Bairn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Look up bairn in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Bairn is a Northern English, Scottish English and Scots term for a child.[1] It originated in Old English as "bearn", becoming restricted to Scotland and the North of England c. 1700.[2] In Hull the r is dropped and the word Bain is used.[3]

The word was included in the English Dialect Dictionary with variant spellings barn, bayn, bayne that reflect varying pronunciations.[4]
Compare with the Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese and Danish word for child "barn" or the West-Frisian "bern". Also the Latvian "bērns".
Cain bairns are children seized by witches and warlocks as tribute for the devil.