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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Burd(e, Buird, n.¹ Also: bwrd; buirde, buyrd, bwird; bord, boord; bourd, bowrde, bowird. [Northern ME. burd(e, e.m.E. and ME. boord(e, bord(e, OE. bord. See also Brod n. ²]

1. A board or plank.The Latinized borda occurs in the Exch. Rolls from 1264 onwards.(a) 1375 Barb. iv. 126.
For fyre all cleir Soyn throu the thik burd can appeir a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 83.
Hyr barnis … ware fletand One a burd, & sawit ware 1407 Misc. Spald. C. V. 19.
Et iij^c burdis et xl. petras plumbi 1429 Ayr Burgh Ct. MS.
For burdis to the stepill 1456 Acts II. 45/2.
That he haif … a targe othir of leddir or of fyrne burde 1473 Treas. Acc. I. 40.
iij dosane of Estland bordis for my Lorde Princis chalmire 1482 Edinb. Chart. 168.
Of ilk hundreth burdis, gestis, treis, … plankis, and siclike gudis 1489 Dunferm. B. Rec. 6.
That wrangwisly he haldis fra him a quarter rud of burdis 1506 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II. 152.
The sawine of all and sindri burdis and treis neidfull to the said werk c1515 Asl. MS. I. 241/18.
Thai … tuke the letter and band it on ane burd 1517 Misc. Spald. C. II. 77.
viii score of sawin burdis of fir 1531 Bell. Boece I. 60.
To sleip erar on hard burdis, than on plumis or coddis a1540 Freiris Berw. 180.
Throw the burdis he maid with his botkin a littill hoill 1556 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 367.
For aucht burdis to the thre west new windoks 1582 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 138.
Swaiddin burdis of sic leinth and braid as thai vse to be 1600 Stirling B. Rec. II. 382.
They sall haif na tyldit stands nor flaiks foranent their stand, except ane burd of half ell braid(b) 1467 Acts II. 89/1.
That thar be maid briggis of buirdis … in ferry baittis for the eis of schipping of the … hors 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 75.
To the peonaris for carying of the buirds 1595 Paisley B. Rec. 160.
Awand … fyftie thrie schillingis … for the price of twa aik buirds 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Particata.
The little ruid, or ruid of warke, or of buirdes 1601 Crim. Trials II. 350.
He stuid vp vpoune ane buird or furme, besyde the said gibbet 1622-6 Bisset I. 46/16.
They sall sleip on buirdis and harde beddis 1641 Stirling Chart. 152.
Tabularium, lie buirdis et daillis(c) 1612 Bk. Rates 290.
Boords callit … spruce daillis Ib.
Swaden boordes for boattes 1649 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 538.
Thrie boords coloured green to be sett befor chimneys in summer 1709 Misc. Spald. C. V. 233.
Seaven or eight boords and ane old timber seat

b. In collective use. 1453 Misc. Spald. C. V. 49.
For haffyng round of burde and treis 1478 Reg. Cupar A. I. 212.
Ilkane a draucht in the ȝere to led, tymmer or burd 1494 Treas. Acc. I. 246.
ij rud of burd bocht in Lus 1510 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 103.
At the completing [the] theking witht burd and lachting

c. = Brod n. ² 1. 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII. 294 b.
Twa weying balkis with thair burdis & hingeris

2. A table.Also in altare burd (Leg. S. xlviii. 102); compt, compter, cope, eating, hall, he, towalle, veschell burde (q.v.).(a) 1375 Barb. ii. 96.
Quhen the burdis doun war laid Ib. v. 388.
Vith burdis set and clathis laid a1400 Leg. S. v. 547.
Tym is that thu … et now One myn bwrd Ib. vii. 613.
Josaphus … set vpe Tytus … To the bowrde … & gert ane vthire bord … Be sete ewyne anence hyme 14.. Acts I. 23/2.
Als lang as he is at his fadre burde, he sall hafe that ilke fredome c1420 Wynt. iv. 1071.
In-tyll hys halle … The burdys [were] wndyr clathis sete Ib. vii. 503.
At the borde He wyrryd, and spak newyre a word c1450-2 Howlat 672.
Braid burdis and benkis, ourbeld with bancouris of gold c1475 Wall. ii. 330.
About he blent on to the burd him bye 1498 Dunferm. B. Rec. 84.
An faldin burde witht trestis and furmis efferand tharto 1507 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II. 266.
Ane burde and a pare of trestis 1513 Doug. i. ix. 109.
Of siluer playt ane huge wecht furth was brocht To set on burdis a1540 Freiris Berw. 150, etc.
The burde scho cuverit with clath of costly grene 1556 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 241.
To mak ane grene clayth to the burd and cushounis thairto to the counsalhous 1566 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 100.
The hie burd with twa formis; ane fair payntit brod aboue the burd 1581 Treas. Acc. MS. 49² b.
Knappald to be ane burde to his maiestie to eit at 1615 Red Bk. Grandtully I. p. xxvi.
The haill tymber wark as beddis and burdes, furmes, chyres, stuillis [etc.] 1630 Bamff Chart. 222.
Ane aiken furme the lenght of the burd 1648 Linlithgow Pal. 332.
In the wardrobe … ane burd, tuo formis(b) 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 176.
The hall witht … thre buirdis with trestis and firmes Ib.
The northt buyrd and … the southt buyrd 1538 Treas. Acc. VI. 421.
For carying of … ane chiar and ane buird to the Quene fra Sanctandros to Couper 1551 Acts II. 482/1.
Thame that … cummis to the halie buird of God and ressaifis thair sacrament 1573 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 10.
A buird pryce xvi. s. 1591 Crim. Trials I. 245.
Standand skairse the iength of ane buird frae the foirsaid nyne persounes c 1614 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 522.
The buirdes in the Hall with thair benkis and formes 1628 Dumfries Test. I a. 153.
The beddis, buirdis and bencheis within all my housis 1631 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 9.
For making furmes and buirds … for the sacrament 1648 Linlithgow Pal. 331.
Ane stwill, ane buird, and ane forme(c) a1578 Pitsc. I. 45/13.
This earle … start wpe fre the bourd Ib. 345/17.
The bischope … seand the bourde all full of wryttingis 1636 Thanes of Cawdor 281.
In the baike house ane bowird with ane knedding troch 1663–4 Peebles B. Rec. II. 204.
For making ane bourd and tua furmes to the stiple(d) a1578 Pitsc. I. 187/15.
He … lap fre the boorde 1600-1610 Melvill 704.
The … high place or heid of the boord 1623 M. Works Acc. XVII. 2 b.
Ane ey to my lord of Binyngis folding boorde 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III. 189.
Thay … rasched his face upon the side of the boord 1643 Soc. Ant. IV. 481.
The tabill or boord befoir the pulpett

b. Burde and bed: see Bed n. 1 b. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 210.
Rychelye rewlit, boith at burde and bed c1550 Rolland C. Venus iii. 470.
Thai … Ar thair compellit baith to burd and bed

c. The company seated at a table. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 146/23.
Bot this scho said to all the burde present

d. Board in a person's house. a1500 Seven S. 2307.
Syne to burde him fessynnit he With a burges of that cite 1491 Treas. Acc. I. 180.
To the prestis of Lythgow for a barnis bwrd 1506 Ib. III. 187.
Schir Robert Wemis … gaif for tua childir burd that playis on the schalmys, iiij li. 1511–2 Ib. IV. 240.
For half ane ȝeris burd til him and for his scolage 1541 Ib. VII. 482.
Gevin to Jakkis … to pay for his sonis buirdis, for the Lammes terme last bipast 1546 Elgin Rec. I. 86.
The assise deliuerit that Alexander Wynchester [etc.] … sall gif Sir Thomas Rag his burd as tha begovid with him 1569–70 Soc. Ant. VI. 53.
For Peir Angueyne and the Moris buirdis … ilk day vii s. 1592 Lanark B. Rec. 108.
Ane doctour to be halding onder him and to haif his buird ilk day abouit of ilk bairne 1602 Stirling B. Rec. I. 101.
For the saidis doctouris burde and intertenement … the haill nychtbouris … to gif the saidis doctouris daylie burding 1633 Lithgow Poet. Remains 99.
Boords are so deare … That good househoulders … Can hardly boord their bairnes abroad 1647–8 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 537.
For the buird of the sex masters during the time of ther aboad in Pasley 1697 Foulis Acc. Bk. 203.
To my sone George to pay m^r Slirie for Adames buird, which began 20 day of this moneth last

e. ellipt. = Burd-kirk. 1498 Acta Conc. II. 242.
The sade kirk of Dingvaile was a burd of Rosse and pertenit til the bischoprig of the sammyn

3. The side of a ship. Chiefly in phrases as on burde, on board, ovir burde, over board; in twa burde, in two (pieces). c1420 Wynt. vii. 2588.
Thai off thame made na hurde, Bot in the se kest thame oure burde c1450-2 Howlat 775.
Bernes batalland on burde, brym as a bair c1475 Wall. ix. 138.
[He] bad his ster man lay thaim langis the bourd 1513 Doug. iii. x. 21.
We … within burd hes brocht That faithful Greik Ib. iv. vii. 75.
The burgionyt treys on burd thai bring for aris 1535 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 70.
That na maner of persoun … sell till ony straynger woll … or vther merchandice frie on burde 1560 Rolland Seven S. 18/11.
Thay … Cut thair cabillis, and ouir burd cast thair geir a1578 Pitsc. II. 258/4.
Thai … tuik forth all that they micht carrie with thame and cuist the rest ovir burd in the sie 1587-99 Hume vii. 93.
Sum [vessels] gaid in tua buird on ane forrain land 1622-6 Bisset II. 257/8.
The maryneris … aucht to haist thame schortlie to buird agane

b. Hard on burd, close at hand. c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 55.
Hard on burd vnto the blomyt medis … Arrivit sche

c. A course or tack in sailing. Also fig. 1531 Bell. Boece II. 387.
Finaly … he assailyeit him on ane new burde Id. Livy I. 91/15.
At last … scho began to sail on ane vthir burde, and callit Servius … afore hir 1535 Stewart 585; Ib. 52013.
Betuix tua scheittis thai salit … , Ay be ane burd fyve dais and fyve nycht 1560 Rolland Seven S. 162/16.
Sa we mon rin vpon ane other burde, Eschew the deip, and cast vs to the furde 1648 Hope Diary 147.
Wee wer 5 houres upon the sea with a varie crosse wind, did cast 8 boords

4. Attrib. with bed, courchef, end, fute, knife, lid, stand. 1534–5 Linlithgow Pal. 325.
Nalis to the formis and burd fuit in the gret hall 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 104.
At the tabill sat … [the] ambassatour for Savoy at the burd-end 1580 Treas. Acc. MS. 43² b.
xvj eln of holane clayth to be tuelf burde courchefis 1584 Edinb. Test. XIII. 147 b.
The mekill buird bed quhilk is in the gavill chalmer 1589 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 129.
Ane buird stand, laidgalloun and barrow 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX. 114 b.
He leuis to his sone … the wther buird bed in the loft 1598 Black Bk. Taymouth 333.
Burde liddis for flesche 1615 Edinb. Test. XLIX. 14.
Tua buird knaifis