An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language / in which the words are explained in their different senses, authorized by the names of the writers by whom they are used, or the titles of the works in which they occur, and deduced from their originals

by John Jamieson

BIR, BIRR, s. Force.

I find that Isl. byr, expl. ventus ferens, is deduced from ber-a, ferre; Gl. Edd. Saem.
V. [Beir].

BIRD, BEIRD, BRID, BURD, s.
1. A lady, a damsel.
Gawan and Gol.

As bridde is the word used by Chaucer for bird, it is merely the A. S. term for pullus, pullulus. Bird, as applied to a damsel, appears to be the common term used in a metaph. sense.

2. Used, also metaph., to denote the young of quadrupeds, particularly of the fox.
V. [Tod's Birds].

BYRD, v. imp. It behoved, it became.
Barbour.

A. S. byreth, pertinet. This imp. v. may have been formed from byr-an, ber-an, to carry, or may be viewed as nearly allied to it. Hence bireth, gestavit; Germ. berd, ge-baerd, id., sich berd-en, gestum facere. Su. G. boer-a, debere, pret. borde, anciently boerjade.

BIRDING, s. Burden, load.
V. [Birth, Byrth].
Douglas.

A. S. byrthen, Dan. byrde, id.

BIRD-MOUTH'D, adj. Mealy-mouth'd, S.
Ramsay.