† yerneadv.
Obsolete.
1.
a. Eagerly, earnestly, diligently, zealously, heartily.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > zeal or enthusiasm > [adverb]
yernlyc725
yerneOE
yernfullyOE
earnestlyOE
fastOE
needlya1350
keenlya1375
prestlya1375
eagerlyc1380
busilya1400
earnestfullya1400
enkerly?a1400
entirelya1400
affectuously?a1425
affectuallyc1425
effectually1434
heartfullya1450
heartilya1450
increlyc1480
zealously?1495
affectionately1534
earnest1563
heart and soul1620
obnixiously1632
obnixely1641
earn1656
warmly1665
enthusiastically1730
con amore1749
ravingly1825
wholeheartedly1845
enthusiastly1846
the world > action or operation > manner of action > care, carefulness, or attention > [adverb] > with studious care or diligently
yernlyc725
needlyeOE
yerneOE
getenlya1200
diligently1340
studiouslya1382
assiduallya1400
ithandlya1400
throngc1400
diligent1479
abidingly1530
industriously1572
sedulously1594
applyingly1624
assiduously1627
the world > action or operation > manner of action > care, carefulness, or attention > [adverb] > diligently or industriously
yerneOE
laborously?a1425
laboriouslyc1487
industriously1561
eidently1567
workingly1859
OE Beowulf 2294 Hordweard sohte georne æfter grunde.
a1122 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) ann. 1083 Þa wreccan munecas..gyrne cleopedon to Gode his miltse biddende.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 11 Muchel is us þenne neod..ȝerne bidden ure milciende drihten þet [etc.].
a1200 Moral Ode 49 Þider ȝe sculen ȝorne draȝen.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 3 Men..wisten ȝerne after ure lauerd ihesu cristes tocume.
a1250 Prov. Ælfred 101 in Old Eng. Misc. (1872) 108 Þe mon þe on his youhþe yeorne leorneþ wit and wisdom.
c1290 St. Brandan 94 in S. Eng. Leg. 222 & bede ȝurne oure louerdes grace þulke veyage to do.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 2789 Ȝern [Fairf. ȝorne] on þaim he cried merci!
c1400 St. Alexius (Laud 463) 35 Boþe be day, & be nyght, Ȝerne þei þonked our dright, & Seinte Marie.
c1400 Rom. Rose 6719 Thanne may he go abegging yerne Til he somme maner crafte kan lerne.
c1420 Chron. Vilod. 727 Seynt Dunstone heyȝede hym fulle faste And ȝyrne to god for hym he bedde.
c1425 Engl. Conquest Ireland (1896) 92 He..besoght ful yorne þat he most allyaunce haue to har kynrede.
c1440 Pallad. on Husb. i. 447 Mynge hit yurne Tyl euery part vntyl on body turne.
1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) iii. 547 The king then at thaim speryt ȝarne, How thai sen he thaim seyne had farne.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid iv. vii. 83 The blak swarm our the feildis walkis ȝarn, Tursand throw the gers thar pray to hiddillis dern.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid vi. vii. 44 The hiddillis held thai and the roddis darn, A myrtre wod about thaim lowkit ȝarn.
b. Willingly, gladly, ‘fain’; occasionally wilfully.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > willingness > [adverb]
to goodeOE
thankc888
yernec888
lieflyc900
lovelyeOE
lustly971
willinglyOE
wilfullyc1000
with (also mid) heart and hand (also hands)OE
fainc1175
lustilya1225
lief1297
yfaȝea1300
blethelyc1300
goodlya1375
blelyc1380
willingc1384
bainc1400
acceptably1479
bainlya1500
cheerfully1523
towardly1523
desirously1531
pronely?1532
fainly1535
wilningly1597
bongre1598
libentiously1606
volently1614
propensely1648
easily1649
with (a) good grace1650
unreluctantly1655
with the best will (in the world)1814
unhesitatingly1829
unqualifyingly1841
unloathly1844
happily1889
the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adverb] > wilfully
yernec888
wilfulc1381
for wilnesfulc1400
willesfullyc1400
selfwilledly1530
wilfullya1586
wilsomelya1835
c888 Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. vii. §2 Þonne scealt þu georne geðolian gehwæt þæs þe to heora þenungum..belimpet.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 9 Ȝif þu ȝierne waxest on godnesse,..after þing þe ðe beð biheue.
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 1526 Ȝe, þat ar so cortays & coynt of your hetes, Oghe to a ȝonke þynk ȝern to schewe & teche sum tokeneȝ of trweluf craftes.
1414 T. Brampton Paraphr. Seven Penit. Psalms (1842) 12 And I trespase aȝens the ȝerne.
?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 44 He trowis that ȝoung folk I ȝerne [a1586 warne] ȝeild.
c. Thoroughly, well.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > understanding > [adverb]
yernec1000
understandinglya1340
comprehensivelya1631
comprehendingly1866
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > [adverb]
i-wislichec1000
wislyc1000
yernec1000
wellOE
wisc1175
sickera1275
without missa1275
redlyc1275
certainlya1375
sadc1380
confirmedlyc1449
certaina1500
undeceitfully1571
notionless1607
ascertainably1863
absotively1914
c1000 Ælfric Genesis xxxix. 3 He wiste ful georne þæt god hine lufode.
12.. Moral Ode (Egerton MS.) 346 Þat buð ða þe heom sculdeð ȝeorne, wid elche un-ðeawe.
a1225 Leg. Kath. 1588 Hire lust swiðe ȝeorne speoken mit te meiden.
a1240 Ureisun in Old Eng. Hom. I. 199 Þu hit wost ful ȝeorne þet þe deouel hateð me.
2.
a. Quickly, swiftly, rapidly, fast, briskly, at a great rate.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > rate of motion > swiftness > [adverb]
yeverlyeOE
cofeOE
snellya1000
whatlichea1000
swiftlyc1000
yernea1023
skeetc1175
swithc1175
whatec1175
lightly?c1225
tidelyc1225
fastlyc1275
swithc1275
fastc1300
quickc1300
titec1300
quicklya1325
rada1325
snellc1330
titelyc1330
swithly?1370
hastlya1375
ketlya1375
ketec1380
speedlyc1380
speedfully1398
keenlya1400
skeetlya1400
speedilya1400
swiftc1400
yederlyc1400
apacea1423
rasha1475
runninglyc1475
speedful?c1480
rackly?a1500
rashly1533
stiffly1535
roundly1548
post1549
fleet1587
fleetly1598
speedy1601
raptly1646
fastisha1650
wingedly1651
rapidly1653
rapid1677
velociously1680
express1765
quicklike1782
spankingly1803
spankily1842
fleetingly1883
quick-foot1891
on the quick-foot1894
zippily1924
a1023 Wulfstan Homilies ii. 18 Hit to ðam dome nu georne nealæcð.
c1386 G. Chaucer Pardoner's Tale 70 Myne handes and my tonge goon so yerne That it is ioye to se my bisynesse.
1393 W. Langland Piers Plowman C. xxiii. 159 Sleuthe wax wonder ȝerne and sone was of age.
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 498 A ȝere ȝernes ful ȝerne, & ȝeldeȝ neuer lyke.
c1430 Freemasonry 174 The mayster may his prentes so enforme, That hys hure may crese ful ȝurne.
c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 536/2 Ȝarne, hastyly (P. ȝarne or fast), festinanter.
a1450 Memorandum in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 520 There he lyted and knokkyd on the gate, and we folwyd as yarn as we myth.
1493 Dives & Pauper (1496) ix. viii. 358/1 Bere he his sayle neuer soo hyghe, & go he neuer soo yerne.
c1530 Court of Love 1299 There nis no swallow swift..ne half so yern can fly.
b. Quickly, without delay, immediately, directly, soon. Also as yerne (see as adv. 5b).
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > immediacy > [adverb]
soonc825
ratheeOE
rathelyeOE
rekeneOE
rekenlyOE
thereright971
anonOE
forth ona1000
coflyc1000
ferlyc1000
radlyOE
swiftlyc1000
unyoreOE
yareOE
at the forme (also first) wordOE
nowOE
shortlya1050
rightOE
here-rightlOE
right anonlOE
anonc1175
forthrightc1175
forthwithalc1175
skeetc1175
swithc1175
with and withc1175
anon-rightc1225
anon-rights?c1225
belivec1225
lightly?c1225
quickly?c1225
tidelyc1225
fastlyc1275
hastilyc1275
i-radlichec1275
as soon asc1290
aright1297
bedenea1300
in little wevea1300
withoute(n dwella1300
alrightc1300
as fast (as)c1300
at firstc1300
in placec1300
in the placec1300
mididonec1300
outrightc1300
prestc1300
streck13..
titec1300
without delayc1300
that stounds1303
rada1325
readya1325
apacec1325
albedenec1330
as (also also) titec1330
as blivec1330
as line rightc1330
as straight as linec1330
in anec1330
in presentc1330
newlyc1330
suddenlyc1330
titelyc1330
yernec1330
as soon1340
prestly1340
streckly1340
swithly?1370
evenlya1375
redelya1375
redlya1375
rifelya1375
yeplya1375
at one blastc1380
fresha1382
ripelyc1384
presentc1385
presently1385
without arrestc1385
readilyc1390
in the twinkling of a looka1393
derflya1400
forwhya1400
skeetlya1400
straighta1400
swifta1400
maintenantc1400
out of handc1400
wightc1400
at a startc1405
immediately1420
incontinent1425
there and then1428
onenec1429
forwithc1430
downright?a1439
agatec1440
at a tricec1440
right forth1440
withouten wonec1440
whipc1460
forthwith1461
undelayed1470
incessantly1472
at a momentc1475
right nowc1475
synec1475
incontinently1484
promptly1490
in the nonce?a1500
uncontinent1506
on (upon, in) the instant1509
in short1513
at a clap1519
by and by1526
straightway1526
at a twitch1528
at the first chop1528
maintenantly1528
on a tricea1529
with a tricec1530
at once1531
belively1532
straightwaysa1533
short days1533
undelayedly1534
fro hand1535
indelayedly1535
straight forth1536
betimesc1540
livelyc1540
upononc1540
suddenly1544
at one (or a) dash?1550
at (the) first dash?1550
instantly1552
forth of hand1564
upon the nines1568
on the nail1569
at (also in, with) a thoughtc1572
indilately1572
summarily1578
at one (a) chop1581
amain1587
straightwise1588
extempore1593
presto1598
upon the place1600
directly1604
instant1604
just now1606
with a siserary1607
promiscuously1609
at (in) one (an) instant1611
on (also upon) the momenta1616
at (formerly also on or upon) sight1617
hand to fist1634
fastisha1650
nextly1657
to rights1663
straightaway1663
slap1672
at first bolt1676
point-blank1679
in point1680
offhand1686
instanter1688
sonica1688
flush1701
like a thought1720
in a crack1725
momentary1725
bumbye1727
clacka1734
plumba1734
right away1734
momentarily1739
momentaneously1753
in a snap1768
right off1771
straight an end1778
abruptedly1784
in a whistle1784
slap-bang1785
bang?1795
right off the reel1798
in a whiff1800
in a flash1801
like a shot1809
momently1812
in a brace or couple of shakes1816
in a gird1825
(all) in a rush1829
in (also at, on) short (also quick) order1830
straightly1830
toot sweetc1830
in two twos1838
rectly1843
quick-stick1844
short metre1848
right1849
at the drop of a (occasionally the) hat1854
off the hooks1860
quicksticks1860
straight off1873
bang off1886
away1887
in quick sticks (also in a quick stick)1890
ek dum1895
tout de suite1895
bung1899
one time1899
prompt1910
yesterday1911
in two ups1934
presto changeo1946
now-now1966
presto change1987
c1330 (?a1300) Sir Tristrem (1886) l. 3065 Hennes ȝern þou fle Out of siȝt mine.
c1374 G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde iii. 376 Achilles with his spere Myn herte cleue,..yf I late or yerne Wolde it by-wreye.
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 1252 Ȝeld þe to me ȝeply or ȝerne þou schalt deie.
c1384 G. Chaucer Hous of Fame ii. 402 Wyth that he spack to me so yerne And seyde.
c1450 Jacob's Well (1900) 12 Ȝif ȝe be gylty, be sory in herte,...and ȝerne, wyth full sorwe of herte, beeth schreuyn.
c1470 J. Hardyng Chron. cix. vi And then the kyng made hym byshop as yerne Of Winchester.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adv.c888