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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Suburb(is, n. (pl.). Also: -ys, -(e)s, subwrbs, subuerbis, subbarbis, sowborbs. [ME and e.m.E. (pl.) suburbis (Wyclif), -es (Chaucer), sub(b)arbes (Trevisa), OF suburbe sing. (1298 in Greimas), L. suburbium.] A suburb, a residential area outside, or adjacent to, a town or burgh.pl. c1420 Wynt. ix 683.
He brynt the suburbys [C. suburbanys, W. subwrbs] off Carlele c1475 Wall. viii 527.
On to the ȝettis and faboris [1570 subuerbis] off the toun Braithly thai brynt 1571–2 Reg. Privy C. II 122.
Suburbes 1572 Reg. Privy C. II 156.
The maist part of the inhabitantis of the said Cannogait and utheris suburbis of Edinburgh 1591 Dundee B. Laws 513.
The incressing of the numbar of wnfriemen of our creft, quha … erectis, and bildis wpe at the subbarbis, and frie tounis end, wark houssis 1592 Acts III 579/1.
Aganis sic as exercesis craftis in suburbis adiacent to burrowis 1594 Aberd. Council Lett. I 60.
Craftismen dwelland in suburbs or to landward 1596 Dalr. II 457/3. 1606 Bentinck Dornoch 168.
The toune of Dornoch and the litle townes and suburbs thairabout 1633 Mill Mediæv. Plays 215.
Upon a pretty pageant, the draught of the citie of Edinburgh and suburbs belonging thereunto, being excellently weel pourtrayed 1657 Rothesay B. Rec. 15.
[That] na tether scheip be keipet in the towne … or louse lambis … except suburbs who hes full pasturadge within thameselves(b) 1559 Balnaves in Knox III 424.
Thar was slane of our syde pure men, wemen, and bairns in the sowborbs of the Cannogaitsing. 1535 Stewart 56319.
Quhen that tha brynt the suburb of the toun

b. transf. The inhabitants of suburbs. 1679 Rothesay B. Rec. 374.
The suburbs to come in with ther horses for makeing up of the causay above the ministers house