Bairn

She heard herself remonstrating, "Sir, ye canna force your ain bairn, to make her meeserable," and the response, "What the deevil have you to do with it, if I make her meeserable or no?" ❋ Margaret (1891)

"The bairn is clean out of her senses!" cried Marg'ret almost with a scream. ❋ Margaret (1891)

Margaret, in reflecting on her four Samuels, wonders, "Do a wee but of a name change the plans o 'God? .... be God a weak, shilly-shallyun creature thot ud alter the fate an' destiny o 'thungs because Margaret Heenan seen fut till name her bairn Samuel?" ❋ Unknown (2008)

Margaret Henan seen fut tull name her bairn Samuel? ❋ Unknown (1914)

An 'then I see Doctor Hall go away, wrunklun' hus eyebrows an 'shakun' hus head like the bairn was ailun '. ❋ Unknown (1914)

I needna tell ye I christened him Alick, and the bairn has been my joy and comfort ever since God gifted me with him. ❋ Archibald Forbes (1869)

` ` The bairn was a blessing --- that is, Jeanie, it wad hae been a blessing if it hadna been for my mother; but my mother's a queer woman. ❋ Unknown (1822)

An’ then I see Doctor Hall go away, wrunklun’ hus eyebrows an’ shakun’ hus head like the bairn was ailun’. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Do the world run by hut or muss, an’ be God a weak, shully-shallyun’ creature thot ud alter the fate an’ destiny o’ thungs because the worm Margaret Henan seen fut tull name her bairn Samuel? ❋ Unknown (2010)

She listened to Lisbeth's cheerful chatter as she bustled about the room, encouraging her "bairn" to try a piece of this, a "wee bit scrappie" of that, till Marjory told her that she simply couldn't eat any more. ❋ Margaret Bruce Clarke (N/A)

We walked into the kitchen, the sole occupant of which was a "bairn," who was quite naked, and whom we could just see behind a maiden of clothes drying before the fire. ❋ Robert Naylor (N/A)

Another word, now only used in dialect or by affectation, is "bairn," a frequent source of the very common surname Barnes; cf. ❋ Ernest Weekley (1909)

His child he scarcely saw; Mrs. Jenkins discovered that to bring the 'bairn' into its father's presence was a sure occasion of wrath, so the son and heir took lessons in his native tongue from the housekeeper and her dependents, and profited by their instruction. ❋ George Gissing (1880)

They said "they were glad to see the bairn so pleased," and they tease the said "bairn" about his skill in navigation even to this day. ❋ James Runciman (1871)

“The bairn was a blessing — that is, Jeanie, it wad hae been a blessing if it hadna been for my mother; but my mother’s a queer woman. — ❋ Unknown (2007)

"'Rather may ye be proud to call my bairn your _wife_,' said she; 'for, where a man ceases to be proud o' his wife, upon all occasions, and at all times, or where a wife has to blush for her husband, ye may say fareweel to their happiness. ❋ Alexander Leighton (1837)

"The bairn was a blessing -- that is, Jeanie, it wad hae been a blessing if it hadna been for my mother; but my mother's a queer woman. ❋ Walter Scott (1801)

"bairn" should reach the age of fifteen, then would be time enough to begin it. ❋ Margaret Bruce Clarke (N/A)

We had that stuff out this part of the world when I was a bairn. ❋ Unknown (2011)

I'll bet Tom was a barry gadgie as a bairn/teenager. ❋ Alan Smart (2009)