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.
Quotation dates: 1513-1620
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Bawdry, Baudrie, n. Also: bawd(e)rie; badrie. [e.m.E. bawdrie, etc., ME. bawdery (Chaucer).] Procurement; immorality, lewdness, Also attrib. with language, etc.(a) 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 184 (of brokkaris and syk bawdry); xii. Prol. 210 (to hant bawdry). 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 71/32 (of thy bawdrie I am expart); 75/29 (to haue punischement for thy baudrie). 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 1 (baudrie and unclene sangis). 1572 Satirical Poems xxxiii. 113 (sic vyle bawderie). 1596 Bk. Univ. Kirk III. 874 (filthie and baudrie speiches). 1597 Elgin Rec. II. 61 (na misordour nor baudrie). 1620 Elgin Rec. II. 165 (singing bawdrie songis).(b) 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 39/25 (on foull badrie his minde was onlie set). 1587 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 508 (singing of filthie and badrie sangis). 1596 Dalr. I. 158/33 (the badrie of his men of weir). 1614 Elgin Rec. II. 138 (nocht to wse badrie language).
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"Bawdry n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/bawdry>
