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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Cole, Coil(l, Coal, n.¹ Also: kole, coile, coyll, coell, coall, kooll. [e.m.E. and ME. cole (also later coole, coale), from disyllabic cases (as pl. colu) of OE. col Coll n.]

1. A piece of coal (or charcoal), sometimes a burnt-out piece. Freq. in pl.See also smiddy cole, stane cole.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xlvii. 85.
Thane wes scho … one a rond quhele set on ane, Foul of colis red brynnand c1420 Wynt. iii. 238.
Ane hat cole off brynand fyre Ib. vii. 2988.
A fell fyre hym to colys brynt Ib. viii. 5717.
Syne the colis and crelis wyth all Apon the turnepyk lete he fall 1441 (1450) Reg. Great S. 69/2.
Wyth al … petis and colis als wele under yerde as abone 1459 Liber Aberbr. 107.
Owr predicessoris … tholyt the smyth tyll byg ane smyde in the moss becaus of his colys and fuell 1490 Irland Mir. I. 58/18.
All kynd … of metall, stanys, colis and mony vthire thingis 1494 Treas. Acc. I. 250.
For xxxvj laid of colys … xv s. 1502 Ib. II. 144.
To the Franch leiches man for colis to him in Strivelin 1531 Reg. Morton II. 259.
To fynd and obtene the coles … lyand within the scheriffdome of Lowdiane 1551 Treas. Acc. X. 42.
To by colis and certane utheris necessaris to Lady Annis chalmer 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 12.
For colis, candil, napre, and veschel, xl pund yeirly(b) 1549 Ann. Banff I. 26.
Quhilk tovnsmen sall geve hyme ȝeirlie ane laid with their howrs in symmer for the supple and helpe of his coillis 1558 Treas. Acc. X. 429.
Deliverit to the Comptrollar … xvj chalder of coilis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4269.
I had rather be brint intill ane coill Na … sic outrage for to thoill 1563 Acts II. 543/2.
That na maner of persoun … transport … ony coillis be … ony bait or vther veschell 1572 Sat. P. xxxii. 10.
Quhair we wer wont to gang With coillis and cokillis … & sicklyke wair 1590 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 25.
That … na merkatt [be] haldin of aill, coillis, or ony other stufe 1602 Conv. Burghs II. 134.
That nather salt nor coillis sall pay any avarice to the maister 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. 134 b.
Ane peice yrne quhilk wes fund in ane kassie of koillis 1629 M. Works Acc. XXIV. 3 b.
For sex laid of coilles to assay the wirking of the Craig(c) 1558-66 Knox I. 17.
In the myddest of some coallis, some tymmer and other mater appointed for the fyre 1590 Conv. Burghs I. 314.
Thomas Menȝes … hes withauldin fra the commoun weill of the said toun … the mettis of coalis, lyme, and salt 1633 M. Works Acc. XXVII. 15 b.
For twa laid of koolles and ane burdine of peates to the plumber and painter

2. Coal as a substance; coals collectively.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xlii. 253.
Thane bad he schellis and brynnand cole Straw in the floure, herd to thole 1428 Wemyss Chart. 56.
Suylk lyke profyte as hym selfe has in the … cole and quarale 1478 14th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. iii. 20.
Le turf, pete, hathir, cole and brume 1490 Irland Mir. fol. 182 b.
The fyre … distroyis amaist all thing that is iunyt to it as tre, cole, vly 1504 Wemyss Chart. 123.
Anent the profit of the thrid of al the cole and sault takin vp 1541 Reg. Privy S. II. 620/1.
The landis of Anstruthir, with the … cole, calk, salt-pannis … thairof 1596 Dalr. I. 28 marg.
Ȝerde stane or trie wod, that is peit or kole(b) 1499 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 625.
The fore-namyt landis … wyth coyll, peit and turf 1504 Wemyss Chart. 123.
The profitis … of the thrid part of the coile and salt 1554 Treas. Acc. X. 232.
To the lard of Cokpen to … serch … the coilheuchis of Linlithqw for coill and mettales 1561 Reg. Dunferm. 457.
Being the haill coill as superplus with caines, xxxiv poultrie, carrages [etc.] a1585 Polwart Flyt. 203.
Abreid, athort ȝour bankis and brais, Ȝe do abound in coill and calk 1614 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart. 113.
With … coill, coilhewchis, querrell, lyme and stane

3. A coal-working, coal-pit. 1531 Reg. Dunferm. 362.
The … abbot of Newbotill and convent … sall caus drive thair coill of Preston Grange … in siclyk maner as thay have drevin thair awin coill to this tyme and with siclyke lavell, and sall caus the watter to have passage fra the bak of the coill callit the coill damys 1675 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV. 365.
The petitioner hath nothing for his lyvelihood … bot ane coall upon the lands of Bathgate, … which coall is now drowned with water

4. Attrib. and comb. with baig (bag), barrell, -bearer (carrier), bote, -caller (carter), dam, gait (road), hill, hors, hous, lantern, maister, merket, mett (measure), -metter, nook, peit (peat), pick, -sellar, sink, stabell, -steiller, wadge (wedge), wark. (Cf. Coll n. 4.)Most of these have the later spellings coill or coal. 1662 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 259.
Till the coall baiges bee sold — 1592 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 57.
Tua irne girthis to ilk ane of the coil barrell mets — 1642 Dysart Rec. 51.
That she shall continue in service with the said noble Lord, as a coalbearer, by and while she be married 1668 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II. 431.
Agnas Dick, coallbearer — 1582 (c 1650) Dundee B. Laws 42.
That the deacon of the coalmen … make ane buik and conteen thairin the number of all coalboates arryving to this brugh — 1680 Wemyss Chart. 322.
Coalȝiars and coalcallers at Weymes — 1531 Reg. Dunferm. 362.
The watter to have passage fra the bak of the coill callit the coill damys — 1574 (1586) Reg. Great S. 367/2.
Cum competentibus lie coilgaittis a carbofodinis ad salinam — 1656 Stirling B. Rec. I. 226.
The constant keiping of mettes and measures upoun the several coalhillis — 1574 Edinb. Test. III. 197 b.
Twa coill hors that led coilis dalie 1644 Ib. LXI. 2.
Tua coilhors, quhairof one blind, givine to the coilman — 1507 Treas. Acc. III. 382.
Ane key to his colehous dur 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII. 76.
In the coilhous twa boit full of coillis — 1642 Ib. LX. 101 b.
Ane brander of irone with ane coill lanterne of irone — 1639 Acts V. 602/2.
The supplicatioune presented by the coalemaisteris against the Conservatour 1656 Conv. Burghs III. 421.
Many of this comissionat being coalmaisteris and heretouris of coall heughes — 1564 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 181.
The fut of the Kirk Yaird close quhair the auld cole merket stude of befoir — 1595–6 Misc. Spald. C. V. 63.
For ane new coill mett … banditt within and without witht yrne — 1598 (c 1650) Dundee B. Laws 52.
The negligence of the coal metters … in the faithfull discharging of ther offices — 1695 S. Leith Rec. 179.
Wee searched the hous and found Isobell Wilson … in the coal nook behind the door — 1580 (1587) Reg. Great S. 390/1.
Power to cast his coill peitis upoun the Waithe-hill of Stromnes, and his brokin peittis upon the brek outwith his merches 1625 Orkney Bp. Ct. 59.
To … delyver … to the said Marioun … ane fadome coall peattis — 1645 Edinb. Test. LXI. 170 b.
Fyve coall pickes — 1538 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 89.
That the cole sellares sitt thair with thair coillis alykwayes for selling thairof — a1578 Pitsc. II. 316/6.
Ane woman tuik hir twa bairnes and cuist hir selff in ane coill sink (1684) Lauder Observes 120.
The storme … which had destroyed many bridges, milnes, and coall sinks — 1663 Lamont Diary 151.
One of the plowmen … sneding tries on the north dyke, over against the coall stabell — 1665 Bk. Old Edinb. Club V. 126.
Ane coillsteiller … is said to have beine killed — 1645 Edinb. Test. LXI. 170 b.
Twa foir hammers and thrie coall wadges — 1656 Stirling B. Rec. I. 226.
The maisteris of the coalles and coalwarkis within the saidis boundis