Scotland · noun
bairn
A child; sometimes a person's offspring regardless of age.
Uses your device’s built-in voice. Pronunciation is approximate because available voices and Scottish accents vary.
What bairn means
Bairn is a Scots word for a child. In family contexts it can also refer to someone's son or daughter more generally, even when that person is no longer young.
How it is used
The word is often affectionate or matter-of-fact rather than childish. It can appear in singular form as bairn or plural form as bairns.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Pronunciation
- /bɛrn/ or /bern/; pronunciation varies regionally
- Register
- Everyday Scots and regional speech; familiar rather than formal.
- Variants
- bearn, bern
Examples
Each example is followed by its intended plain-English meaning.
The bairns are playing outside.
The children are playing outside.
She's still his bairn, even though she's grown up.
She's still his daughter, even though she's grown up.
What to watch for
Do not assume bairn means a boy. It can refer to a child of any gender.
Related Scottish words
Definition source: Dictionaries of the Scots Language: bairn. LocalMean paraphrases the source and adds fresh examples and usage guidance.