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Reconstruction:Old English/bifren

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
This Old English entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Old English

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *bibrīnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰebʰriHnos, equivalent to befer +‎ -en. Cognate with Old High German bibarīn and Latin fibrīnus. Compare biren, fyxen, gǣten, swīnen, wylfen, and ytren.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈbif.ren/, [ˈbiv.ren]

Adjective

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*bifren

  1. (relational) beaver; of or relating to beavers
  2. made of a beaver's fur or pelt: beaverskin

Usage notes

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  • In Middle English, attested describing someone's hat: He toc his beverene hat = Old English Hē nam his bifrenan hætt ("He took his beaverskin hat").

Declension

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Descendants

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  • Middle English: beveren