Obs. (exc. in ballad poetry). Forms: 3–4 burde, bird, 4–5 berd(e, birde, buyrde, buirde, byrd(e, (5 byurde), 5 beerde, 8, 9 bird, 5– burd. [A word of obscure origin, found in the earliest ME. in form burde, frequent in Layamon, but afterwards chiefly in northern, or north midl. writers, and in alliterative verse.
Burd has been variously identified with BIRD, and with BRIDE. Although its later spelling is identical with the mod. Sc. form of bird, and it has been sometimes treated as merely a fig. use of this word, the earlier forms of both show them to be quite distinct. The identification with bride has somewhat more plausibility; but even if we take as the basis the Da. brud instead of the OE. brýd, the phonetic difficulties are many and serious. The various ME. spellings seem to indicate that the vowel was ū = OE. y; some of them also favor a dissyllabic form. The OE. adj. byrde ‘wealthy,’ or perhaps ‘well-born, noble’ answers phonetically, and the sense ‘well-born’ or ‘wealthy lady,’ would apparently make it a suitable companion-word to beorn. But the rarity of the OE. adj. (found once, Oros., I. i. 15, and there masc., se byrdesta ‘the wealthiest man’) presents obvious difficulties.]
A poetic word for ‘woman, lady,’ corresponding to the masculine BERNE; in later use chiefly = ‘young lady, maiden.’ (See BIRD sb. 1 d.)
c. 1205. Lay., 19271. Æfter Arður wes iboren þeo ædie burde [c. 1275 maide] Æne.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 21. Cum nu forð burde to þi brudgume … alre burde brihtest.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 80. Boþe burnez & burdez.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 12305 (Trin.). Ioseph went also soone Wiþ him marie þat burde [v.r. bird] bolde.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIX. 131. The berdes þo songe Saul interfecit mille, et dauid decem milia. Ibid. (1393), C. XXII. 135. The buyrdes [þo] songen.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 12037. Fro bale deth þe burd [Helen] for to saue.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg. (1867), 13. Heil þou blessid beerde in whom [crist] was piȝt.
c. 1440. York Myst., xli. 209. But Mary byrde, thowe neyd not soo.
a. 1560. Rolland, Crt. Venus, IV. 418. Thay wald Venus make content Be sum new burd.
a. 1600[?]. Ballad, in D. Wilson, Mem. Edinb. (1848), I. 33. My birde ladie in Halyroode.
17[?]. Fair Helen, II. in Scott, Minstr. Sc. B., 103. When in my arms burd Helen dropt.
1858. Morris, Welland Riv., 229. ‘It is some burd,’ the fair dame said … ‘Has come to see your bonny face.’
