were burned to ashes.
- late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Exodus 3:2
Conjugation
Conjugation of forbirnan (strong class 3)
| infinitive | forbirnan | forbirnenne |
|---|---|---|
| indicative mood | present tense | past tense |
| first person singular | forbirne | forbarn, forborn, forbearn |
| second person singular | forbirnst | forburne |
| third person singular | forbirnþ | forbarn, forborn, forbearn |
| plural | forbirnaþ | forburnon |
| subjunctive | present tense | past tense |
| singular | forbirne | forburne |
| plural | forbirnen | forburnen |
| imperative | ||
| singular | forbirn | |
| plural | forbirnaþ | |
| participle | present | past |
| forbirnende | forburnen | |
Derived terms
- forbærnan
Descendants
- Middle English: forbrinnen, forburnen
- English: forburn