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.
PAIRLS, n. Also per(i)ls; parl-. Usu. with def. art.: paralysis, palsy; a paralytic tremor or weakness (Bwk., Rxb. 1825 Jam., per(i)ls; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Slk. 1965). Freq. in ppl.adj. pairl't, per(e)l't, -d, parl'd, affected with paralysis or a paralytic tremor (Rxb. 1825 Jam., perelt, 1923 Watson W.-B.; Slk. 1965). Also fig. as in 1885 quot.Rxb. 1876 W. Brockie Leaderside Legends 26:
Its mou was twistit roun neist day, as if it had been perilt.Hdg. 1885 S. Mucklebackit Rural Rhymes 56:
Sair she dreads her parl'd brain This yarn will mak' a mess o't.Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 17:
Ther chafts war ditherin an bevverrin leike as thay war pairlt.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Pairls n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 3 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/pairls>