Plural of ballie, a Scottish term for a bailie, a town magistrate or chief officer of a Scottish burgh.
From Scottish 'bailie,' from Old French 'bailli,' meaning a royal official or magistrate. Commonly used in Scottish place names and historical documents.
Scottish 'ballies' shows how English English and Scottish English went separate ways with the same word—what's a 'bailiff' in England became a 'bailie' or 'ballie' in Scotland's own distinct legal system.
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