Standard Lemma guide

yern

adv · verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /jəːn/
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)n
  • homophone: yearn

1

adv

Meaning 1

eagerly, heartily, gladly, willingly, earnestly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Examples

  • I am not afraid of death, and when my time comes I'll go yern.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

Obsolete form of yearn.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English yern (“willing, eager”), from Old English ġeorn (“eager”), from Proto-West Germanic *gern, from Proto-Germanic *gernaz. Cognate with Danish gerne (“gladly”), Dutch gaarne (“with pleasure, gladly”), German gern (“willingly, gladly”), Icelandic gjarn (“willing, keen, eager”), Icelandic gjarna (“willingly, readily, gladdly”), Swedish gärna (“willingly, gladly”). See also yearnful and yearnfully.