† yerne, adv. Obs.
Forms: 1 ᵹeorne, ᵹyrne, 2–4 ȝeorne, 2–5 ȝorne, 2–6 ȝerne, 3 (Orm.) ȝerrne, 4 ȝern, ȝiern(e, 4–5 yerne, ȝurne, ȝarne, 4–6 yern, ȝarn, 5 ȝyrne, yorne, yurne, yarn, 6 yarne.
[OE. ᵹeorne = OFris. gerne, jerne (Fris. jearn), OS. gerno (MDu. gherne, geerne, Du. gaarne), OHG. gerno (MHG. gerne, G. gern), ON. gjarna (Sw. gerna, gärna, Da. gerne); adv. of OE. ᵹeorn, etc.: see yern a.]
1. Eagerly, earnestly, diligently, zealously, heartily.
| Beowulf 2294 Hordweard sohte ᵹeorne æfter grunde. a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1083 Þa wreccan munecas..ᵹyrne cleopedon to Gode his miltse biddende. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 11 Muchel is us þenne neod..ȝerne bidden ure milciende drihten þet [etc.]. a 1200 Moral Ode 49 Þider ȝe sculen ȝorne draȝen. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 3 Men..wisten ȝerne after ure lauerd ihesu cristes tocume. a 1250 Prov. ælfred 101 in O.E. Misc. (1872) 108 Þe mon þe on his youhþe yeorne leorneþ wit and wisdom. c 1290 St. Brandan 94 in S. Eng. Leg. 222, & bede ȝurne oure louerdes grace þulke veyage to do. a 1300 Cursor M. 2789 (Cott.) Ȝern [Fairf. ȝ orne] on þaim he cried merci! 1375 Barbour Bruce iii. 547 The king then at thaim speryt ȝarne, How thai..had farne. c 1400 St. Alexius (Laud 463) 35 Boþe be day, & be nyght, Ȝerne þei þonked our dright, & Seinte Marie. c 1400 Rom. Rose 6719 Thanne may he go abegging yerne Til he somme maner crafte kan lerne. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 727 Seynt Dunstone heyȝede hym fulle faste And ȝyrne to god for hym he bedde. c 1425 Engl. Conq. Irel. 92 He..besoght ful yorne þat he most allyaunce haue to har kynrede. c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. i. 447 Mynge hit yurne Tyl euery part vntyl on body turne. 1513 Douglas æneis iv. vii. 83 The blak swarm our the feildis walkis ȝarn, Tursand throw the gers thar pray to hiddillis dern. Ibid. vi. vii. 44 The hiddillis held thai and the roddis darn, A myrtre wod about thaim lowkit ȝarn. |
b. Willingly, gladly, ‘fain’; occas. wilfully.
| c 888 ælfred Boeth. vii. §2 Þonne scealt þu ᵹeorne ᵹeðolian ᵹehwæt þæs þe to heora þenungum..belimpet. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 9 Ȝif þu ȝierne waxest on godnesse,..after þing þe ðe beð biheue. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1526 Ȝe, þat ar so cortays & coynt of your hetes, Oghe to a ȝonke þynk ȝern to schewe, & teche sum tokenez of trweluf craftes. 1414 Brampton Penit. Ps. (Percy Soc.) 12 And I trespase aȝens the ȝerne. a 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 129 He trowis that ȝoung folk I ȝerne ȝeild. |
c. Thoroughly, well.
| c 1000 ælfric Gen. xxxix. 3 He wiste ful ᵹeorne þæt god hine lufode. 12.. Moral Ode 346 (Egerton MS.) Þat buð ða þe heom sculdeð ȝeorne, wid elche un-ðeawe. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1588 Hire lust swiðe ȝeorne speoken mit te meiden. a 1240 Ureisun in O.E. Hom. I. 199 Þu hit wost ful ȝeorne þet þe deouel hateð me. |
2. a. Quickly, swiftly, rapidly, fast, briskly, at a great rate.
| a 1023 Wulfstan Hom. ii. (1883) 18 Hit to ðam dome nu ᵹeorne nealæcð. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 498 A ȝere ȝernes ful ȝerne, & ȝeldez neuer lyke. c 1386 Chaucer Pard. T. 70 Myne handes and my tonge goon so yerne That it is ioye to se my bisynesse. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxiii. 159 Sleuthe wax wonder ȝerne and sone was of age. c 1430 Freemasonry 174 The mayster may his prentes so enforme, That hys hure may crese ful ȝurne. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 536/2 Ȝarne, hastyly (P. ȝarne or fast), festinanter. 1443–9 Paston Lett. Suppl. (1901) 12 There he lyted and knokkyd on the gate, and we folwyd as yarn as we myth. 1493 Dives & Pauper (W. de W. 1496) ix. viii. 358/1 Bere he his sayle neuer soo hyghe, & go he neuer soo yerne. c 1530 Crt. 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 A. 5 c).
| c 1320 Sir Tristr. 3065 Hennes ȝern þou fle Out of siȝt mine. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1252 Ȝeld þe to me ȝeply or ȝerne þou schalt deie. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 376 Achilles with his spere Myn herte cleue,..yf I late or yerne Wolde it by-wreye. c 1384 ― H. Fame ii. 402 Wyth that he spack to me so yerne And seyde. c 1440 Jacob's Well 12 Ȝif ȝe by gylty, be sory in herte,..and ȝerne, wyth full sorwe of herte, beeth schreuyn. c 1470 Harding Chron. cix. vi, And then the kyng made hym byshop as yerne Of Winchester. |