Bairn is a Northern English, Scottish English and Scots term for a child. It originated in Old English as "bearn", becoming restricted to Scotland and the North of England c. 1700. The word was included in the English Dialect Dictionary with variant spellings barn, bayn, bayne that reflect varying pronunciations. Compare with the Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese and Danish word for child "barn" or the West-Frisian "bern". Also the Latvian "bērns". Cain bairns are children seized by witches and warlocks as tribute for the devil.