yearn

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /jɜːn/ (General American) enPR: yûrn, IPA(key): /jɝn/ Homophone: yern Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)n === Etymology 1 === The verb is derived from Middle English yernen, yern (“to express or feel desire; to desire, long or wish for; to lust after; to ask or demand for”) [and other forms], from Old English ġeornan (“to desire, yearn; to beg”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *girnijan (“to be eager for, desire”), from Proto-Germanic *girnijaną (“to desire, want”), from *gernaz (“eager, willing”) (from Proto-Indo-European *gʰer- (“to yearn for”)) + *-janą (suffix forming factitive verbs from adjectives). The noun is derived from the verb. ==== Verb ==== yearn (third-person singular simple present yearns, present participle yearning, simple past and past participle yearned or (rare) yearnt) (intransitive, also figuratively) To have a strong desire for something or to do something; to long for or to do something. Synonyms: pant, salivate (specifically) To long for something in the past with melancholy or nostalgia. (intransitive) Of music, words, etc.: to express strong desire or longing. (intransitive, dated) To have strong feelings of affection, love, sympathy, etc., toward someone. (intransitive, obsolete) To be distressed or pained; to grieve; to mourn. (transitive) Often followed by out: to perform (music) which conveys or say (words) which express strong desire or longing. (transitive, archaic or poetic) To have a strong desire or longing (for something or to do something). Synonym: (obsolete) earn (transitive, obsolete) To cause (someone) to have strong feelings of affection, love, sympathy, etc.; also, to grieve or pain (someone). Synonym: (obsolete) earn ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== yearn (plural yearns) A strong desire or longing; a yearning, a yen. Synonyms: lust, urge; see also Thesaurus:craving ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === Probably either: a variant of earn (“to curdle, as milk”) (though this word is attested later), from Middle English erne, ernen (“to coagulate, congeal”) (chiefly South Midlands) [and other forms], a metathetic variant of rennen (“to run; to coagulate, congeal”), from Old English rinnan (“to run”) (with the variants iernan, irnan) and Old Norse rinna (“to move quickly, run; of liquid: to flow, run; to melt”), both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (“to move, stir; to rise, spring”); or a back-formation from yearning (“(Scotland, archaic) rennet; calf (or other animal’s) stomach used to make rennet”). ==== Verb ==== yearn (third-person singular simple present yearns, present participle yearning, simple past and past participle yearned) (Northern England, Scotland, intransitive) Of milk: to curdle, especially in the cheesemaking process. Synonyms: (obsolete or regional) earn, run Of cheese: to be made from curdled milk. (Northern England, Scotland, transitive) To curdle (milk), especially in the cheesemaking process. To make (cheese) from curdled milk. ===== Translations ===== === References === === Anagrams === Aeryn, Arney, Neary, Neyra, Raney, Rayne, Yaren, aryne, rayne, renay, yarne