PURLIN

Etymology

Information on the origin of the term is scant at best. According to Websters it comes from 15th-century English. According to the Oxford Concise Dictionary, it is "Middle English, perhaps of French origin". Other sources reference Middle English or 15th-century English.

Noun

purlin (plural purlins)

A longitudinal structural member bridging two or more rafters of a roof.

Hyponyms

• (longitudinal structural member of a roof): purlin plate, principal purlin, common purlin

Source: Wiktionary

Pur"lin, Pur"line, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.] (Arch.)

Definition: In root construction, a horizontal member supported on the principals and supporting the common rafters.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition