north. dial. Also 3–7 erles. [Apparently a. OF. *erle, *arle:—L. *arrhula dim. of ARRHA. Cf. also OF. erres, arres, mod. arrhes:—L. arrha. Historically a plural, but sometimes used as sing.; the formal sing. arle is hardly in use.]

1

  1.  Money given in confirmation of a bargain; esp. that given, when a servant is hired, in confirmation of the engagement; earnest-money.

2

1540.  Act Jas. V. (Jam.). Gif ony maner of persoun gefis arlis or money on ony maner of fische.

3

1652.  MS. Grassman’s Bk. at Durham (Raine). Spent when we hired the hird, 1s. Given him in arles, 6d.

4

1674.  Ch. Accts. Bedlington Northld. Given the smith in arles for the bell, 1s.

5

1691.  Blount, Law Dict., Argentum Dei … Money given in Earnest of a Bargain: In Lincolnshire called Erles, or Arles.

6

1816.  Scott, Old Mort., xxiii. 166. Ye gae me nae arles, indeed.

7

  2.  fig. An earnest, a foretaste.

8

c. 1220.  Hali Meid., 7. As on erles of þe eche mede þat schal cume þ[e]rafter.

9

c. 1425.  Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. xxvii. 21 (Jam.). This was bot erlys for to tell Of infortune, that eftyr fell.

10

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, XI. Prol. 160. Wyth grace in erlis of glore.

11

  3.  Arles-penny is used in the prec. senses.

12

1590.  Bruce, Serm. Sacram., S ij a/2 (Jam.). The heart gets a taist of the swetnes … quhilk taist is the only arlis-penny of that full and perfite joy.

13

1794.  Burns, My Tocher’s, etc. Wks. IV. 309. Your proffer o’ luve’s an airle-penny.

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