A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1447-1696
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Barrell, Berrell, n. Also: barrel, -al, -all, -il, -ill, -oll, barrle; barale, -el, -ell, -ille; berrel, -aile, -all, berel, -ell; perle. [e.m.E. barrell, beryll, ME. barell, barel (c 1300), baryl, barayl, OF. baril, med. L. barile, barrale, barellum, barella.]
1. A barrel, esp. as a quantity or measure of some commodity.See also ale, dry ware, Hamburgh, hering, tar barrell.(a) 1447 Dundee Chart. 24.
Of al uther thingis, pok, pak, and barel 1465–6 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 391.
Ane barale off butter 1482 Edinb. Chart. 167.
Baith polk, pak, and barell 1499 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II. 26.
Twa tubbis, ij barellis and a pipe 1508 Rentale Dunkeld. 3.
For fraucht of twa barell of sawmound c1500-c1512 Dunb. vi. 100.
Berand a barell on a styng 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 21.
A barell of saip(b) 1482 Edinb. Chart. 169.
Of ilk barrell of vnyeans 1493 Dunferm. B. Rec. 48.
A barrall of saip 1494 Treasurer's Accounts I. 237.
Ane barrell of gwn pulder a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1695.
Thai tursit thai barrellis weile at poynt 1541 Reg. Privy S. II. 688/1.
Sex barrellis of tallone 1544 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 206.
Half ane barrell of aile 1550 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 451.
Ane barroll salmond 1552 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 164.
Certane barrellis of irn 1554 Ib. 205.
To sell the samen [saip] … in lastis. … barrellis and ferkynnis a1578 Pitsc. II. 191/29.
Thir tratouris had put certane barrellis of poulder vnder the wallis of his ludging 1583 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 103.
Twa barrel of madir 1592 Wedderburn Compt Bk. 28.
A barrle oyle 1643 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 535.
Ane barrall for steiping of beif 1647 Hope Diary 141.
It comes in barrilles 1696 Wemyss Chart. MS.
Seven bolls salt in barralls(c) 1497 Halyb. 139.
Rasauit … x berell off salmond 1497 Ib. 183.
A berell off gon pouder 1511 Treasurer's Accounts IV. 304.
Ane berrel of tere; … tua berrel of salt flesche; … xv berrel beir 1540 Maxwell Mem. I. 408.
Ane berrell with part of wergis 1546 Acts Lords of Council MS. XXI. 62 b.
Ane berraile of all of ten gallownis 1549 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 447.
Ane berrall salmond(d) 1637 Stirling Merch. Guild 54.
The said Isobell having … wailit ane punshone of wyne in the said Johnes seller and markit the same nevirtheles the said Johne changit hir perle of wyne and sent hir ane wrange punshone
2. Attrib. with bind, bung, cord, hede, herring, stave. Also barrell-full, barrell gude, kettle. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 171.
Barrell [ed. 1570: Barrellit] heryng and wattir thai him gawe 1482 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 45.
Of ilk last of barrell gudis, sic as pik, ter, meill, as, or sicklike gudis 1487 Acts II. 178/2.
It is statut & ordanit … that the barell bind of salmond suld kepe & contene the assise & mesour of xiiij gallonis a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1694.
Four barrell full thai tuke na les 1496 Treasurer's Accounts I. 296.
For closing of the powdir barel hedis in the Abbay, that day that it was dryit c1500-c1512 Dunb. vi. 33.
A barell bung ay at my bosum 1567 Reg. Privy C. I. 360.
Two barrell cordis … to woup brokin stokis and quheillis 1612 Bk. Rates 290.
Boords called … barrell staues 1623 Orkney & Zetl. Test. I. 99.
Ane halff barrell kettell, weyand auchtene pund wecht 1623 Ib. 108.
Ane barrell kettle 1636 Bulloch Pynours (1887) 69.
For everie barrell of bier, salmond, tar, as, pik, irne, or wther barrell gude
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"Barrell n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/barrell_n>
