bairns

Bairn is a term for a child, used mainly in Scots and northern English dialects. The plural form is bairns, and the singular is bairn. In Scotland and parts of Northern England, the word remains common in everyday speech and is also found among communities with Scottish heritage abroad. It is typically used informally or affectionately, with common phrases such as wee bairn or ain bairn to mean a small child or one’s own child, respectively.

Etymology and history are not entirely certain, but bairn is generally linked to early Germanic roots. It is related to Old English bearn or bearu meaning a child, and to Old Norse barn; cognates exist in other Scandinavian languages. The Scots form bairn appears in Middle Scots and has persisted into modern usage, maintaining its informal, colloquial tone.

Usage and notes: Bairn is usually applied to children and is not typically used for adults, except in rhetorical or affectionate senses. The term is common in rural and regional speech in Scotland and northern England, and has spread through diaspora communities with Scottish roots, where it can appear in local speech and writing. While widely understood within its dialect regions, bairn may be unfamiliar to speakers outside these areas, where terms like child or kid are more common.