The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Purlieu \Pur"lieu\, n. [Corrupted (by influence of lieu place)
   fr. OF. pural['e]e, poral['e]e (equiv. to LL. perambulatio a
   survey of boundaries, originally, a going through); por (L.
   pro, confused, however, with L. per through) + al['e]e. 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.
      [1913 Webster]

            Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied
            In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play. --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Hence, the outer portion of any place; an adjacent
      district; environs; neighborhood. "The purlieus of St.
      James."
      [1913 Webster]

            brokers had been incessantly plying for custom in
            the purlieus of the court.            --Macaulay.
      [1913 Webster] Purlin

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

purlieu
    n 1: an outer adjacent area of any place [syn: environs,
         purlieu]