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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pale, Pail(l, Peall, n.¹ Also: peale; pelle; paull. [ME. (c 1330) and e.m.E. pale, e.m.E. also pail (1607), L. pāl-us, pāl-um, and cf. also F. pal Pal(le n.Cf. also the cognate Pele n.]

1. A pointed stake for driving into the ground which, with others, indicated a boundary or made up a fence.(a) 1451 Exch. R. V. 472.
Custodi parce de Faukland … pro sustentacione de le palez 1494 Loutfut MS. 2 a.
The listes … suld be … weil cloissit with pales of vii fut of heicht or mair 1509–10 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 126.
To kep that mesure of breide in hir bigging as the pales of tre now ar fixt in the erd 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 176.
Within … parkis cloys of palys [: valys] The bustuus bukkis rakis furth on raw 1532 Edinb. Guild Ct. 13 June.
Ane dyk … strekand fra the north … to the south as the myddis of the strekis and palis of tree at fessinnit in the erd sett at this tyme(b) 1646 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 213.
Wreichtis wagis for setting of the pellis … To the collhouers for seting off 8 pellis in the powll [£23. 7s. 6d.](c) 1697 Glasgow B. Rec. IV. 232.
To … pend the said cutt and fix paulls and fenders in the key

2. A fence of this kind, a paling.Also attrib. in pale men, men employed to construct or maintain a pale. 1502–3 Treas. Acc. II. 355.
To the sawaris of the pail in the ortsched 1513 Doug. ix. viii. 153.
Mesapus … with hys menȝe enforcis Tyl vndermynd the dike and rent the paill Ib. x. i. 53.
Within the ȝet Amyd the clos muralȝeis and paill And dowbill dikis [etc.] 1541 Treas. Acc. VII. 472.
For making of ane pale of tymmer within the park of Falkland to the sangwelerisattrib. 1503 Treas. Acc. II. 372.
To the pale men of the park of Strivelin

b. Appar. transf. 1552–3 Old Dundee II. 127.
Ane pale of glas in the south aisle of the queir beside the Haly Blude altar 1672 Soc. Ant. XIV. 329.
[To demolish the whole old] pale [of buildings designed to be rebuilt]

3. Pales (sheets), (cloth) of paillis, having vertical stripes. (Cf. Pale v.) 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 267.
For lxx elne Bertane clath to be four pair pales schetis 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 176.
Hingin with ald sayis of paillis reid blew and ȝallowe

4. A ‘pale’ in heraldry. = Pal(le n. — 1494 Loutfut MS. 146 b.
Palis of vi pecis he beris

5. A peg used as a stopper.Only Sc. in this sense.Chiefly in the collocation cok and pale, faucet and spigot. 1549 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 185.]
[Tres ampulle … cum claussuris et palis earundem Ib. 196.
Ane of the ampullis pro oleo sancto vith thre palis of the samyne of siluer party gilt 1633 Orkney Bp. Ct. 85 b.
All the milk that was in the kirin was found on the floore the peale fast and the kirin standing vp 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 1 b.
For cokes and pelles 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII. 9 b.
Ane bras cook and paill 1681 Foulis Acc. Bk. 94.
For 2 cocks and pealls 1707 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 175.
Pales