f. Earning, desert, merit; meritum :-- For heora lífes geearnunge for their life's earning [desert]; præ merito virtutum, Bd. 3, 8; S. 531, 23. Nu ic ongite ðæt sió sóþe gesǽlþ stent on gódra monna geearnunga now I understand that true happiness stands on the merit of good men, Bt. 39, 2; Fox 212, 12. Be geearnunge de merito, Ps. Lamb. 7, 5. Geearnunga merita, Cot. 129. Bútan geearnungum sine merito, immerito, gratis, Ps. Lamb. 34, 7; 68, 5 : 108, 3 : 118, 161 : 119, 7. DER. earnung. ge-earnung