< Reconstruction:Old English
Reconstruction:Old English/bifren
 | This Old English entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence. |
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *bibrīnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰebʰriHnos, equivalent to befer + -en. Cognate with Old High German bibarīn and Latin fibrīnus. Compare biren, fyxen, gǣten, swīnen, wylfen, and ytren.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbif.ren/, [ˈbiv.ren]
Adjective
*bifren
- (relational) beaver; of or relating to beavers
- made of a beaver's fur or pelt: beaverskin
Usage notes
- In Middle English, attested describing someone's hat: He toc his beverene hat = Old English Hē nam his bifrenan hætt ("He took his beaverskin hat").
Declension
Declension of *bifren — Strong
| Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | *bifren | *bifrenu, *bifreno | *bifren |
| Accusative | *bifrenne | *bifrene | *bifren |
| Genitive | *bifrenes | *bifrenre | *bifrenes |
| Dative | *bifrenum | *bifrenre | *bifrenum |
| Instrumental | *bifrene | *bifrenre | *bifrene |
| Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
| Nominative | *bifrene | *bifrena, *bifrene | *bifrenu, *bifreno |
| Accusative | *bifrene | *bifrena, *bifrene | *bifrenu, *bifreno |
| Genitive | *bifrenra | *bifrenra | *bifrenra |
| Dative | *bifrenum | *bifrenum | *bifrenum |
| Instrumental | *bifrenum | *bifrenum | *bifrenum |
Declension of *bifren — Weak
| Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | *bifrena | *bifrene | *bifrene |
| Accusative | *bifrenan | *bifrenan | *bifrene |
| Genitive | *bifrenan | *bifrenan | *bifrenan |
| Dative | *bifrenan | *bifrenan | *bifrenan |
| Instrumental | *bifrenan | *bifrenan | *bifrenan |
| Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
| Nominative | *bifrenan | *bifrenan | *bifrenan |
| Accusative | *bifrenan | *bifrenan | *bifrenan |
| Genitive | *bifrenra, *bifrenena | *bifrenra, *bifrenena | *bifrenra, *bifrenena |
| Dative | *bifrenum | *bifrenum | *bifrenum |
| Instrumental | *bifrenum | *bifrenum | *bifrenum |
Descendants
- Middle English: beveren