A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: <1375, 1375-1401
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Porpois, -poys, -pays, -pas, n. Also: Purpois. [ME and e.m.E. porpayse (north., 1309–10), -peys (c 1390), -pas (1530), -pyce, -pose, -pesse, -pyshe, etc., also purpays (1400–1), -pose (c 1460), -pois (1698), OF porpeis (12–13th c. in Godef.), -pais, -pois, L. type *porcus piscis lit. = hog-fish.] A porpoise or its flesh. — 1328 Exchequer Rolls I 118.
Computat in … lx salmonibus, dimidio porpoys, xij murenis 1329 Ib. 160.
Et in duobus porpoys … x s. 1329 Ib. 192.
vij barellis anguillarum, j barella de porpoys 1329 Ib. 219.
Pro vna barella de porpois et vno porpoys 1329 Ib. 226; etc.
Porpois 1331 Ib. 370.
Porpays 1331 Ib. 397.
Per vnam petram de porpoys et tres pelokis, xv s. 1398–1400 Aberd. B. Rec. (S.H.S.) 175.
A barell of porpas x s. 1401 Ib. 207.
xx barellis de porpas et coriis
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"Porpois n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/porpois>
