The English Oracle

What is the difference between born and borne?

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Chapters
00:00 What Is The Difference Between Born And Borne?
00:14 Accepted Answer Score 12
00:47 Answer 2 Score 6
01:18 Thank you

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Full question
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Tags
#wordchoice #differences

#avk47



ACCEPTED ANSWER

Score 12


'Born' means to be brought into the world, e.g. as a baby.

I was born at an early age.

'Borne' is listed in the OED as meaning carried, sustained, or endured. Nowadays it mostly commonly seen in phrases like 'airborne', e.g.

The virus is airborne.

In the 'endured' sense:

This terrible customer service cannot be borne!

There is also a similar word, bourne: this has a totally different meaning, namely, a small stream.




ANSWER 2

Score 6


They are both past participles of to bear. However, according to, for example, this source:

Thanks to the vagaries of English spelling, bear has two past participles: born and borne. Traditionally, born is used only in passive constructions referring to birth: I was born in Chicago. For all other uses, including active constructions referring to birth, borne is the standard form: She has borne both her children at home. I have borne his insolence with the patience of a saint.