A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Mur(e)-, Muir-foul(l, -fowl, n. Also: muire-, muyr(e-, mwir-, mowir-, moor-, mor- and -foule, -fowle, -fowll, -ful(l. [Only Sc.Also as coll. plur. without inflexion.]
The red grouse.Also attrib. with -pout.(a) 1538 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 92.
A mure fowle viij d. … a wyld guis iij s. iiij d. 1550 Reg. Privy C. I. 95.
The pluver and small murfoul v d. 1587 Carmichael Etym. 6.
Attagen, a mure foule 1600 Crim. Trials II. 157. 1695 Sc. Mag. (Apr. 1890) 384.
For 14 partriges, a murfoul and a plover … £3/0/0.plur. 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 427.
To ane man brocht venison and mure fowlis to the King 1515 Ib. V. 21. 1552 Holyrood Chart. 284.
Cum … duodecim lie mure foulis 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 3.
Great store of partriges, pluivers, … murefowls, … heth-hens [etc.]coll. 1555 Acts II. 498/2.
That na poutis pertrik pluwer mure foule duke [etc.] … be slane vnto … Michaelmes ȝeirlie a1578 Pitsc. I. 337/6. Ib. n.
With blak cok and murefoull and cappercallȝes 1599 Acts IV. 181/1.
The skairthtie of the saidis partridgis and murefoull 1677 Thanes of Cawdor 336.
Murfull 1702 Ayr & W. Coll. IV. 200.
Murefullattrib. 1598 Household Bks. Jas. VI 9 Aug.
Twa murefoull pouttis(b) 1549 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 448.
Thre muyrefowlis 1593 Crawford Mun. Invent. II. 205.
Thrie dussone and an half of muir foulis 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI 2 Nov.
Ane muirfull 1597–8 Ib. 6 Jan.
Ane mwirfoull ane cunning Ib. 12 Feb.
Twa muirfulis 1599 Acts IV. 180/2.
Muir foullis 1649 Sc. Lore I. 276.
Ane muirefoule 1652 Grant Chart. 461.
With … muirfowl and pertridge 1685 Acts VIII. 475/2.
To slay any muirfoul … from and after the first day of Lent to the first of July 1691 Foulis Acc. Bk. 140.
For 3 muirfoulls and 3 partridges 1702 Ib. 310.
For a dish of collops and 2 muir foull out of Rosses(c) 1574 Reg. Morton I. 80.
Resaue fra this berer ane hyind and xxij mowir fowlis(d) 1659 Elgin Rec. I. 311.
Either kid or lamb, moorfull or vther of that kynd 1665 Lauder Jrnl. 142.
In France they know not moor foul 1684 Sibbald Scot. Illustr. 16 (Jam.).
The moor-cock, nostratibus the moorfowl(e) 1682 5th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 609/2.
To Waithries man for morfoulls, 1 l. 8d.
b. plur. and coll. Moorland game-birds, collectively and more generally.1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 589.
They take and slay all kynde of murefoule that they can find within our bounds 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1751) 126.
As setting dogs do pouts and muir-fowls
