▪ I. erne, n.
(ɜːn)
Forms: 1 earn, 3 ærn, 3–4 arn(e, 3–6 ern, (4 eerne, 4–6 eren), 8–9 earn, 4– erne.
[OE. earn, corresp. to MLG. arn (Du. arend), ON. ǫrn str. masc.:—OTeut. *arnu-z. OTeut. had also a synonymous *aron- wk. masc., whence OHG. aro (MHG. are, mod.G. aar), ON. ari, Goth. ara. Cf. OSlav. orilŭ, Lith. erelis eagle, Gr. ὄρνις bird.]
1. An eagle; in mod. use chiefly the golden eagle or the sea-eagle (see eagle).
| a 1000 Elene 29 (Gr.) Urigfeðera earn sang ahof. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxiv. 28 Swa hwær swa hold byð, þæder beoð earnas ᵹegaderude. c 1200 Ormin 6056 Forr ærn maȝȝ fleȝhenn i þe lifft Full heȝhe towarrd heoffne. a 1225 Ancr. R. 196 Vre widerwines beoð swifture þen þe earnes. a 1300 Cursor M. 13444 (Cott.) For-þi to þe arn lickest es he. c 1325 Chron. Eng. 156 in Ritson Meir. Rom. II. 276 Ther spac an ern [a] prophecie. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 35 As þe eerne clepynge hise briddis. a 1455 Houlate xxv, Ernes ancient of air kingis that croond is. 1513 Douglas æneis xii. v. 64 For Jovis foule, the ern, com sorand by. 1555 Eden Decades W. Ind. (Arb.) 315 Erens or eagles. 1565 Golding Ovid's Met. vi. (1593) 144 The scarefull erne With hooked talents trussing up a hare among the ferne. 1744 Preston Zetland in Phil. Trans. XLIII. 62 There are very large Eagles, which they call Earns. 1813 Hogg Queen's Wake 97 He saw..A sight that scared the erne away. 1869 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) III. xiv. 344 Men told..how..ravens and ernes sat on the stern of every ship. |
2. Comb. erne-fern, the Brake (Pteris aquilina); erne-hued a., having the colour of an eagle; erne-stone = aetites.
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 1698 Erne hwed he watz & al ouer-brawden. 1587 Harrison England iii. xii. (1878) ii. 79 At this season there are found in England the Aetites (in English called the ernestone). |
▪ II. erne
obs. form of earn v.2
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 157 Ure erde is in houene, if we þer efter erneð. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 205 Harde herted art thou yf thyne herte erne not ne melte in suche remembraunce. |