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