Undergoes combustion or causes damage through heat, flame, or corrosive substances; can also mean to feel intense emotion or desire.
From Old English 'byrnan' meaning to be on fire. The metaphorical sense of burning with emotion dates to Middle English, showing how physical fire became a symbol for intense feelings.
The word 'burn' connects our deepest physical and emotional experiences - we burn with fever, passion, or anger using the same word we use for fire. This linguistic connection reflects how humans have always understood intense feelings as a kind of internal combustion.
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