arles north. dial.
(ɑːlz)
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. Money given in confirmation of a bargain; esp. that given, when a servant is hired, in confirmation of the engagement; earnest-money.
| 1540 Act Jas. V (Jam.) Gif ony maner of persoun gefis arlis or money on ony maner of fische. 1652 MS. Grassman's Bk. at Durham (Raine), Spent when we hired the hird, 1s. Given him in arles, 6d. 1674 Ch. Accts. Bedlington Northld., Given the smith in arles for the bell, 1s. 1691 Blount Law Dict., Argentum Dei..Money given in Earnest of a Bargain: In Lincolnshire called Erles, or Arles. 1816 Scott Old Mort. xxiii. 166 Ye gae me nae arles, indeed. |
2. fig. An earnest, a foretaste.
| c 1220 Hali Meid. 7 As on erles of þe eche mede þat schal cume þ[e]rafter. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. viii. xxvii. 21 (Jam.) This was bot erlys for to tell Of infortune, that eftyr fell. 1513 Douglas æneis xi. Prol. 160 Wyth grace in erlis of glore. |
3. arles-penny is used in the prec. senses.
| 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. 1794 Burns My Tocher's, etc. Wks. IV. 309 Your proffer o' luve's an airle-penny. |