different between yrn vs yern

English

Verb

yrn

1. (knitting) yarn round needle
   • 1986, Frances Kennett, Dorothea Hall, The gentle arts (page 84)

     Yfwd, K2 tog, yrn twice, K1 tbl, K2, K1 tbl, yrn twice, […]

Anagrams

• NYR

English

Alternative forms

• yearn

Etymology

From Middle English yern (“willing, eager”), from Old English ?eorn (“eager”), from Proto-West Germanic *gern, from Proto-Germanic *gernaz.

Cognate with Danish gerne (“gladly”), Dutch gaarne (“with pleasure, gladly”), German gern (“willingly, gladly”), Icelandic gjarn (“willing, keen, eager”), Icelandic gjarna (“willingly, readily, gladdly”), Swedish gärna (“willingly, gladly”). See also yearnful and yearnfully.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /j??n/
• Rhymes: -??(?)n

Homophone: yearn

Adjective

yern

1. (obsolete) Willing, eager, covetous, swift, nimble, earnest.

   • But of her songe, it was so loude & erne
     As any swalowe syttynge on a berne

Adverb

yern

1. (obsolete) eagerly, heartily, gladly, willingly, earnestly.
   • 1865, Frederick James Furnivall, A Royal Historie of the Excellent Knight Generides

     Who was so hardie and so stern? Tel me now, I pray you yern

   • c. 1515, unknown The Buke of the Sevyne Sagis

     All the people cried yern? God Master, now defend thy bairn.

   • 1513, Gavin Douglas, The Eneados

     The black swarm ower the fields walks yerne

Usage notes

For the adverb, the form yearnly can also be found, but is much rarer.

References

• yern in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• The Dictionary of Early English
• A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary
• The Middle English Dictionary
• The Dictionary of the Scots Language

Verb

yern (third-person singular simple present yerns, present participle yerning, simple past and past participle yerned)

1. Obsolete form of yearn.

Anagrams

• NYer, Nery, reyn