baroun

Middle English

Alternative forms

• baron, barone, baroon, barown, barowne, barun, beron

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French baron, from Latin barōnem.

The Old English beorn (“poetic word to denote a man; warrior”), a probable cognate through Proto-Germanic, merged with baroun in Middle English—initially through the forms beren and beron. This likely led to sense three of the Middle English word.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈruːn/, /baˈroːn/, /ˈbarun/

Noun

baroun (plural barounes)

1. A lord or noble in general.
2. A baron or equivalent rank specifically.
3. A hero or honourable individual.

Related terms

• baronie

Descendants

• English: baron
• Scots: baron

References

• “barǒun, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-03-16.