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: 1375, 1438-1599
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Birny, Byrny, n. Also: birney, -nie, birne, byrne. [Variant, by metathesis of r, of ME. brinie, brynye, brunie, etc., OF. brunie, ON. brynja.] A mail-coat; a cuirass or breastplate. 1375 Barb. ii. 352.
The blud owt at thar byrnys brest 1375 Ib. xii. 559.
Throu the byrneis brist the blud ?1438 Alex. i. 3214.
Eminedoun … smot him … Vpone the birnie that was bricht c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 1204.
A clos byrny with mony sekyr clasp a1500 Golagros and Gawane 94.
Suppose thi birny be bright, as bachiler suld ben a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 764.
That thow be fundin reddy With birny and brand 1510 Rentale Dunkeld. 5.
A foir geir and a birny 1513 Doug. vii. x. 95.
In his breistplait strang and his byrne 1535 Stewart 5982.
With bow and brand, brasar and birny bricht 1535 Ib. 12728.
Speiris brak and birneis all did brist 15.. Clariodus ii. 1002.
Alse fair ane knicht As ever was cled in helme or birnie bricht 15.. Ib. v. 2029.
Bukillis brekis and birneis gois to ground
b. Used in the plur. form for the singular. a1500 Golagros and Gawane 844.
That knight . . Braissit in birneis and basnet full bene c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 106; c1475 Ib. iii. 145.
In to the byrneis the formast can he ber, Throuch out the body stekit him to dede c1500-c1512 Dunbar Turnament 73 (A).
His birnes [M. birnis] brak and maid a bratill
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"Birny n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/birny>
