Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Birding, Byrding, n. Also: -inge, -yng, berdin. [Northern ME. birdin, late OE. byrden, var. of byrðen Birthing. See also Burding.] A burden; a load carried. 14.. Acts I. 86*/2.
Of vther thingis outtakin birding bering [L. sarcina] of thing Ib. I. 304/2.
Gif he opinis his birding [L. fasciculam] in the market to sell c1460 Consail Wys Man 257.
Tak na byrding bot thow may bere c1475 Wall. ii. 29.
A churll thai had, that felloune byrdyngis bar 1490 Irland Mir. fol. 340 b.
The snale that beris hir byrding on hir bak 1496 Treas. Acc. I. 292.
For beryng of a byrding of towis to the Castel of Edinburgh 1502 Ib. II. 151.
For xxiiij birding of raschis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 165.
It to beir on my brist wes berdin our hevy 1513 Doug. xiii. iii. 66.
Allace! the hevy byrdyng of warldly geir 1549 Compl. 127/11.
Euere person sal bayr his auen birding 1558–9 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 297.
To Maxwell that fell over the heid of the wall with ane byrding of stanis 1570 Leslie 13.
She … causit to cary furth the barne … as ane birding of her awne clathes