Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Dale, Dail(l, n.² Also: dal, dail(e, dayl(e, dayll(e. [Northern (and early) ME. dale (midl. and southern dole), OE. dāl.]

1. A part or portion; one's share or part. c1420 Wynt. v. 5086.
Lo, here a worthy wyff to wale, All suld the devyll have delt his dale [C. daylle] a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 782.
He thinkis his aune self shall do for his dail 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. i. 389.
Nor knew [he] thair measure tent daill be na wayis 1535 Stewart 12456.
The spulȝe … To euerie man than as he wes of vail Efter his deid tha gaif him to his daill 1573 Sat. P. xlii. 808.
Thay had … the thriddis of all and haill Of beneficis to thair daill

b. A quantity, amount, number.In later examples perh. a variant of deal Dele n. 15.. Christis Kirk 218.
Fresche men com hame and halit the dulis And dang thame doun in dalis 1567 Sat. P. iii. 125.
Ȝe knaw ȝour cryme is wors ane greit daill moir 1633 Stirling Royal Lett. II. 679.
A great daill of contentment Ib.
A great dale of joy [1689] Siege Edinb. Castle 32.
They had done a great daile of prejudyce to the kingdom 1696 Caldwell Fam. P. 171.
The Earl of Montagues, who has … a mighty dale of silver plate

2. A share, portion, or piece of land. 1460 Ayr B. Ct. MS. 14 Mch.
It is accordit … That na man sal anale his dale [of the sands] 1459 Rep. Hist. MSS, Var. Coll. V. 82.
Geff … it be nocht don … he sal tyn his red dal, supos it be sawyn and harrot has for this yer 1510 Alloway Ct. Bk. MS. 4 June.
The lawboring … of the daill deliuerit till him be the evinaris 1512 Ib. 28 Apr.
The evinaris had tane fra him the auld daill that he had of his maling 1523 Carnwath Baron Ct. b.
The inqueist ordanis the vedo to haif hir daill afferand to hir xv s. land 1572 Prestwick B. Rec. 73.
Thaireftir wallantynis to be maid to se quhat daill ilke man fallis 1584 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 316.
That the said commoun mwre … sall be set furth in few be acre, daill, and pairts 1599 Reg. Great S. 287/2.
Dimidiam acram arabilem ibidem (inter lie daill Ric. Lauchland et lie daill quondam Wil. Reid) 1613 Lanark B. Rec. 120.
All burgessis and frieman … [to] resave thair daillis of the muir landis Ib.
Thair rentallis of thair daill of the landis 1631 Macleod P. MS. (Reg. H.).
The twa westmest daillis of the fyve daillis of hauch land 1660 Melrose R. Rec. I. 297.
James Eilleis was content to … give him a dale in the quarrell holes … and … sould teile the dale and harow it 1662 Ib. II. 40.
Ane bute of land in the byre end and ane halfe daill … belonging to the saids foure aikers of land

b. An ecclesiastical division. Cf. Dele n. 1565 Bk. Univ. Kirk I. 64.
The diocie of Sanct Andrews was divided, and all the countrie dailes belonging to Glasgow of old 1608 Melvill 758.
In Caitnes and Sudderland, in the Merse, and the rest of the daillis annexit to that Synod

c. A certain quantity of coals. 1657 Edinb. Test. LXIX. 34 b.
xxvij dealis of coalis at iij lib. xviij s. the daile 1668 Ib. LXXIII. 147 b.
Ane litle quantitie of coallis, to the number of half ane daill or thairby 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 53.
To David Hodge for 24 daill Clakmannan coall … I got a daill of quarrell coall from him to bute 1707 Househ. Bk. G. Baillie 70.
For 4 dales colls

3. Dealing out, division or distribution; an assignment of lots or shares; a dividing line. ?1438 Alex. ii. 4498.
Quhill that the hand-ax schaft held hale, Thay had the war part of the daill Ib. 9763.
Of dusches and dyntes thare was sic dale … That men micht nocht the murmure here 1522 Chart. St. Giles 214.
Ane daill to be maid of thre scoir and xvi portionis, ilk portioun to be ane quhete laif worth iiii d. 1540 Dundee Chart. 27.
[Terram] jacentem … ad partem solarem … ville predicte per lye dalis et scheddis inter terras de Goterstovne 1577 Glasgow Chart. II. 558.
Maister Henry Gibsoun as rentaler … to have breid and ourlair, daill and divisioun, conforme to the use of the baronie 1589 Edinb. Test. XXI. 93b.
I leif the kyndnes of my mailling to … my sonne … togidder with … pleucht and pleucht graytht by skair and daill

4. Dealing with others; association. c1450-2 Howlat 281.
With dukis and with digne lordis darrest in dale 1547 Dunferm. B. Rec. 368.
And euer he culd be apprehendit haiffand onye conuersacioune wytht onye wnfremannis geir in dailis with chepmannis a1568 Bann. MS. 239 a/5*.
Quhilk is ane grund the gudliest with littill daill 1571 Maitl. F. clxxvii. 42.
That freindschip is ay faithfullest afar, And langest will indure with lytle daill

b. To have dale, to have dealings, to have to do, with a thing or person.(a) 1464 Reg. Episc. Brechin II. 108.
The said Walter nore Elizabeth … to haue dale or entrometting tharwith 1469 Acta Aud. 9/1.
That he sall hafe na dale nor entermeting thairwith in tyme tocum a1500 Bernardus 277.
Wyth mychti men se that thow haf na dale 1513 Doug. xii. iv. 161 (R).
Al to ȝing with sic ane to haue dale a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxii. 15.
He fortounis weill with thé hes lytill dale(b) 1457 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 183.
That he haue na daile nor intromittinge with the said landis and boundis c1460 Consail Wys Man 55.
With na trwmpouris haf na daill 1489 Acta Conc. 123/2.
Chargeing the said James … to haue na daile nor intrometting witht the said benefice of Culter 1513 Doug. xii. iv. 161.
All to ȝyng with sic ane to haue daill

c. Sexual intercourse. Usually to have (carnal or fleschly) dale (with one). c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2839.
I desyre that thow Cume and ly heire besyde me now, So that I may hafe dale with thé 1456 Hay II. 135.
He suld nocht have na dale with wommen in that tyme 1490 Irland Mir. I. 78/11.
In paradice thai had nocht carnale daile togiddir 1492 Myll Spect. 275/25.
Wemen mycht be tane at sic tymes that thai mycht nocht refus men to haif daill with thame c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 421.
I drup with a ded luke … As with manis daill I had done for dayis of my lif 1541 Reg. Privy S. II. 685/2.
The revising of Janet Creichtoun, … and lying and having carnale daile with hir 1562 Carte Northberwic 84.
The saidis personis to abstene fra carnall daill and suspect place 1592 Acts III. 544/1.
The successioun proceding of that pretendit mariage or carnall daill