BERE, _s._ Noise; also, To ~Bere~.
V. ~Beir~.
BERE, _s._ Boar.
V. ~Bair~.
_Douglas._
BERE, _s._ Barley.
_Wyntown._
BERGLE, BERGELL, _s._ The wrasse, a fish, Orkn.
_Barry._
The first syllable of its name is undoubtedly from Isl. _berg_, a rock. Had it any resemblance to the eel, we might suppose the last from _aal_, q. the _rock eel_.
BERHEDIS, _s. pl._ Heads of boars.
V. ~Bere~.
_Gawan and Gal._
BERIT, _imperf._
V. ~Beir~, _v._
_To_ BERY, BERYSS, BERISCH, _v. a._
To inter, to bury.
_Douglas._
A. S. _byrig-an_, id. Junius says that A. S. _byrig-an_ is literally, tumulare. It may, however, be supposed that the primitive idea is found in Isl. _birg-ia_, Franc. _berg-an_, to cover, to hide, to defend.
BERIIS, _s._ Sepulture.
A. S. _byrigels_, sepultura. _Birielis_ is accordingly used by Wiclif for tombs.
BERYNES, BERYNISS, _s._ Burial, interment.
_Barbour._
A. S. _byrignesse_, sepultura.
BERY BROUNE, a shade of brown approaching to red.
_Gawan. and Gol._
We still say, "as brown as a _berry_," S. A. S. _beria_, bacca.
BERLE, _s._ Beryl, a precious stone.
_Houlate._
From this _s._ Doug. forms the adj. _beriall_, shining like beryl.
BERLY, _adj._ Apparently, strong, mighty.
_Henrysone._
This word is the same, I suspect, with E. _burly_, strong. If _berly_ be the ancient word, either from Germ. _bar_, vir illustris; or from _baer_, ursus; especially as Su. G. _biorn_, id. was metaph. used to denote an illustrious personage.
BERN, BERNE, _s._
1. A baron.
_Wallace._
2. It is often used in a general sense, as denoting a man of rank or authority; or one who has the appearance of rank, although the degree of it be unknown.
_Gawan and Gol._
3. A man in general.
_Douglas._
A. S. _beorne_, princeps, homo, Benson; "a prince, a nobleman, a man of honour and dignity," Somner. _Bern_, as denoting a man, in an honourable sense, may be from A. S. _bar_, free, or Lat. _baro_, used by Cicero, as equivalent to a lord or peer of the realm.
BERN, _s._ A barn, a place for laying up and threshing grain.
_Gawan and Gol._
A. S. _bern_, id. Junius supposes that this is comp. of _bere_, barley, and _ern_, place, q. "the place where barley is deposited," Gl.