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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Hele, Heil(l, v.¹ Also: heile, heyl(l). [ME. heyle (c 1440), heele, hele(n, OE. helian, wk. vb., to conceal (also str. vb. helan, p.p. holen Holin p.p.). Still widely current, as heal, etc., in Eng. and Sc. dialects. Cf. Held(e v.²]

1. tr. To cover; to put a covering on or over. Freq. in p.p., covered (with something).(1) 1375 Barb. ix. 128.
Quhen snaw had helit all the land a1400 Leg. S. ii. 251.
Dowchtir … Lene me thi curch to heile me Ib. xviii. 151.
Sume tuke a clathe to hele his corce Ib. xxxi. 676.
[She] helyt hir lycame 1461 Liber Plusc. 383.
God of nature … , Heil neuir this erde more with plesand coloure a1500 Henr. Fab. 1837.
In the snaw he schulit hes ane plane And heillit [B. healit] it all ouer with calf agane(2) 1375 Barb. xiii. 431.
The craggis all helit war … Of thame that … Thiddirward till warrande fled Ib. xiv. 290.
On stedis trappit weill, Sum helyt [all] in irne and steill 14.. Acts I. 672/2.
Of a litill schip, … an it cum with gudis helyt, it sal pay ij d. ?1438 Alex. i. 1190.
Lyoun [was] All helit [F. couvert] in ane sandale broun a1500 Henr. Fab. 1692.
Baith hill and holt [were] heillit with frostis hair c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 93.
Quhare that I lay our helit [M. heilit] wyth leuis ronk

2. To cover so as to conceal, to hide.(1) 1375 Barb. x. 169.
Aucht men … Vith hay helyt [to] be about Ib. xviii. 308.
His mekill hude helit haly The armyng that he on hym had a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 506.
He wykyt wolfe wes withine And heylyt in a lame-skine c1420 Wynt. viii. 5492 (W).
[They had] roid frogis on thare armyng To heill [R. covyre] thaim with for persauing(2) 1375 Barb. iv. 373.
Thai … vnder ane bra thair galay drench, And syne it helit weill eneuch Ib. x. 376.
With blak froggis all helit thai The armouris at thai on thame had c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1428.
Because that he Pollicena, Gylty to deth, hath heled sua c1460 Consail Vys Man 301.
And he it hyd and heil and hald He is a theif rycht as he stald 1513 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 141.
That the nichtboures ... nather ressaitt harbery hele or conceill thame in thair houssis 1570 Sat. P. xviii. 35.
Heill nor conceill, reset nane of thay lownis 1578 Reg. Privy C. III. 60.
He … nawayis heleit nor concelit the said stirk

3. fig. To conceal, keep secret (something non-material).Esp., in the formula for doing homage, to heil (the lord's) counsell.(a) 1375 Barb. xix. 64.
For [= because] he helit thair entent, And discouerit it nocht to the king a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 162.
Wil thu prine be & hele the thing I sal tel thé? 14.. Acts I. 328/2.
Gif … that lord … helis the forfalt ?1438 Alex. ii. 5706.
Worship … Suld na man hyde na be heland 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10002.
Hele not ȝour mynd into na sort fra me In ony thing that may ȝour helth supple(b) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 503.
Fra me thu heile thinge 1445 Pinkerton's Hist. I. App. 476.
I sall … your consell heil that ye schaw me c1460 Consail Wys Man 228.
Heil at thow may al menis schame 1472 Misc. Spald. C. II. 252.
I sall heyll his counsale quhen he schawys me it a1500 Seven S. 684.
Scho prayit him … To heile counsall 1535 Stewart 27317.
Ȝour greit falsheid … I bid nocht for to heill a1570-86 Maitl. F. xlvii. 40.
And lippin nocht … To heill that efter may wittin be 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Homagivm.
I sall … ȝour counsell conceil & heill, that ȝe schaw me