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

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

Dule, Duill, n.¹ Also: dole, doule, dowle; dwle, dul, dull(e; duyl, duile, doile, doill; dewle, deull, duel(l. [ME. dule, duyl (14th c.), e.m.E. dulle, deul, dewle, etc., variants of doole, dole, Dool(e n.]

1. Sorrow, grief, distress of mind.(a) 1375 Barb. xx. 578.
Quhen thai war levit of the kyng, That dule had of thar sorowyng a1400 Leg. S. xii. 198.
Syne hapnyt … That Tyberya gret dule had c1420 Wynt. iv. 2058.
Wemen, rageand in wodenes, And fallyn, for dule, in hewynes Ib. viii. 3883.
Dwle, that thai had in that sycht, Amessyd wes mekill 1456 Hay I. 71/4.
Of the quhilk schisme … quhen I think, I have sa grete dule, that [etc.] c1475 Wall. vi. 195.
Quhar gret dulle is, … Newyn off it is bot ekyng off payne c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 242.
Thai drank, and did away dule, vnder derne bewis Ib. 411.
With him deit all my dule, & my drery thoghtis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5768.
Gret dule, that day, to iugis bene. That cumis nocht with thare conscience clene a1568 Scott xvii. 29.
Addew, my dule and my delyte a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxxiv. 23.
Dull, dull, dreis the man, That trestis into that sort(b) c1420 Wynt. viii. 3884 (C).
The duyl, that thai had of that sycht, Amesyt was mekyl 1513 Doug. iv. x. 51.
Rather de, … and with a swerd mak of this duyl ane end Ib. ix. iv. 122.
Ne wald I not alsso that I suld be Caus or occasioun of sic duyll c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxi. 32 (M).
I am ane auld hors, … That evir in duill dois drug and draw a1585 Maitl. Q. xl. 103.
Do not in my duill delyt, that comptis ȝow so deir a1585 Polwart Flyt. 814 (T).
Fleyit fwill, mad mule, die in duil on ane aik c1590 J. Stewart 21/210.
Ane vther baths in blis, I die for duile 1609 Gardyne Garden 75.
To dyte the duile of wife and orphans 1604-31 Craig v. 7/39.
Thy duill [is] her delight(c) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 545.
To the first edole Egeas Pressis hym ful fast to pass Ib. vii. 690.
Hyre sowkand sowne thane cane scho ta With dowle betwyne hir handis twa

b. Coupled with synonymous terms, as care, dolour, murning, sorrow, wa, etc.(a) 1375 Barb. xx. 483.
Sum of the lord Douglassis men … Ȝeid weill neir wood for dule & wa Ib. 586.
The banys … war Erdit, with dule and mekill car a1400 Leg. S. l. 720.
Thai sall haf euir-lestand lyff, But payne or verray duel or striffe c1420 Wynt. I. 180.
Will and wawerand to be ay, In dowt and dwle till his end day ?1438 Alex. i. 512.
That ȝe sall … die ilkane, with dule and pyne 1456 Hay I. 49/34.
Schir Cipro … come as a wode man, for sorowe and dule of his men that he saw tynt Ib. II. 59/29.
Sleuth … drawis efter it dule and displesaunce of othir mennis gude aventures a1500 Henr. Orph. 128.
His hert ner birst for werray dule & wo 1533 Boece x. xii. 376.
All was bot murnyng and dule 1535 Stewart 2487.
Of Scotland … the greit meseritie, … The dule, the dolour thairof 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1533.
Quhairof greit harme and dule come to the pure 1567 G. Ball. 31.
Ȝit he sall die, with dule and pyne 1573 Sat. P. xli. 77.
It is ane mirrour manifest Of dule and dolour to be dred 1596 Dalr. II. 8/20.
Of dule, of dolour, sturt, and kair, I think(b) 1513 Doug. ii. i. 24.
Thai of Troy … Thair langsum duyl and murnyng dyd away Ib. xiii. iii. 131.
Large wepyng, duyll. and wa 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1035.
Wa, than, and duillbe to ȝow Princes, all a1585 Maitl. Q. lxv. 75.
A mortall … Quhome duill and dolour daylie dois assaill a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xvi. 5.
Of duill and dolour so I dry(c) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 250.
That he vald … bryne thame in doile and va Ib. xviii. 701.
It that is Gottyne of blythnes & of blyse, Is tynte richt oft be dowle and va(d) a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 114.
Deull & distres almaist to deid him drawe [= drove]

2. Expression or sign of grief; mourning, lamentation. Esp. to mak dule.(a) 1375 Barb. xix. 221.
Quhen thai lang tyme thar dule had maid Ib. xx. 496. a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 561.
Mar dule he mad than I cane say Ib. xxvi. 573.
The clergy than mad dule & care c1420 Wynt. iv. 620.
Off the skayth … He maid bot lytill dule or mayne Ib. viii. 6037.
Bot playnt, na dule, na yhit menyng Mycht helpe noucht 1456 Hay I. 284/15.
Quhen ony peple … will mak dule for ony of thair frendis dede a1500 Rauf C. 95.
Quhy Deuill makis thow na dule for this euill day? a1570-86 Kennedy Maitl. F. cxxxi. 4.
Ane ageit man … I hard … makand grit dule 1533 Boece ix. xi. 313.
His corps … was convoyit to Colmkill with grete dule of the pepill 1570 Leslie 166.
Thier wes gryt dule and meane maid for him 1576 Digest Justiciary Proc. I. 22.
Quhy mak ȝe sa greit dule and sair greitting for ony warldlie thing?(b) 1535 Stewart 1861.
The pepill … Makand greit duill for the deid of thair king 1590 St. A. Kirk S. 674.
Quhair the said Elene wes … makand great duill and nois 16.. Hist. Kennedy 57.
Thair wes gritt duill maid for him

3. Mourning attire; a mourning dress. 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII. 37.
Gevin for ane dule of Scottis blak to Johnne Leslye Ib. 43.
To be curcheis to Lady Jane for hir dule, four … elnis holland clayth 1561 Treas. Acc. XI. 84.
Blak weluot to the saidis dammis, dammosallis, and madynnis to be thair secund dule 1566 Ib. MS. 110.
To be the quenis dule x elnis … of serge of Florence a 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlviii. 41.
It is … Als warme a weid as weir the deule 1570 Soc. Ant. VI. 52.
To my L. Buriall … for the dwll v ellis blak stemming 1570 Sat. P. xii. 171.
With sychis, and sobbis, and beltit robbis, Ȝe counterfite the dule 1587 Waus Corr. II. 383.
Ye will remember that the gentilmen be cled in blak … , sa that sall represente a grauite, and half ane duill 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xvii. 30.
There is oft to be seene the badges of buriall in black dolie duill 1609 Gardyne Garden 24.
The glorious Gods … Drest in their dule … Hes left the Heavens

4. Attrib. (in the sense of ‘mourning’) with belt, claithis, cote, craip, curch(ay, goun, hude, palis, sadill, schankis, sockis. 1589 Edinb. Test. XXI. i.
Sex velvot beltis … , ane dissone dule beltis 1586 Treas. Acc. 109.
To the furneissing of the duile clais 1596 Montgomery Mem. 235.
To Jonet Wadie, … xl lib., to by hir self dule claithis 1650 Caldwell P. 103.
For claith that was doill claithes to the lard & his brother … to thair mother's buriall 1537 Treas. Acc. VI. 339.
Tane fra Mungo Tennand to be the Kingis dule coit and hude 1550 Ib. IX. 416.
Bukrame to be lachettis to my lorde governoures dule cote 1618 Edinb. Test. L. 164 b.
Tuentie ane elnis duill craip 1552 Treas. Acc. X. 141.
Send to Strabogy … vij elnis camrage clayth to be hir dule curchayes 1553 Ib. 172.
Foure elnis camrage claith, to be ane dule curche to my Ladye Gordoun 1504 Ib. II. 322.
For lynyng of the Kingis dule goun of claith with blak skinnis 1537 Ib. VI. 354.
Auchten elne uter fyne to be four Franche ladyis dule gounis 1561 Inv. Q. Mary 25.
Ane dule gowne of furring 1552 Treas. Acc. X. 141.
To Andro Elphinstoun. for … furring of the dule hude with lettous 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 103.
Foure doule palis of blak clayth garnist with bukrem 1561 Treas. Acc. XI. 65.
For xlv elnis ij quarteris of blak to be dule sadillis and … fute mantillis 1606 Tailor's Acc. Bk. 40.
Payit … for silk & making of ȝour dul schankis 1586 Ld. Treas. Acc. (MS.) 109.
Ane pair of dule sockis Ib. 112 b.