Now only Sc. and north. dial. Forms: 5 burtre, 7 burt-tree, 9 burtree, 6– bourtre(e, 7–9 dial. boretree, bortery, 8–9 Sc. bourtree. [Of uncertain phonetic form, and unknown origin. The plausible derivation from BORE v.1 (see quot. 1691) is inconsistent with the earliest and with the dialect forms; derivation from BOWER, Sc. bour, boor (in sense of ‘arbour’) answers phonetically, but is unlikely with regard to meaning. Cf. BOUNTREE.]
The Elder-tree (Sambucus nigra). attrib., as in bourtree-berry, -bush; bourtree-gun, a popgun made of the wood of the Elder, after the pith has been removed.
c. 1450. Nominale, in Wr.-Wülcker, 228. Hec sambucus, a burtre.
1561. Hollybush, Hom. Apoth., 25 b. The floures of Eldren or Bouretre.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 59 b. The wod … is very holow … lyke vnto elder or bourtre.
1579. Langham, Gard. Health (1633), 214. Eldren, or Bourtree.
1691. Ray, N. C. Wds., 131. Bore-tree, elder-tree; from the great pith in the younger branches which Children commonly bore out to make potguns of them.
1786. Burns, Addr. Deil, vi. Rustlin, thro’ the boortrees comin.
1815. Scott, Guy M., liii. I was behind that bourtree bush at the very moment.
1821. Mrs. Wheeler, Westmorld. Dial., 73. Bortery-berry wine.
1878. Smiles, Robt. Dick, iv. 29. The only tree that thrives in Caithness is the common bourtree or elder.
