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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.

Bordale, Bordel, n. Also: bordail(e, -aill(e, bordal(l, boirdall; bordell, bordle, borthel. [ME. bordel (c 1305), OF. bordel cabin, hut, brothel.]

1. A brothel. Also fig.(a) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 129.
To the bordale I wente ine hy Ib. xli. 137; etc.
Mak sacrifice … Or ellis to the bordale ga c1420 Wynt. v. 538.
Hyr oys was comownaly In bordale nycht and day to ly 1492 Myll Spect. 286/29.
To the fulfillyng of hir lechorus … desyris scho passit to the bordall 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 27.
That na seruand woman … pas to the bordall except scho haif licence of the prouest 1533 Boece x. xii. 375 b.
The ȝoung wantoun men … plennyst the camp with bordalis, tavernis, and hurdome 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 250.
Tak my counsall, And go all to the hie boirdall 1562-3 Winȝet II. 60/15.
A bordal of abominable and filthy errouris 1575 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 126.
To put ordour to ane bordaill, allegit kepit be ane Urquhart in Grayisclois(b) 1531 Bell. Boece II. 18.
The curage … of thaim that ar gevin onely to bordellis Id. Livy II. 9/4.
I nurist hir to solempne mariage, and nocht to the bordell 1535 Stewart 51634.
Seindill in the kirk and richt oft in the bordell 1540 Lynd. Sat. 690.
I slipit into ane bordell [: tell] 1558-66 Knox II. 318.
Commoun harlottis of the bordell 1567 Sat. P. vii. 69.
The royall hous … Was maid ane bordell 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 158 b.
It is proper to heretikis to affirme that the treu kirk is ane bordel 1585 Perth Kirk S. 250.
Kirstian Ochiltree is bruited to keep ane bordell 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. 131 b.
The … resorting of strangeris … to the bordell quhilk thai mein to hald at the Nes 1604-31 Craig iv. 32.
Tell Youth, it takes … In borthels lewde, … too much pleasure 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. (1699) 89.
Lenocinium was only in the case, ubi maritus … keeps a bordelattrib. c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 61.
Ane barde … or bordell hure 1629 Boyd Last B. 25.
A bordel whore 1640 Lithgow 172.
A bordell strumpet

2. A dissolute rogue, a bordeller. 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. 131 b.
The auncient lawis … mad annent soirnaris, beggeris, bordaillis and wagaboundis