Not to be confused with the surname of CIA special ops agent Jason Bourne, the words “born” and “borne” have a more stable origin — but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to tell apart. These verbs are commonly confused for good reason: Both are past participles of “bear,” a word with multiple meanings, including “to carry,” “to endure,” and “to give birth.” But choosing the correct past tense verb depends on the context.
It’s unclear why the past participle of “bear” evolved into two different forms, but both words were used interchangeably until the early 17th century. However, their definitions diverged by the end of the 18th century. It was around this time that “borne” became the standard past participle for “bear,” used in all senses (carrying, enduring, transporting, etc.) except one: birth.
For instance, “She has borne the weight of that responsibility” is appropriate because “borne” means “carried” in this situation. Similarly, “They have borne many hardships this year” works because here, “borne” means “endured.” Notice how these examples use abstract definitions and not a literal sense of giving birth. For birth-related contexts, use “born,” as in, “My daughter was born in June,” and “He was born in Boston.”
These rules carry over to situations when the terms are made into compound words that turn them into adjectives, such as “airborne allergens” or “foodborne illnesses.” Here, “borne” represents something that can be carried, transported, or endured, whether physically, emotionally, or metaphorically. Similarly, “born” retains its birth-related meaning when combined with adjectives, as seen in the words “newborn” and “firstborn.”
Of course, the English language wouldn’t let us get away without at least one exception to these rules. “Borne” can refer to the act of giving birth when the subject is the mother, not the child. For instance, “The queen had borne an heir,” or “My grandmother had borne three children” — in these instances, “borne” is the correct verb. However, such sentence structures are very formal, so you won’t come across them often. When in doubt, remember: “born” for “birth,” “borne” for “burden,” and leave the spy work to Bourne.
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