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: 1400-1535
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Burely, Burly, a. Also: burelie, buir(e)lie, buyrly; burlie, -le. [ME. borelych (e.m.E. boorelye, bourlie), borli, and burliche, burli, of obscure origin.] Finely or stoutly built or made; sturdy, strong.
a. Of persons (or animals), their appearance, etc. c1400 Troy-bk. i. 295.
The commowns had gret ferly Of sa buyrly [v.r. burly] a companye c1420 Ratis Raving 663.
Burly bewtee of persone, That failȝeis with corruptioune a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 173.
Juppiter … With burelie face, and browis bricht and brent a1500 Id. III. 114/20.
Waldyne I am … With brawne as bair, with brest burle & braid a1500 Ib. 122/40.
The bewar hair said to the burlie berne a1500 Golagros and Gawane 551.
Bery broune wes the blonk, burely and braid 1535 Stewart 668.
His buirlie body, that wes bayth strang and stuir
b. Of things.(a) c1420 Wynt. i. 105 (W).
A propire place … Off burely branchis and of bowis c1450-2 Howlat 588.
[A coat of arms] With double tressour about, burely and bane a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 180.
Ane burelie brand about his middill a1500 Ib. 438.
This lipper ludge tak for thy burelie bour a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 188.
Thay beirnis … had aneuch thair, Within that buurelie bigging a1500 Ib. 264.
Quhair ane burely. bed was wrocht in that wane a1500 Golagros and Gawane 317.
Bordouris … Betin with brint gold, burely and bricht a1500 Doug. King Hart 219.
This courtlie king … His buirelie bainer brathit vp on hicht 1535 Stewart 219.
He semit weill to weir ane buirlie brand(b) c1450-2 Howlat 406.
Ilk branche had the birth burly and beld c1420 Ratis Raving 1134.
To mak … A bunwed tyll a burly spere c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v. 821.
Wallace retorned besyd a burly ayk c1475 Ib. viii. 402.
Wallace gert brek thai burly biggingis bald a1500 Golagros and Gawane 934; a1500 Ib. 1123.
With ane bitand brand, burly and braid, … He leit gird to the grome
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"Burely adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/burely>
