burn

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burn2
A. be on fire.

B. consume with fire. In meaning repr. two OE. verbs:
i. an intr. str. vb. birnan, beornan;

ii. a trans. wk. vb. bærnan. Both verbs contain metathesized forms of Gmc. *bren- *bran; OE. birnan, var. of brinnan = OS., OHG., Goth. brinnan; OE. bærnan = OS., OHG. brennan (G. brennen), ON. brenna, Goth. brannjan.

Hence burn sb. XVI.

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