bairnish

B3A1I1R1N1I1S1H4

adjective

Having the manners of a child; childish; silly.

OriginMiddle English *bernis ← Old English *bearnisċ ← Old Norse bernskr →
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Meanings

adjectivebairnish (comparative more bairnish, superlative most bairnish)

comparative more bairnish · superlative most bairnish · alternative Northern England barnish

  1. Northern EnglandScotlandUKdialectalHaving the manners of a child; childish; silly.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
babyishcherubicchildishimmatureinfantilejuvenilepuerile

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*barniskaz“childish”
  2. Old Norsebernskr“childish”
  3. Old English*bearnisċ
  4. Middle English*bernis
  5. Englishbairnish

From Middle English *bernis, *barnisch, from Old English *bearnisċ and Old Norse bernskr (“childish”), from Proto-Germanic *barniskaz (“childish”), equivalent to bairn + -ish. Cognate with Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐍂𐌽𐌹𐍃𐌺𐍃 (barnisks, “childish”).

More words from Middle English, Old English, Old Norse

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with bairnish

furnishburnishmodernishslatternish
All rhymes →

Anagrams

Bisharinbrainish
Cite this entry
APA

bairnish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bairnish

MLA

“bairnish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bairnish. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bairnish,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bairnish.

Source: bairnish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.