Plural of bairn; multiple children or young people, especially in Scottish or Northern English dialect.
From Old Norse 'barn' (child), which entered Scottish and Northern English dialects through Viking contact. The 's' plural is standard English formation applied to the Scottish-origin word.
The word 'bairn' has survived in Scottish English for over 1,000 years since Viking invasions, while the standard English 'child' comes from Germanic roots—showing how different language layers can coexist in regional dialects.
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