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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nedil(l, Neidil(l, n. Also: nedyll, nedel, nedle; neidile, -le, -el, neiddill, neiddel(l, neydyll; nidel, -le, niddill, nyd(d)ill; needle, needel. [ME. and e.m.E. nedle, -ill, etc., e.m.E. needle, -ell, etc. (ME. and e.m.E. also neld(e, neeld(e, etc.), OE. nǽdl, nédl.]

1. A needle, the implement for sewing.Also with defining terms, as miln-rynd neidill, pak or pakking nedill, rasour nedill, sail nedill, q.v. under the first elements. Moull and neidle, see Moul(l n. b.(1) c1500 Rowll Cursing 220 (B).
Ony … That beiris the nedill gorrit the lows 1494 Loutfut MS. 129a.
A licht hand to hald rasour nedil or pen 1494 Treas. Acc. I. 253.
For nedillis and sale threid 1506 Ib. III. 363. 1511 Ib. IV. 318. 1547 Ib. IX. 67.
Nedillis 1551 Hamilton Cat. 201.
Evin as the nedil bringis in the threid throw ane clayth 1572 Sat. P. xxxii. 37.
Baith prenis and nedillis 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I. 223.
Ane eln of wyre to be ane nedle to sew the hydes(b) 1536 Treas. Acc. VI. 452.
Neidillis 1620 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 211. 1633 Dalyell Darker Superst. 531.
And with ane neidle, several tymes about the nose she bled him 1633 Edinb. Test. LVI. 123 b.
Small cramerie waires, viz. preines, neidellis, … elshines 1646 Ib. LXII. 275. 1661 Acts VII. 275.
Ane manufactory for the makeing of all sorts of neidles 1663 Ib. 466.
The importation of all yron neidles except pak neidles 1671 Inverness Rec. II. 250.
That they doe mack wse of selling ther tobacco, preines & neidles(c) 1590–1 Crim. Trials I. ii. 222.
Under everie nayle there was thrust in two needels over even up to the heads ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 162.
Sed needlo per seustram broddatus(d) 1566 Treas. Acc. MS. 40 b.
viij mousis [sic] and nydillis viij s. 1602 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. 410.
For nyddillis he bocht fra him 1603 Montgomery Mem. 247.
For nidles 1674 Sc. Ant. I. 178.
Nidels 1694 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 257.
Nidles(2) 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 237.
Ane clut of nedillis 1550–1 Perth Guildry 276 (6 March).
And thre cloute of nedillis 1568 Edinb. Test. I. 179.
Ellevin cloutis of neidillis, price of the clout xxxd 1575–6 Dumfries B. Ct. 20 Jan. 1600 Brechin Test. I. 192 b.
Nidelis 1606 Edinb. Test. XLII. 80.
Neiddillis(3) 1606 Edinb. Test. XLI. 259 b.
Ten paipper Spanes neidillis 1618 Ib. L. 62 b. 1621 Jas. Bell in Glasg. Her. (25 June 1864).
20 paper neidills at 22 strs. £3/13/4

b. In allusive, fig. and proverbial use.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii. 3883.
Ȝe are sle, dame! … And sewis it weill … But threid or nedill all subtelly! 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4414.
Me think my pillok will not ly doun … Tak thair a neidill for ȝour cace 1581 Burne Disput. in Cath. Tr. 172/1.
Ane change … from threid, seyme and neidil to danse at the feidil a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1838.
Ye play Jack nedle Jack prein(2) 1600-1610 Melvill 529.
They were the very neidle to draw in the episcopall threid c1630 Scot Narr. 95.
And this generall commission was the very needle which drew in episcopalle authority(3) 1632–8 Of Taileour Cowper 4/18 in Fugitive Poetry II.
He chalkes, he cutts … His neiddell can mend eache enormitie

c. Nedlis ee, niddill ei, etc., the eye of a needle as a type of something difficult to pass through. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xix. 24.
It is lichtar a camele to pas throu an nedlis ee than [etc.] c1590 J. Stewart II. 231 § 124.
To sie Ane camell pas throch smallest niddill ie 1600-1610 Melvill 117.
When the Lord haid … of a cable maid a twynde thride to go in at the narow ei of that neidle

d. Put for: Something of small value. — a1500 Henr. Fab. 2324 (Ch.).
Sumtymis ane nedill haidis ane man in ane kow

e. Attrib. with caisse, penner, and with tak.(1) 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV. 192.
Ane dossone neiddill penneris of silk and siluer price of thame xxiiij s. 1616 Ib. XLIX. 182.
Fourtie gros neiddill penneris — 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 294.
Caisses or buistes called nedle caisses(2) See Nedling vbl. n.¹

2. A type of brooch or ornamental pin for the person (as a hairpin or the like).Presumably one consisting of, or having, a pin as fastening. c 1570 Maxwell Mem. II. 139.
Ȝe sall resaif … ane nedill of selleir our gilt with ane hyngair of gold to it with ane pykter in it as ȝe craifit 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV. 160 b.
Ane neiddill for hair of counterfute staneis 1611 Ib. XLV. 375.
I leiff to hir … ane tablet with ane neiddill of gould and ane precious stane in it … ane neiddel & ane hinger of gould 1636 Ib. LVIII. 37 b.
Fowr silver neidellis and fyve silver handis for gentilvomens fetheris 1665 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 523.
For a silver needle to Agnes Sharpe £1/10/0.

3. The spicule of an insect's sting. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 173/555.
In end uith neidlis [v.r. needels] ouer cledd behoues him [a bull] to be slaine

4. a. A compass needle. b. The gnomon of a sundial. 1375 Barb. v. 23.
Thai wist nocht quhar thai wer, For thai na nedill hav na stane c1590 Fowler I. 161/10.
Vnto this dyell horologe att last I me compaire, quhaire love the neidile is

5. A spar or short beam used as a brace or short transverse prop in a scaffolding or to support the walls of a shaft. 1530 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 29.
For ane doson of aikkin sparris for trestis and nedlis for scaffalting 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 148.
To the sawars for sawing of vj treis to be barcatts trestis and neidillis Ib. 150.
vij treis to be nedillis to the mylnis 1573–4 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII. 74.
v garrons to be nedillis to the skaffettis and trest feit 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I. 221 b.
Ten bottes of irne to mak fast the nedillis in the watter wall 1664 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 92.
For the chimney braice and neidle lybellit the defender reproduced the samen in the tolbuith