| 释义 |
† burdn. Origin: Of uncertain origin. Etymology: Of uncertain and disputed origin. Perhaps (i) a specific sense of birde n.; or perhaps (ii) the reflex of an unattested Old English *byrde, noun (see note).The majority of the forms of the word are most easily explained as showing the reflex of Old English short y . The word may be originally a specific sense of birde n.; compare birde n. 2. Although use of gebyrd birde n. of persons is rare in Old English, it is attested (as also in Middle English) in the sense ‘child, offspring’ (see birde n. 2 and compare birth n.1 6). Compare related Old English byrde (adjective) born, used especially of people born into a (specified or implied) social rank (chiefly attested in compounds, probably shortened < gebyrde natural, innate < the Germanic base of Old English gebyrd birde n.). This is attested once in the phrase se byrdesta in the sense ‘the most well-born (man)’. Despite its rarity, noun uses of this adjective could have merged with the early Middle English reflex of birde n. and influenced its sense with regard to the connotations of high rank. The word was probably also from an early date associated with, and influenced semantically by, bride n.1 (compare bride n.1 3 and quot. c1225), and probably also sometimes influenced formally by this word, or confused with it by scribes; compare especially the δ. forms. However, the word is unlikely to be originally a variant form of bride n.1, as metathesis of r in the phonological environment of long ȳ is extremely rare and the development of the vowel would also pose formal problems. It has also been suggested that the word is the reflex of an unattested Old English *byrde , weak feminine, with the original sense ‘(female) embroiderer’ (with connotations of a noble or approved female occupation, as conventionally in alliterative verse) < Old English byrdan , weak verb of Class I, attested only in past participle gebyrded provided with or fastened together with a border or stripe (compare also the derivatives byrdicge , probably in the sense ‘(female) embroiderer’ (in an isolated attestation), byrdestre , probably in the sense ‘person who ornaments textiles’ (in an isolated attestation)), cognate with or formed similarly to Old Saxon burdian (rare) and Old High German burten (rare), both in the sense ‘to provide a (decorated) border’, and Old Icelandic byrða to make a (decorated) border or tapestry < the same Germanic base as Old English borda , Old Saxon borda , Old High German borto , Old Icelandic borði , nouns, all used with reference to embroidered textiles (apparently ultimately < the same Germanic base as board n.). For the association of this stem with approved female behaviour compare especially the attestation of Old English borda in Maxims I (although the precise sense in the line is not entirely undisputed):OE Maxims I 63 Fæmne æt hyre bordan geriseð; widgongel wif word gespringeð. The word is also sometimes difficult to distinguish from use of bird n. with reference to persons (compare bird n. 9, 10), and association with bird n. may also have influenced the δ. forms (compare forms at that entry). Possible instances of use with reference to men. It has been suggested that the word sometimes denotes a man of noble birth or a young man. If use of male adults were early and established, it might also throw light on the etymology. However, all the suggested attestations seem to be problematic or are disputed. Compare the following case, in which the French parallels suggest that originally reference was to a man, but the variant readings suggest confusion about who is being referred to:c1330 Gregorius (Auch.) (1914) l. 540 His ost..ȝaf answare And ȝede forþ wiþ þe bird so bold [c1350 Cleo. geþ among the burdes bolde, c1390 Vernon wende forþ to þat buirde bolde]. poetic. Obsolete. the world > people > person > woman > [noun] the world > people > person > young person > young woman > [noun] c1225 (?c1200) (Royal) (1934) 49 Cum nu forð, burde [c1225 Bodl. brud], to þi brudgume... Leaf þe leode swa lah, & tu schalt welden wið me al þat ich ah, alre burde brihtest. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon (Calig.) (1978) l. 9616 Æfter Arður wes iboren þeo ædie burde [c1300 Otho maide]..Æne. a1400 (a1325) (Trin. Cambr.) l. 12305 Ioseph went also soone Wiþ him marie þat burde [Vesp. bird] bolde. c1400 (?c1380) (1977) l. 80 Forsetteȝ on vche a syde..Boþe burneȝ and burdeȝ, þe better and þe wers. a1425 (?c1350) (1964) l. 3313 Þat he ne might wed þat bird bright. c1450 in F. J. Furnivall (1867) 4 Heil þou blessid beerde in whom [crist] was piȝt! ?c1500 (Digby) l. 356 O ȝe bewtews byrd, I must yow kysse. 1575 J. Rolland iv. f. 59 Thay wald Venus make content Be sum new burd. ?a1600 Ballad in D. Wilson 33 My birde ladie in Halyroode. 1802 in W. Scott I. 77 When in my arms burd Helen dropt. 1804 T. Campbell vi And by my word! the bonny bird In danger shall not tarry. 1816 W. Scott Old Mortality xii, in 1st Ser. IV. 270 ‘Peggy, my bonny bird,’..addressing a little girl of twelve years old. 1858 W. Morris 229 ‘It is some burd’, the fair dame said..‘Has come to see your bonny face’. a1897 T. E. Brown in (1900) i. 69 Is burd Maggie stupid? No, by sweet Saint Cupid! This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2021; most recently modified version published online March 2022). <  n.c1225 |