Chapter L: B. berberis, Sw. id

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

V. ~Beir~.

BERE, _s._ Boar.

V. ~Bair~.

_Douglas._

BERE, _s._ Barley.

_Wyntown._

BERGLE, BERGELL, _s._ The wrasse, 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_, shining 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 illustris; or from _baer_, ursus; especially as Su. G. _biorn_, id. was metaph. used to denote an illustrious 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, homo, Benson; "a prince, a nobleman, 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 threshing 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. Goth.

BERSIS, _s._ "A species of cannon formerly much used at sea. It resembled the faucon, but was shorter, and of a larger calibre," Gl. Compl.

_Complaynt S._

Fr. _barce_, _berche_, "the piece of ordnance called a base;" Cotgr.
pl. _barces_, _berches_.

BERTH, _s._ Apparently, rage.

_Wyntown._

Isl. and Sw. _braede_, id.

BERTHINSEK, BIRDINSEK, BURDINSECK. _The law of Berthinsek_, a law, according to which no man was to be punished capitally for stealing a calf, sheep, or so much meat as he could carry on his back in a sack.

_Skene._

A. S. _ge-burthyn in saeca_, a burden in a sack; or from
_ge-beor-a_, portare.

BERTYNIT, BERTNYT, _pret._ and _part. pa._ Struck, battered.

_Wallace._

This is evidently the same with ~Brittyn~, q. v.

BESAND, BEISAND, _s._ An ancient piece of cold coin, offered by the French kings at the mass of their consecration at Rheims, and called a _Bysantine_, as the coin of this description was first struck at _Byzantium_ or Constantinople. It is said to have been worth, in French money, fifty pounds _Tournois_.

_Kennedy._

_To_ BESEIK, _v. a._ To beseech, to entreat.

_Douglas._

A. S. _be_ and _sec-an_, to seek; Belg. _ver-soek-en_, to solicit,
to entreat; Moes. G. _sok-jan_, to ask, used with respect to prayer.

BESY, _adj._ Busy.

_Wyntown._

A. S. _bysi_, Belg. _besigh_, id.; allied perhaps to Teut. _byse_
turbatus, _bijs-en_, violento impetu agitari.

BESYNES, _s._ Business.

_Wyntown._

BESYNE, BYSENE, BYSIM, _s._ Expl. "whore, bawd," Gl. Sibb.

V. ~Bisym~.

BESCHACHT, _part. pa._

1. Not straight, distorted, Ang.

2. Torn, tattered; often including the idea of dirtiness, Perths. The latter seems to be an oblique use.

V. ~Shacht~.

_To_ BESLE, or BEZLE, _v. n._ To talk much at random, to talk inconsiderately and boldly on a subject that one is ignorant of, Ang.

Belg. _beuzel-en_, to trifle, to fable; Teut. _beusel-en_, nugari.

BESLE, BEZLE, _s._ Idle talking, Ang.

Belg. _beusel_, id.

BESMOTTRIT, _part. pa._ Bespattered, fouled.

_Douglas._

A. S. _besmyt-an_, maculare, inquinare; Belg. _besmodder-en_, Germ.
_schmader-n_, _schmatter-n_, to stain, S. to _smadd_, Su. G. _smitt-a_.

BESOUTH, _prep._ To the southward of.

V. ~Benorth~.

BEST, _part. pa._ Struck, beaten.

V. ~Baist~.

_Barbour._

BEST, _part. pa._ Perhaps, fluttering, or shaken.

_Barbour._

Isl. _beyst-i_, concutio.

BEST, _s._ "Beast, any animal not human," Gl. Wynt.

_Wyntown._

The term is still used in this general sense, S. pronounced q.
_baist_. S. B.

BEST-MAN, _s._ Brideman; as _best-maid_ is bride-maid; from having the _principal_ offices in waiting on the bride, S.

BESTIAL, (_off Tre_) _s._ An engine for a siege.

_Wallace._

It seems uncertain, whether this word be formed from Lat. _bestialis_, as at first applied to the engines called _rams_, _sows_, &c., or from Fr. _bastille_, a tower; L. B. _bastillae_.

BESTIALITÉ, _s._ Cattle.

_Complaynt S._