Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1713-1714, 1815-1825, 1882-1924
[0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
BERLIN(G), BIRLIN(G), Birline, Biorlinn, n. A sort of galley. Arch.Sc. a.1714 First Earl of Cromartie in Earls of Crm. (ed. Fraser 1876) II. 487:
His vnckle . . . gave him his owin birline (so they call a galley).Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. v.:
The Bertrams . . . came here in their berlings from Ilay and Cantire. [In ch. xl. it is spelt berlin, and in Highland Widow, birling.]Sc. 1825 Jam.2:
Birlin, a long-oared boat, of the largest size, often with six, sometimes with eight oars; generally used by the chieftains in the Western Islands. It seldom had sails.Sc. 1924 Spanish Galleon in Scots Mag. (May) 127:
The soldiers arena landing at all. They are going aboard Duart's biorlinns, and many are already half across to Sunart.Abd. 1882 W. Forsyth Sel. from Writings 15:
An' whaur lang miles o' pier-wark stan', A half a score o' birlins lay.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Berlin n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/berling>
