MovieChat Forums > New Tricks (2003) Discussion > Another British Expression Question

Another British Expression Question

posted 8 years ago by ronricho-337-128165
10 replies | jump to latest

I hear the word "bern" referring to a baby or a young child but where does that word come from?

The word you are hearing is 'bairn', a Scotch word for a baby or child. It is also used in parts of Northern England.

lso used in Northern England, particularly the North East (Newcastle). Jack Halford (James Bolam) is from that region of England.

[–] SrEditor 8 years ago

Okay to use "Scotch" as a demonym? I thought "Scottish" was the acceptable form?

[–] fearonjnr 8 years ago

The short answer is that you are correct in what is 'acceptable', and what is 'old-fashioned': 'Scottish' is indeed, I believe, the preferred term. However, most Scotch (I have been saying that for years, and I shan't change now) persons I know call themselves 'Scotch'. Indeed, I have sometimes heard that 'Scots' is the preferred term. It'll all change soon, so there's no real point in trying to keep up, but - if you wish to be safe - 'Scottish' is correct (except for Scotch egg, Scotch Whisky, Scotch mist...).

[–] fearonbanks 8 years ago

Update: In the episode that the IMDB calls 'The Girl Who Lived', Brain Lane has an excellent line, spoken immediately after Gerry has reluctantly volunteered to give the annoying Steve a lift in his car. Brain says: "Greater love hath no man than that he should spend the whole afternoon with a Scotchman!"

[–] willjohn 8 years ago

Some say "Scots".

[–] TorontoBlueJay 8 years ago

Feel the Bern!

[–] ronricho-337-128165 8 years ago

Lol!

[–] Helena727 8 years ago

Interestingly, the Swedish word for child is "barn"; not sure whether they ultimately share the same root (per Oxfd Dict online, "bairn" comes from Old English bearn, of Germanic origin; related to the verb bear).

"All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people."

[–] ronricho-337-128165 8 years ago

Thank you so much for responding to my question. Language is a fascinating subject. Don't you agree?

Love your tag line:

"All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people." LOL!

[–] TigerWarg 7 years ago

Interestingly, the Swedish word for child is "barn"; not sure whether they ultimately share the same root.

They do.

The Northern English (and Scots) dialects include a lot of words with Scandanvian origins as a consequence of all the emigration in the 9th/10th/11th centuries. "Bairn/barn" is a well known example, a few others are words like "beck" (stream), "fell" (hill), "gate" (street), "bait" (food), "dale" (valley), and so on.