Obs. Also 3 beare, 4 ber, 5 beyr, 6 (Sc.) beir. [ME. beare, bere, apparently short for ibere ‘clamor, outcry’; the earlier text of Layamon has always ibere, the latter only beare. In form, ibere is:—OE. ʓebǽre ‘bearing, behavior, gesture,’ = OS. gibâri, MDu. gebaar, MHG. gebære, in same sense, f. beran to bear. The history of the change of meaning is not evident; but it appears also in OFris. bʓre ‘strepitus, clamor’ (Mätzner), where also the prefix ge- has been dropped; the MDu. gebaar also meant ‘noise, strepitus,’ as well as ‘behavior.’ In later times the word is only Sc., whence the spelling beir: the mod. Eng. would have been normally bear.]

1

  Clamor, outcry, shouting, roaring; the noise of voices of men or animals.

2

[a. 800.  O. E. Chron., an. 755. On ðæs wifes ʓebærum [Laud MS. ʓe bæron] onfundon ðæs cyninges ðegnas ða unstilnesse.]

3

c. 1205.  Lay., 25828. Wanliche iberen [1250 reuliche beares]. Ibid., 28162. Me mihte iheren Brutten iberen [Bruttune beare).

4

c. 1330.  Florice & Bl., 457. Asked what here were That hi makede so loude bere.

5

c. 1400.  Rowland & Ot., 183. Ȝelde thi suerde to mee, & late be alle this bere.

6

c. 1460.  Towneley Myst., 249. Abyde withe alle thi boste and beyr.

7

1549.  Compl. Scot., vi. 38. Foulis … ande … beystis … maid grite beir.

8