Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
†PAIRPLE, n. Also perple (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.), perpell; purple-, parple (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). A partition, freq. of wood or similar light material (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1955); hence perplin, n., a partition, “a wall made of cat and clay between the kitchen and the spence of a cottage” (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.), and comb. pairple-wall, purple-, id. Cf. Parpen, Partal.Sc. 1713 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1908) 506:
Making up a broken pend and purple wall and new portall doors, and lyning a purple wall behind the west loft.Rxb. 1734 J. J. Vernon Par. Hawick (1900) 211:
Paid to my son for nealling and mending the footgang, and pitting back the perpell in Bailies loft . . . £0 4. 0.Rxb. 1909 N.E.D.:
Ye can hear the mice ahint the pairple.
