Yearn

(yẽrn)verb transitive [imperfect & participle past Yearned ; participle present & verbal noun Yearning.]

Etymology

Also earn, ern; probably a corruption of Old English ermen to grieve, Anglo-Saxon ierman, yrman, or geierman, geyrman, from earm wretched, poor; akin to Dutch & German arm, Icelandic armr, Gothic arms. The y- in English is perhaps due to the Anglo-Saxon ge (see Y-).

[Obsolete] To pain; to grieve; to vex.
“She laments, sir, for it, that it would yearn your heart to see it.” Shakespeare

It yearns me not if men my garments wear.
— Shakespeare

Yearn

verb intransitive

[Obsolete] To be pained or distressed; to grieve; to mourn.
“Falstaff he is dead, and we must yearn therefore.” Shakespeare

Yearn

verb intransitive & t.

Etymology

See Yearnings.

[Scotland, Scottish] To curdle, as milk.

Yearn

verb intransitive

Etymology

Old English yernen, ȝernen, ȝeornen, Anglo-Saxon geornian, gyrnan, from georn desirous, eager; akin to Old Saxon gern desirous, girnean, gernean, to desire, Dutch gaarne gladly, willingly, German gern, Old High German gerno, adverb, gern, adjective, German gier greed, Old High German girī greed, ger desirous, gerōn to desire, German begehren, Icelandic girna to desire, gjarn eager, Gothic faíhugaírns covetous, gaírnjan to desire, and perhaps to Greek chai`rein to rejoice, be glad, Sanskrit hary to desire, to like. √33.

To be filled with longing desire; to be harassed or rendered uneasy with longing, or feeling the want of a thing; to strain with emotions of affection or tenderness; to long; to be eager.

Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother; and he sought where to weep.
— Gen. xliii. 30.

Your mother's heart yearns towards you.
— Addison.

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