birken

See also: Birken

English

Etymology

From Middle English birchen, birken, from Old English bircen, *biercen, beorcen (made of birch, birchen), from Proto-Germanic *birkīnaz (made of birch). Cognate with English birchen, Dutch berken (birchen), Low German berken (birchen), German birken (birchen).

Adjective

birken (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete or dialectal, Scotland and Northern England) Made of birch; birchen.
    • 1788, William Collins, An Ode on the Popular Superstitions of the Highlands of Scotland, Considered as the Subject of Poetry:
      Beneath each birken shade, on mead or hill

German

Etymology

Birke +‎ -en

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɪʁkn̩/
  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

birken (strong nominative masculine singular birkener or birkner, not comparable)

  1. (relational) birch

Declension

Scots

Alternative forms

  • birkin

Etymology

birk +‎ -en. From Middle English birken, birchen, from Old English bircen, *biercen, beorcen (made of birch, birchen), from Proto-Germanic *birkīnaz (made of birch). Cognate with English birchen, Dutch berken, Low German berken, German birken.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛrkən/, /ˈbʌrkən/
  • (Southern Scots) IPA(key): /ˈbɪrkən/

Adjective

birken (not comparable)

  1. Made of, consisting of, pertaining to birch; birchen.
    • 1788, Robert Burns, The Bonie Lad That's Far Awa:
      O weary Winter soon will pass, / And Spring will cleed the birken shaw;
      O weary Winter soon will pass, / And Spring will clothe the birch grove;

Derived terms