An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language Part 65

BERE, _s._ Noise; also, To ~Bere~.

V. ~Beir~.

BERE, _s._ Boar.

V. ~Bair~.

_Douglas._

BERE, _s._ Barley.

_Wyntown._

BERGLE, BERGELL, _s._ The wra.s.se, a fish, Orkn.

_Barry._

The first syllable of its name is undoubtedly from Isl. _berg_, a rock. Had it any resemblance to the eel, we might suppose the last from _aal_, q. the _rock eel_.

BERHEDIS, _s. pl._ Heads of boars.

V. ~Bere~.

_Gawan and Gal._

BERIT, _imperf._

V. ~Beir~, _v._

_To_ BERY, BERYSS, BERISCH, _v. a._

To inter, to bury.

_Douglas._

A. S. _byrig-an_, id. Junius says that A. S. _byrig-an_ is literally, tumulare. It may, however, be supposed that the primitive idea is found in Isl. _birg-ia_, Franc. _berg-an_, to cover, to hide, to defend.

BERIIS, _s._ Sepulture.

A. S. _byrigels_, sepultura. _Birielis_ is accordingly used by Wiclif for tombs.

BERYNES, BERYNISS, _s._ Burial, interment.

_Barbour._

A. S. _byrignesse_, sepultura.

BERY BROUNE, a shade of brown approaching to red.

_Gawan. and Gol._

We still say, "as brown as a _berry_," S. A. S. _beria_, bacca.

BERLE, _s._ Beryl, a precious stone.

_Houlate._

From this _s._ Doug. forms the adj. _beriall_, s.h.i.+ning like beryl.

BERLY, _adj._ Apparently, strong, mighty.

_Henrysone._

This word is the same, I suspect, with E. _burly_, strong. If _berly_ be the ancient word, either from Germ. _bar_, vir ill.u.s.tris; or from _baer_, ursus; especially as Su. G. _biorn_, id. was metaph. used to denote an ill.u.s.trious personage.

BERN, BERNE, _s._

1. A baron.

_Wallace._

2. It is often used in a general sense, as denoting a man of rank or authority; or one who has the appearance of rank, although the degree of it be unknown.

_Gawan and Gol._

3. A man in general.

_Douglas._

A. S. _beorne_, princeps, h.o.m.o, Benson; "a prince, a n.o.bleman, a man of honour and dignity," Somner. _Bern_, as denoting a man, in an honourable sense, may be from A. S. _bar_, free, or Lat. _baro_, used by Cicero, as equivalent to a lord or peer of the realm.

BERN, _s._ A barn, a place for laying up and thres.h.i.+ng grain.

_Gawan and Gol._

A. S. _bern_, id. Junius supposes that this is comp. of _bere_, barley, and _ern_, place, q. "the place where barley is deposited," Gl.