An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language
Chapter 111 : ~In Bredis~.V. ~Abreid~._Houlate._ _In brede_, as used by Chaucer, is rendered _abroad

~In Bredis~.

V. ~Abreid~.

_Houlate._

_In brede_, as used by Chaucer, is rendered _abroad_.

BREE, BRIE, S. B. BREW, BROO, S. _s._

1. Broth, soup.

_Ross._

"_Bree_, broth without meal," Gl. Yorks.

2. Juice, sauce, S.

"_Breau_ is supping meat, or gravy and fat for brewis," Gl. Yorks.

3. Water; moisture of any kind, S.

_Burns._

Thus _snaw-brue_ is melted snow; _herring-bree_, the brine of a herring-barrel, S.

A. S. _briw_, Germ. _brue_, _bruhe_, id. liquor; q. decoctum, according to Wachter, from _brau-en_, to boil; Isl. _brugg_, calida coctio, from _brugg-a_, coquere.

BREE, _s._ Hurry, bustle.

_s.h.i.+rrefs._

Su. G. _bry_, turbare, vexare.

BREE, _s._ The eye-brow.

V. ~Bre~.

_To_ BREED _of_, to resemble.

V. ~Brade~.

BREEK, BREIK, _s._ One leg of a pair of breeches, S. pl. _breeks_, _breiks_, breeches.

_G.o.dscroft._

Anc. Goth. and Isl. _brok_; A. S. _braec_, _brec_; Su. G.

_braeckor_; C. B. _bryccan_; Gael. _brigis_; Ir. _broages_; Lat.

_bracca_, id. From this dress, the Romans gave the name of _Gallia Braccata_ to one part of Gaul.

BREELLS, _s. pl._ Spectacles in general; but more strictly double-jointed spectacles, Clydes.

Germ. _brill_, Su. G. _briller_, id. oculi vitrei, L. B. _berill-us_.

BREER, BRERE, BRAIRD, BREARD, _s._ The first appearance of grain above ground, after it is sown, S.

_A fine breer_, an abundant germination.

_Ramsay._

A. S. _brord_, frumenti spicae, "corn new come up, or the spires of corn," Somner. "_Bruart_, the blades of corn just sprung up;" Gl.

Lancash.

_To_ ~Breer~, ~Brere~, ~Breard~, _v. n._ To germinate, to shoot forth from the earth; applied especially to grain, S. _Brerde_, part. pa.

Loth, _brairded_.

_Douglas._

~Breirding~, _s._ Germination; used metaph. in relation to divine truth.

_Rutherford._

BREESSIL, _s._ The act of coming on in a hurry, Fife.

A. S. _brastl_, crepitus, strepitus, _brastl-ian_, crepitare, strepere. Isl. _brys_, ardens calor; _bryss-a_, fervide aggredi.

BREGER, _s._ One given to broils and bloodshed.

_Burel._

Fr. _briguer_, a quarrelsome, contentious, or litigious person.

The origin is most probably Su. G. _brigd-a_, litigare.

BREHON, _s._ The name given to hereditary judges appointed by authority to determine, on stated times, all the controversies which happened within their respective districts. By the _Brehon_ law, even the most atrocious offenders were not punished with death, imprisonment, or exile; but were obliged to pay a fine called _Eric_.

_Dr. Macpherson._

Ir. _breathav_, _breitheav_, still signifies a judge. Bullet supposes that _Breth_ has been used in this sense by the ancient Gauls; whence _Vergobret_, the name of the supreme magistrate among them. Ir.

_Fear go fraith_ literally signifies the man who judges.