Yearn, v. i. — Webster enters it under “yearn”
Etymology: [OE. yernen, , , AS. geornian, gyrnan, fr. georn desirous, eager; akin to OS. gern desirous, girnean, gernean, to desire, D. gaarne gladly, willingly, G. gern, OHG. gerno, adv., gern, a., G. gier greed, OHG. giri greed, ger desirous, ger to desire, G. begehren, Icel. girna to desire, gjarn eager, Goth. faíhugaírns covetous, gaírnjan to desire, and perhaps to Gr. hary to desire, to like.
To be filled with longing desire; to be harassed or rendered uneasy with longing, or feeling the want of a thing; to strain with emotions of affection or tenderness; to long; to be eager. Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother; and he sought where to weep. Gen. xliii. 30. Your mother's heart yearns towards you. Addison.
3 other Webster entries under this spelling
Yearn, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Yearned; p. pr. & vb. n. Yearning.]
To pain; to grieve; to vex. [Obs.] "She laments, sir, for it, that it would yearn your heart to see it." Shak. It yearns me not if men my garments wear. Shak.
Yearn, v. i.
To be pained or distressed; to grieve; to mourn. [Obs.] "Falstaff he is dead, and we must yearn therefore." Shak.
Yearn, v. i. & t.
To curdle, as milk. [Scot.]
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for yearning; he lists it under eager.
He lists it without comment; the entries above explain its neighbors.