purlieu

American  

[pur-loo, purl-yoo] / ˈpɜr lu, ˈpɜrl yu /

noun

1. purlieus, environs or neighborhood.

2. a place where one may range at large; confines or bounds.

3. a person's haunt or resort.

4. an outlying district or region, as of a town or city.

5. a piece of land on the edge of a forest, originally land that, after having been included in a royal forest, was restored to private ownership, though still subject, in some respects, to the operation of the forest laws.

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purlieu British  

/ ˈpɜːljuː /

noun

1. English history land on the edge of a forest that was once included within the bounds of the royal forest but was later separated although still subject to some of the forest laws, esp regarding hunting

2. (usually plural) a neighbouring area; outskirts

3. (often plural) a place one frequents; haunt

4. rare a district or suburb, esp one that is poor or squalid

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Etymology

Origin of purlieu

1475–85; alteration (simulating French lieu place) of earlier parlewe, parley, paraley purlieu of a forest < Anglo-French purale ( e ) a going through, equivalent to pur (< Latin prō for, pro ¹, confused with per through) + aller ( see alley ¹)

Explanation

The area directly around or outside of a place is called its purlieu. In a sense, a city's suburbs can also be thought of as its purlieus. This word usually shows up in its plural form, as in "the purlieus of the palace." You can use the noun purlieu for any outlying or nearby areas, or even to mean "usual haunts," like the used record shops and cafes where you and your friends normally hang out. Originally, a purlieu was a term used in Britain's now-obsolete forest law for land adjacent to a forest. It probably comes from the Anglo-French puralee, "a going round to settle the boundaries."

Example Sentences

“Have you been in a purlieu tonight? Confess. Say, ‘Guilty.’

From The New Yorker • Jan. 13, 2020

At any rate, this word purlieu is certainly in want of some examination.

From Notes and Queries, Number 185, May 14, 1853 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by Bell, George

It is remarkable that the term purlieu is never once mentioned is, this long roll of parchment.

From The Natural History of Selborne by White, Gilbert

From the eleventh story up, its wide windows surveyed every purlieu of Manhattan.

From Out of the Air by Gillmore, Inez Haynes

Rather than bide in this purlieu, Longer to stay I'll say, Adieu!

From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science Volume 11, No. 24, March, 1873 by Various

Related Words

• hangout
• haunt
• resort