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.
Borow, Borrow, v. Also: borowe, borou-, borrowe; burow, burro; barou, barrow; and p.t. or p.p. borwyd, -wyt, boruit, (bourit,) borrit, baruit. [ME. borow(e, borwe (borou, boru, etc.), OE. borᵹian f. borᵹ, borh Borch n.]
1. tr. To take (a thing) on pledge or security; to obtain as a loan.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxvi. 816.
The fals man … [in] it put of quantyte, that fra the Iow borouyt had he 1418 Liber Melros 502.
The forsaid Nychole … in hys myster has borwyt … fra the saydez Abbot … fowrty pundis c1420 Wynt. viii. 2873.
That sylvyre … He had borowyd fra him … he wald restore 1456 Hay I. 135/7.
Gif a knycht … had borowit … hors and harnes 1462 Peebles B. Rec. 143.
[Scho] said at Thomas Dekysoun borowit fra her that caldron 1496 Acta Conc. II. 4.
Ane chenȝe of gold burowit fra the sade Wilȝeame 1586 Wedderburn Compt Bk. 114.
Alexander Peirsone … hes boruit fra me … my blew sadill 1616 Ib. 104.
William Cokburn … bourit [sic] fra me a tyn flacon(b) 1513 Doug. iii. Prol. 2.
Pail Cynthia, … Quhilk from thi broder borrowis al thi lycht 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 308.
Send to Leyth and borrowit thair thre greit schawis 1562–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 177.
Burroit be the Dene of Gild furth of the Castell … ijc lange pikis a1578 Pitsc. I. 330/16.
The king … to that effect gart send to the castell of Dunbar … and thair borrowit sum artaillȝe 1607 Wedderburn Compt Bk. 87.
Alexander Clayhillis hes borrit my buik of walking sprittis 1651 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 119.
That they present the foirsaids armes … and give thair aithes … that they ar not borrowit(c) 1642 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 506.
Debursit to sindrie persones … for the moneye barrowit fra them 1644 Aberd. B. Chart. 260.
Moneyes barrowed for the use of the publict 1653 Wemyss Corr. 117.
Fifty pund which I barouied 1682 Colquhoun Chart. II. 216.
I was necesitat to barou from our schaplin ten pound
b. intr. To engage in borrowing.c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxiii. 4.
With thy nychtbouris glaidly len and borrow c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 228 b.
Quhilk garris me seik and borrow At vyser men
2. tr. To give a pledge, or become surety for, a person, esp. for his appearance to answer to a charge; to obtain possession of (a thing) on pledge.14.. Acts I. 27/2.
It is for to wyt that men upolande may borow thair pundis thryis fra wolk to wolk Ib. 30/2.
Gif that a burges be attachyt … for det … , his nychtburis sall pas to borow hym on thair aune propir dyspence gif [etc.] c1420 Wynt. vii. 2799.
Thare borwyd that Erle than his land, That lay in to the Kyngys hand 1447 (1450) Reg. Great S. 71/1.
Inhabitantis of the said schyrefdome, before quhatsumever juge or jugis thai be athachit, to borow and bring again to the fredome of the said schyrefdome of Berwic 1485 Acta Conc. *100/1.
Johne Jardine … borowit Johne Sauchfeilde … fra thaim vnder the payne of xl li. Inglis a1500 Seven S. 373.
Come the first sage prekand fast To se gif he the child mycht borowe 1576 Reg. Privy C. II. 539.
Dik … wes thaireftir deliverit to my Lord Maxwell … ; [but] wes … borrowit hame agane upoun cautioun 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Culrach.
That court to the quhilk the defender is borrowed & repleged Id. Reg. Maj. iii.
Gif any man borrowes another man to answere to the soyte [etc.]
b. To redeem, ransom, save.a1500 Henr. Bludy Serk iii.
Borrowit with Chrystis angell cleir c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxviii. 6.
The saulis ar borrowit and to the bliss can go
