Sorned

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Past tense of a Scots verb meaning to freeload by forcing oneself on someone for food or lodging ; to squat on land or a building without any legal entitlement
2. Had imposed oneself on another household for free meals or a bed ; had settled on property in Scotland without holding any lawful right to it
3. Lived at another person's expense by moving in uninvited ; occupied a dwelling or plot in Scotland unlawfully, claiming it without title

Etymology: "Sorned" is the past tense of "sorn," a Scottish and northern English verb meaning to freeload or live at someone else's expense, typically by staying as an unwelcome guest. The word's origin is uncertain, but it is perhaps related to "sojourn," which in medieval English meant a temporary stay somewhere. The link is plausible in sense, since a sojourner lodges with others for a time, but the connection has not been firmly established. The most interesting thing about the word is its traditional Scottish setting, where "sorning" was a recognised nuisance, a visitor who would impose on a household for food and lodging and refuse to leave. Its use in dialect writing and Scots dictionaries shows a word that stayed close to its everyday social context rather than spreading into standard English.

Synonyms: sponge, freeload, mooch