# purlieu

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɜːljuː/

## Definitions
1. The ground on the edges of a forest, especially when partly subject to the same forest laws concerning game hunting etc.
2. The outskirts of any place; an adjacent district; the environs or neighborhood; milieu.

## Etymology
From Middle English purlewe (“piece of land on the edge of a forest”), modification under the influence of Old French lieu (“place”) of porale, purale (“royal perambulation”), from Old French porale, from poraler (“to traverse”), from por- (“forth”) (from Latin prō- + aler, aller (“to go”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/purlieu