Old English · noun
ielda bearn
- Part of speech
- noun, neuter
- Declension
- strong a-stem
- Modern English
- sonsmankind
Meaning
-
(plural)"sons of men"; mankind
Forþon þæt eorla ġehwām, æftercweþendra lof lifġendra lāstworda betst. Þæt hē ġewyrċe, ǣr hē on weġ sċyle, fremman on foldan wið fēonda nīþ, dēorum dǣdum dēofle tōġēanes, þæt hine ælda bearn æfter herġen, ond his lof siþþan lifġe mid englum āwa tō ealdre, ēċan līfes blǣd, drēam mid dugeþum.
Thus, for every man, the praise of the after-speakers is the best of the living ones' reputations. That he would make it well, before he should set off on the way, to further on Earth against foes' hate, by bold deeds against the Devil, that children of men would afterwards praise him, and his honor since would live among the angels for ever and ever, blessedness, bliss with glees of the everlasti
10th century, The Seafarer:
Declension
| Plural | |
|---|---|
| Nominative | ielda bearn |
| Accusative | ielda bearn |
| Genitive | ielda bearna |
| Dative | ielda bearnum |
All forms (3)
Etymology
From genitive plural of ielde + plural of bearn. Has parallels in Old Saxon eldibarn and Old Norse alda bǫrn, possibly stemming from a Proto-Germanic *aldijǫ̂ barnō.
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