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: 1500-1628, 1693
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Borow, Borrow, Borro, attrib. n. [A common variant of Burrow, corresponding to e.m.E. borrow(e, borowe, ME. borowe, borou, borw, borwe, borough, with o for u as in thorow, etc., thorough. See Borow-clerk, etc. Cf. Bourrow.] 1500 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 239.
The sellar sall gif j ob. to the borrow seriand 1550 Ann. Banff I. 28.
The borrow courtt … haldin in our Souerane Ladyis nayme 1554–5 Irvine Mun. II. 7.
The tane half of the Lochmyln callit the borrowmyln 1558-66 Knox I. 55.
Makdwell … was elected borrow maistir in one of the Steadis [of Holland] a1578 Pitsc. II. 292/7.
The borrow tounis of Flanderis 1584 Elgin Rec. I. 174.
To caus the samyn [letters to] be … registrat in [the] borrow court buik of Elgin 1628 Stirling Ant. IV. 187.
[A marche dyke] at the pow of the borrow milne of Stirling 1693 Peebles B. Rec. II. 144.
Thomas Paterson … and William Scot, borro officers of Peebles.
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"Borow n. attrib.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/borow_n_attrib>
