*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of birl

Inherited from Middle English birlen.

3 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A type of grace note movement that quickly switches between low-A and low-G several times, producing a low rippling sound.

verb

To spin. · To cause (a floating log) to rotate by treading on it. · To throw down a coin as one's share in a joint contribution.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Inherited from Middle English birlen.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:birlen",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"birl\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"birl\">\nInherited from Middle English birlen."
    },
    {
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      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Middle English birlen."
    }
  ],
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    [
      "birlen",
      "birlen#Middle_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A type of grace note movement that quickly switches between low-A and low-G several times, producing a low rippling sound."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To spin.",
        "To cause (a floating log) to rotate by treading on it.",
        "To throw down a coin as one's share in a joint contribution."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Scotland",
        "ambitransitive",
        "transitive"
      ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

Alternative form of birle (“to drink, carouse”).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See birle.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "references": [],
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  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of birle (“to drink, carouse”)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
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      ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A girl of boyish appearance.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Blend of boy + girl.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Blend componentboyen
  • Blend componentgirlen
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "2": "boy",
        "3": "girl"
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    }
  ],
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    ],
    [
      "girl",
      "girl#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A girl of boyish appearance."
      ],
      "tags": [
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      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for birl →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YmlybA