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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sand-ele, Sandell, n. Also: sand-eil(l, -eile, -eel, -iell; sandill. [ME and e.m.E. sandel (1307), sandhell (1338), sandeel(e (1425–6), sawndel (Prompt. Parv.), sandil (1558), sand-eele (1671); Sand n. and Ele n. Also in the mod. dial. with reduced second element as san(d)al, -il, -le, sannal.] A sand-eel, the small eel-like fish found on sandy shores. Also attrib. with bait, polk (Poke n. 3 b).(a) 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Ware.
To gather wilkes, cokles, lempets, mussels, sand-eiles, small fish or baite 1609 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 70.
Ane cleir glancing plaitt … full … with quhyttingis or sandeillis schyning and glittering thairintill 1616 Fraserburgh Kirk S. fol. 79a (27 Nov.).
That quhaso evir vpon the Sabboth day salbe fund raiking sandelis or gathering enie other sort of baite … they sall pay [etc.] 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 5. 1661 Symson Descr. Galloway App. 149.
The sand-eel is of the shape of a fresh water eel, about a foot or some more in length(b) 1584 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 99.
Dischargis the haill toun fra passing to the sandells during this seisoun 1623 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 23 July.
In taking of sandellis on the sabboithe day Ib.
The rest that was withe tham gaddering sandellis 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 5.
There is a place in Southerland … wher the inhabitants doe tak a kynd of fish called sandells 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 62.
The fisch they make greatest cont of are that they call the sardine, which seimes to be our sandell 1689 Foulis Acc. Bk. 113.
To my wife to help to pay cockles and sandillsuninfl. pl. 1649 Cullen Kirk S. 17 June (= Robertson Cullen Ch. Ann. 31).
The Devill cutt them as small as sandell that ever shall seek mor sandiell baittattrib. 1595 Conv. Burghs I 469.
[Ane artikill] anent the sandeil poilkis in the west 1602 Ib. II 151.
Aganis the brughis of Air, Irewin … for suffering the fischeris quha fischis in thair watteris to fische with sandeill polkis to the grit distructioun of the hering fry — 1649 Cullen Kirk S. 17 June (see uninfl. pl. above).
Sandiell baitt