PURLIEU

environs, purlieu

(noun) an outer adjacent area of any place

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

purlieu (plural purlieus or purlieux)

(historical) The ground on the edges of a forest, especially when partly subject to the same forest laws concerning game hunting etc.

The outskirts of any place; an adjacent district; the environs or neighborhood.

Source: Wiktionary

Pur"lieu, n. Etym: [Corrupted (by influence of lieu place) fr. OF. puralée, poralée (equiv. to LL. perambulatio a survey of boundaries, originally, a going through); por (L. pro, confused, however, with L. per through) + alée. See Pro-, and Alley.] [Written also pourlieu.]

1. Originally, the ground near a royal forest, which, having been unlawfully added to the forest, was afterwards severed from it, and disafforested so as to remit to the former owners their rights. Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play. Milton.

2. Hence, the outer portion of any place; an adjacent district; environs; neighborhood. "The purlieus of St. James." brokers had been incessantly plying for custom in the purlieus of the court. Macaulay.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition