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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BAITTLE, Bettle, adj. Rich, as applied to pasturage, rich with grass, fattening for cattle. [betl, bɛtl]Sc. 1821 Scott Pirate xxxv.:
We turn pasture to tillage, and barley into aits . . . and the poor yarpha, as the benighted creatures here call their peat-bogs, into baittle grass-land.s.Sc. 1857 H. S. Riddell Psalms xxiii. 2:
He mak's me til lye doun in green an' baittle gangs [pastures].ne., w.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 47:
Rigs cover'd wi' fine baittle gress.Slk. 1807 Hogg Mountain Bard 124:
Thousands of steids stood on the hill, Of sable trappings vaine; And round on Ettricks baittle haughs Grew no kin kind of graine.Dmf. 1825 Jam.2:
Baittle, the term in Dumfr. is applied to lea, that has a thick sward of fine sweet grass. This is called a bettle bit.

[Origin not certain. O.Sc. battil(l), Douglas Æneid (1513), of grass: full of nourishment; rich, luxuriant. Mid.Eng. 16th cent. batell, perhaps from Bait, v.2, to feed + el or le, as in Forgettle, Smittle, q.v. See battle (N.E.D.), nourishing, fattening, where the suggested deriv. is O.N. bati, profit, advantage, batna, to improve, roots of Eng. better and Eng. batten.]

1568

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