A Scottish or Northern English dialect word for earnest money or a token payment given as a pledge in a bargain or employment agreement.
From Old English 'earnest' or possibly from Old Norse roots. The word appears in Scottish English dialects and historical legal documents referring to binding financial pledges.
Arle is a perfect example of how old business practices survive in language—the word captures a time when a handshake and a few coins actually sealed a deal before written contracts were common.
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