belfern

Alternative forms

 * (since the 16th century)
 * (since the 18th century)

Etymology
. Probably from with the iterative suffix. The -f- is explainable either as a phonetic intensification, onomatopoeia, or by influence of other dog-related sound vocabulary ; compare also the pair and,. Attested since the first half of the 16th century (earliest attestation given below).

Verb

 * 1)  to bark