A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1650
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Girs, Gyrs, n. Also: girse, gyrse. [Var. of Gris n. Cf. Gers n.] Grass.(a) 1375 Barb. viii. 445.
He gert [them] … sekkis ta Fillit vith gyrs [E. gres] 1375 Ib. xi. 372.
He … thame helit hade … vith gyrs [E. gres] al greyne c1420 Wynt. i. 114.
Froyt and gyrs thai oysyd tyll ete c1420 Ib. 568.
That ile is … Wyth gyrs growand … grene 1498 Acts Lords of Council II. 157.
The wrangus … withhalding … of the pasturing and gyrse of the sade manys 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 115.
In battill gyrs burgionys the banwart wyld 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 20/32.
Al the grond … is ourgane vitht gyrse ande vild scroggis 1549 Ib. 37/13.
The sueit fragrant smel of tendir gyrssis 1551 Hamilton Catechism 241.
The flour that growis amang the gyrss 1563–4 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 187.
The gyrs of the buriale yaird(b) c1450-2 Howlat 27.
With girs gay as the gold 1485 Acts II. 170/2.
Twys in the ȝere, anys on the girs, and anys on the corne 1492 Fam. Rose 157.
The saidis landis … togidder with the girs of the wod 1503 Treasurer's Accounts II. 392.
For strowing of the Abbay Clos with girs the tyme of the mariage 1531 Reg. Soltre 104.
The inland girs … to be kepit for the provestis hors 1549 Reg. Cupar A. II. 65.
Thay … sall haue commoun pasturing to thair … catell vpoun our girs of Campsy 1578 Protocol Book of J. Scott 59 b.
The litle hillok of reid and the salt girs … within the regalitie of Lundores a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS clxxviii. 16.
The grene girs growis our streitis throcht 1625 Ellon Presb. 122.
Catell and hors … that cam in and eat the girs thairof c1650 Spalding I. 201.
Thay … distroyit both girss and corne quhair euer thay cam(c) 1496 Acts Lords of Council II. 20.
The dampnage … throw the wanting of the girse and pasturing 1504 Treasurer's Accounts II. 438.
Payit to James Dog … for girse … to the Kingis and Quenis chamers 1519 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I. 62.
[They] eit baith his cornes, meills, and girse 1592 Rec. Earld. Orkney 167.
The haill rendallit land, als weill infeild as outfeild, outbrekkis girse as utheris 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 852 b.
Pasturing of cattell … in the lands or girse of Lords
b. Attrib. with bank, hors, mart, merket, park, woman, yarde. 1453 Exchequer Rolls V. 583.
Onerat se de xxiiij martis dictis girs martis 1466 Reg. Great S. 185/2.
Reservatis dicto Alano quodam orto, le Girse Yarde nuncupato vulgariter 1575 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 658/1.
For girs to the girs hors 1581 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 557.
That na gyrs wemen nor vtheris pas within the South Loch to [s]cheir the gyrs thairof 1601 Rec. Earld. Orkney 175.
Landis, girse, and girsebankis 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 284.
To remove thair red, falds, staynes and lyme, quhilk thai haif in the girs merket under the wall
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"Girs n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/girs_n>
