Forms: 1–2 leornere, 4–5 lerner, 6– learner. [OE. leornere, f. leornian: see LEARN v. and -ER1.]
1. One who learns or receives instruction; a disciple. † In early use, a scholar, man of learning.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. xxv. [xxiv.] (1890), 344. Þa heht heo ʓesomnian ealle þa ʓelæredestan men & þa leorneras.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 7. Þa apostles itacned þa leorneres þet beoð þa wise witeȝa þe beoð nu ouer þe halie chirche.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), V. viii. 99. No doute that Tubal ne Pyctagoras had nought be but lerners and as prentyses in theyr presence.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 188. Nedes must the disciple or lerner byleue many thynges yt his mayster techeth hym.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 182. Thus hast thou … my booke … as I thought most conuenient for the learner.
1612. [see LATE a.1 2 d].
1685. Baxter, Paraphr. N. T., Matt. xiii. 36. It is the part of Learners, to ask their Teachers help.
1735. Berkeley, Free-think. in Math., § 21. Every learner hath a deference more or less to authority.
1828. J. H. Moore, Pract. Navig. (ed. 20), 47. To give the Learner some idea of the System of the Universe.
1867. Smiles, Huguenots Eng., xi. (1880), 193–4. James II. was but the too ready learner of the lessons of despotism taught him by Louis XIV.
† 2. A teacher. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Heb. xii. 9. We hadden fadris of oure fleisch, lerneris [v.r. lereris, Vulg. eruditores].
1494. Fabyan, Chron., V. cxxvii. 107. A tutoure or lerner of … knyghtlye maners.
Hence Learner-like a., befitting a learner. Learnership, the position of a learner.
1581. Sidney, Apol. Poetrie (Arb.), 19. Mooued with our learner-like admiration.
1891. Pall Mall Gaz., 17 Jan., 6/3. Candidates … for male telegraph learnerships.
