bort
.
Searchable Lemmata: bort (AF).
Alternate Forms:
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1(n.)
Raw Material;
flock, bundle of fibres (of wool). Probably an error for borl, burl'.(circa 1200 - ante 1300)
Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
Etymological Evidence:
Speculative, most probably an error for AF borl 'flock, tuft' etc., normally of the form borle, burle (see burl 1). If the spelling bort is intended, a relationship with Middle French bort/bord 'board, piece of wood' is unlikely given the date, but this word might just be the same word as Old French bort, bord, borc 'bastard', a word which could be used metaphorically of unwanted and rejected lumps (and so > MdE bort 'fragments removed from gemstones when cutting' etc. (especially of diamonds); but this is highly dubious. Theoretically it may be an auditory spelling (with silent -t) intended to represent bure, but this is most unlikely given the presence of 'burre' in the same glosses.
WF: Borrowed into the British Isles
Etym Cog:
References:
