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: 1400-1583
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Birding, Byrding, n. Also: -inge, -yng, berdin; bryding.[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 14.. 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 Acts of Schir William Wallace 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 Treasurer's Accounts 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 Complaynte of Scotland 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 1583 Exchequer Rolls XXI. 561.
Takand the bryding upoun thaim for all … burrowis lyand within this realme
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"Birding n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/birding_n>
