4. To _gae to the bent_, to provide for one's safety, to flee from danger, by leaving the haunts of men; as it is also vulgarly said, _to tak the cuntrie on his back_.
Teut. _biendse_; Germ. _bintz_, _bins_, a rush, juncus, scirpus; a _binden_, vincire, quia sportas, sellas, fiscellas, et similia ex juncis conteximus; Wachter.
BENTY, BENTEY, _adj._ Covered with bent-grass, S.
BERGLE, BERGELL, _s._ The wrasse, a fish, Orkn.
The first syllable of its name is undoubtedly from Isl. _berg_, a rock. Had it any resemblance to the eel, we might suppose the last from _aal_, q. the _rock eel_.
A. S. _byrig-an_, id. Junius says that A. S. _byrig-an_ is literally, tumulare. It may, however, be supposed that the primitive idea is found in Isl. _birg-ia_, Franc. _berg-an_, to cover, to hide, to defend.
A. S. _byrigels_, sepultura. _Birielis_ is accordingly used by Wiclif for tombs.
BERYNES, BERYNISS, _s._ Burial, interment.
BERY BROUNE, a shade of brown approaching to red.
We still say, "as brown as a _berry_," S. A. S. _beria_, bacca.
From this _s._ Doug. forms the adj. _beriall_, shining like beryl.
BERLY, _adj._ Apparently, strong, mighty.
This word is the same, I suspect, with E. _burly_, strong. If _berly_ be the ancient word, either from Germ. _bar_, vir illustris; or from _baer_, ursus; especially as Su. G. _biorn_, id. was metaph. used to denote an illustrious personage.
2. It is often used in a general sense, as denoting a man of rank or authority; or one who has the appearance of rank, although the degree of it be unknown.
A. S. _beorne_, princeps, homo, Benson; "a prince, a nobleman, a man of honour and dignity," Somner. _Bern_, as denoting a man, in an honourable sense, may be from A. S. _bar_, free, or Lat. _baro_, used by Cicero, as equivalent to a lord or peer of the realm.
BERN, _s._ A barn, a place for laying up and threshing grain.
A. S. _bern_, id. Junius supposes that this is comp. of _bere_, barley, and _ern_, place, q. "the place where barley is deposited," Gl. Goth.
BERSIS, _s._ "A species of cannon formerly much used at sea. It resembled the faucon, but was shorter, and of a larger calibre," Gl. Compl.
Fr. _barce_, _berche_, "the piece of ordnance called a base;" Cotgr. pl. _barces_, _berches_.