Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Perle, Perll, Peirll, n.² (North. e.m.E. perlle (1573 in C.R. Beard MS. Dict.), otherwise appar. only Sc. in this form till 19th c. Eng.; appar. corresp. to e.m.E. pyrle (1535), purl (a 1586), ‘thread or cord made of twisted gold or silver wire, used for bordering or embroidering’, (1611) ‘each of the minute loops or twists with a row of which the edges of lace, braid, ribbon, and the like, are ornamented (in Fr. picot); hence, collectively, a series or chain of such loops’ (OED.); the e.m.E. word is prob. f. e.m.E. and mod. (19th c.–) Sc. pirl, pyrl v. to twist (thread, and the like) (c 1500, 1520, 1523), but the relationship to this of the Sc. and north. e.m.E. form is unclear.) — 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 78.
Ane gown of fresit clayth of gold with pasment of perle of gold of gold smyth wark 1562 Treas. Acc. XI. 183.
For ane carkane of perle of gold contenand ij^c xx perlis weyand thre crounis of the [sone] and for the fassone [£6/10/0] 1578 Inv. Wardrobe 230.
Fyve litill vaillis of wovin rasour of threid ane mekle tua of thame pasmentit with perll and blak silk 1597 Bk. Rates 8 b.
Inuarte custumes … Peirll the vnce … xxxli. Perling sewit the dosane elnis xxx s.