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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.

Birk, Byrk, n. Also: birke, byrke, birke. [Northern ME. birk(e, byrk(e, OE. birc, byrc str. fem. (also birce, byrce wk. fem., ME. birch(e, byrche).]

1. A birch tree. 1348 Misc. Spald. C. V. 245.
Ascendendo ad duas arbores de byrks 1375 Barb. xvi. 394.
Byrkis on athir syde the way, That ȝoung and thik wes growand ner a1500 Colk. Sow i. 241.
Thair baner on a birk born is 1498 Acta Conc. II. 238.
The … hewing and distruccione of … j^m aikis with birkis and uthir treis c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxii. 69.
With ane fals cairt … Worth all my ballattis vndir the birkis 1513 Doug. vi. iii. 48.
With weggeis schydit gan the bvrkis sovnd 1546 Acta Conc. MS. XXI. 54.
The … distructioun of the … aikis, escheis, allaris, byrkis, and vtheris growand a 1595 Celtic Sc. III. 433.
Thair is mony woods in … this Ile of Sky, speciallie birkis and orne 1633 Maxwell Mem. II. 231.
Birkis and holline, as they wer growing 1652 Lamont Diary 43.
Corbie Wood … consisted of oakes, ashes, plains, allars, birkes, sauches 1682 Urie Baron Ct. 96.
To set and plant … ashes, plaines, birkes, fir or rountrie

2. pl. Birch twigs, esp. as used for decoration. a1500 Prestis Peblis 531.
Ane cow of birkis into his hand had he Ib. 547.
With that the king the bob of birks can waue 1534 Treas. Acc. VI. 194.
For byrkis and bent to the Kingis chalmeris 1553–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 109.
The day of the playing of the play … payit … for flours, beirks and rocheis 1557–8 Ib. 270.
Bocht iij dosoun fyrsparis to mak symmer treis with birkis about thame on the Nether Bow a1578 Pitsc. I. 336/4.
Ane faire palice of greine tymmer wond witht birkis that war grein bath wnder and abone 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 291.
To pay … fourty schillings for flowres and birks furnist be him this last somer to the … lords c1650 Spalding I. 35.
At the throne Parnassus Hill wes curiouslie erectit, all grein with birkis

3. Birch timber or trees; the birch as a tree. 1539–40 Treas. Acc. VII. 360.
For the cariage of xlv draucht of byrk fra the wod of Dalhoussy to mak ȝokkis of 1541 Ib. VIII. 119.
Johnne Drummond … cuttit xiiij^xx pece of birk to be ȝokkis and fyre wode 1581 Dundee Shipping L. 205.
Half a hundreth aixtree of birk 1586 Inverness B. Rec. I. 307.
Tuaye horse laidis of the greyne young saplyne, saucht, birk, and of the vther young growtht a1605 Montg. Flyting 436.
Of all blis let it be als bair as the birk a1598 Ferg. Prov. 52.
He is as bair as the birk at Ȝule evin 1607 Fam. Rose 294.
Saplingis and birk and … growand treis 1653 Brodie Diary 73.
They destroyed the young oak and birk which I had sown and planted 1656 Sutherland Corr. 177.
Captain Cambell left me als bair as the birke at Crismess when he went last south

4. Attrib. with aixtrie (axle), bark and tre. 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 270.
Gevin for … vj byrk treis to cleyth the But, Trones and Croce 1607 Crim. Trials II. 522.
Ane hundreth grit growand birk treyis 1620 Edinb. Test. L. 280 b.
Fourtie birk aixtries at v s the peice 1604-31 Craig v. 5.
A broade bush of birke trees 1665 Edinb. Test. LXXI. 396 b.
A certane quantitie of bark . . Some birk bark