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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Turf(e, n. Also: turff(e, turwe, turv(e, turlf, turref(f, twrf, torf, torv(e, torw(e, towrve, tirf, tirve, truf(f)(e, truve, trwffe, truif(f, trove, trouff, tur(r)(e, tour. Pl. also turrous. [ME and e.m.E. turf (Layamon), torf (Cursor M.), turff (1313), turve (1363), turfe (1483), torve (1536), OE turf, MDu. torf, turf, MLG, ON torf.]

1. A piece of turf used as fuel, a building material, etc. Chiefly pl. Also const. of the surface material.Freq. in collocation with Pete n.¹ 1, Had(d)er n., etc. Also const. to cast turfs, see Cast v. 13 for further examples.pl. 1147–52 Liber Calchou 6.
Moram ad fodiendum turuas 1410–11 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 30.
Thir aw na man … cast turwis in our foirsaid moir 1453 Ayr B. Ct. 123 (15 April).
Turffis 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 188.
Tha sal lede for al kynd of karyage to the abbay xiiij^xx of futhyris of turvys and petis 1533 Yester Wr. 151.
And all utheris thair grangis and landis wodis petis and turlfis 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 360.
Gevin to Peris Rowane, gunnar, for expens debursit be him upoun clay, flokis, wyre [etc.], … colis, petis, turvis, and uthir necessaris upoun the making of ane new muld for ane double cullvering 1580 Reg. Privy C. III 320.
In the wyne sellar, ane punsioun of wyne, with sex furlottis of great salt, with certane peittis and turves 1596 Dalr. I 35/24.
Out of the ȝeard we cutt peates and turfes, quhilkes … we dry at the sone, and of this is æstemet lyght fyr … throuch the hail realme 1633 Acts V 155/1.
With speciall libertie and priueledge … to pull hedder and to cast, win, and away leid peitts, turves, and fewall thairvpon 1636 Reg. Great S. 205/1.
Lie faill, divott et turreffis a1651 Calderwood I 18.
A wall to be made … of turffes and soddes 1652 Lanark B. Rec. 148.
The bayllies … discharges any persone … to cast any of the forbidden earth, grein earth, and moss turffes wnder the paine of fyve pundis ilk persone 1698 Argyll Justic. Rec. I 168.
He … covered the grave with turffs which he cutted with a spedd(b) 1435 Exch. R. IV 634.
Et comparent simul ac cooperiri faciant cum duvate tres turres castri suis sumptibus 1484–5 Prestwick B. Rec. 30.
That na man cast turris in the commoun gate within the foure portis of the toun fra thin furtht vndir the pane of ilke tyme of a galoun of aile & a lafe 1529 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 7.
For x dosoun riginturris … v s. … for the theking of the said brwhous and ryggynnyng with the turis 1596 Murray Early B. Organ. II 241.
It is statut … that na toures be cassin vpone the south syd of the burne be na maner of persoune 1604 Urie Baron Ct. 4.
Fewaill … syik as petteis, turris or haidder 1687 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 321.
Turrous(c) 1536–7 Ayr B. Acc. 18.
For xxj hors to leid torvis to the buttis iij s. … the nixt day for uther torfis leding to viij hors xij d. 1618 Fam. Rose 308.
Towrves 1639 Thanes of Cawdor 284.
The said Colein Campbell furnesching peittis and torwis for burneing the lyme(d) 1555 Peebles B. Rec. I 219.
Tirvis 1595 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 586a.
Doubill and singill wikar sparis to the tirves befoir the sang scoole(e) 1557 Prot. Bk. D. Gray 12a.
James Fyf … turnyt down certan truffis cassin be the tenentis 1587 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 115.
Understanding the mure to be gritually hurt and maid bair, ordanis that na truffis nor halder be wone nor taine of the same be na persone for this nixt year to cum 1591–2 Reg. Great S. 679/1.
To cast and wyn fewall, faill, farenes, peittis, dovaittis, truiffis, lyme, clay [etc.] ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. II 276.
Trwffes 1678 Cullen B. Rec. 8b (8 June).
The saids baillies … discharges all persons both within the towne and privileages thairoff who us to carrie peitts or truves upon thair backs 1709 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 77.
For 8 dargs troves casting at 6 pence per day 1714 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 94.
Trufessing. 15… Crawford Mun. Invent. I 90.
For ilk truf I hayf cassin ane babe 1634 Wedderburn Gramm. 12.
Cespes, a truffecoll. 1669 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 86.
For the libertie of thretie turfe of heather

2. Turf as a substance or material. 1400 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 7.
With fyssyn & foulyn with pet & turf with brwys & bakhous 1410–11 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 30.
The foirsaid partye aw nocht till wis the foirsaid possessioun, nothir with pastour, na fewell, turfe, nor heddir 1499 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 625.
To be haldin … the fore namyt landis … wyth halkin hunting fyschin fowling wyth coyll peit and turf 1530 Carnwath Baron Ct. (SHS) 128.
Charging nane to cast elding twrf nor peit but laufull leif askit & gevin 1567 Inverness Rec. I 152.
The said Thomas hes tane away of his turfe [pr. turse] … to the nummer of thre scoir laiddis turfe [pr. turse] 1600 Conv. Burghs II 85.
Reserwand … to the commoun vse … licence of querrell, faill, dewat, peitt, truffe, and hedder 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 429.
These fabrickes are … erected in a singular frame of smoake-torne straw, greene long prick'd truff [1682 turff], and raine-dropping watles 1694 Kingarth Par. Rec. 175.
John Glass being delated for … carying turf on the Lords day in a skout to Rothesay

3. attrib. a. Made or built of turfs. b. Consisting of turfs.a. 1536 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. XXXIX 61.
The piece of muirland lyand on the Gallowrigg betuix the cargait and the truf dikb. 1592 Edinb. Test. XXIV 166b.
In the barne … ane peit stak … ane turff stak 1608 Edinb. Test. XLIV 29b.
Ane hay stak tua turfe stakis 1614 Crim. Trials III 270.
The bairne deit schortlie efter the beiring … and … scho eirdit the samyn in the grund of ane truff stak 1665 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 135.
To goe and cast downe the said turffe stak 1699 Annan Rec. 48.
That nae persone … build aney truff or peitt stacks within aney part of the high toune street

c. comb. 1556 Peebles B. Rec. I 228.
The counsale … ordanis tua tirf castaris or four to be put to cast tirvis on all the partis of the saidis commonis — 1659 A. Hay Diary 74.
Whylst I was endeavouring to setle them in a trouff gate St. Johns kirk wold not aggree … I told him that I wold setle the marches of the gate according to the decreet and my commissioun — 1266 Exch. R. I 22.
Per wardam terre de Turfhous — 1564–75 Hamilton & Campsie Test. I 32b.
Ane cuittour ane mattok ane turfe spaid ane dyke spaid 1683 Reid Sc. Gard'ner (1683) 28.
Raise the turff with the turff-spade