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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Thirl(l, Thrill, Thral(l, v.² Also: thirle, thyrl, therl, thraill, thrale, thraul. P.p. also thirlet(t, therlet, thrald(e, thralld. [ME and e.m.E. thrall (Cursor M.), thralle (Hoccleve); Thirl(l n.]

1. To enslave, bind in subjection (to a person, jurisdiction, etc.); to keep captive.pres. (1) 1456 Hay I 157/17.
It is nouther godlyke na manlyke … sen he has maid man free, he suld thrill his brother(b) a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 13.
The lords … said that ther intention was nawayis to thrall hir; and therfore immediatlie wald repone hir with freedome to … Halyruidhous(2) 1531 Bell. Boece I 73.
To thrill us to maist schamefull servitude(b) 1531 Bell. Boece II 131.
Quhat may be devisit mair skaithfull to fre pepill than … to thirle thame wilfully to servitude of uncouth pepil 1531 Bell. Boece II 319.
He desirit … the paip, to thirl nocht the realme of Scotland to ony jurisdiction or empire of ennimes(c) 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 312.
[It is not the being of Dumbarton in England's hands that will more] thral [Scotland to England than Berwick may do without Dumbarton]p.p. (1) 1375 Barb. i 222.
[Alas] that folk that euer wes fre … Throw thar gret myschance and foly War tretyt [1571 thirlit] than sa wykkytly ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 61.
Ȝe ar thirlit and our harlit The grit refuse of all the warld 1535 Stewart 16747.
This land sa lang wes thirlit and ouirthrawin Be this tirrane 1549 Compl. 93/1.
Ȝe sal be his sklauis … ȝe sal lyf in mair thirlage nor brutal bestis, quhilkis ar thirlit of nature 1567 G. Ball. 35.
Father gif me my part of geir … I will na mair be thirlit heir 1611 (16 … ) J. Melvill Black Bastel 5/1, in Fugitive Poetry I.
Me thought assembly [marg. Glasgow Assembly 1610] summon'd was and called of huble buble sheepheards hir'd and thralled(2) 1531 Bell. Boece I 149.
Quhairthrow we ar mair thirllit than ony brutall beistis to lauboure 1533 Boece 103.
The pepill of Britan … in sic sort to Romanis thirllit 1533 Bell. Livy I 43/23.
The Romanis … began to murmur, saying thai war thirllit to more servitude than afore a1570-86 Clapperton in Maitl. F. 243/26.
Thus am I thirlit on to ane schrew … Way wourth maryage for evirmair

b. transf. or fig. To enthrall, overwhelm, hold in subjection (a person, his mind, etc.); to subject or bind (a person, oneself, etc. to (something); to embroil (a person) in (debt).(1) c1475 Wall. x 394.
The … payn so sor thyrllyt his thocht All out off kynd it alteryt his curage a1508 Want of Wyse Men 15 (Ch. & M.).
Now lakkis prudence, nobilitee is thralde Sen want of wyse men makis fulis to sitt on bynkis 1559–60 St. A. Kirk S. 13.
Traditiones, inventiones of men maid to bind and thrall mennis consciences 1559–60 St. A. Kirk S. 12.
Thirle 1562-3 Winȝet I 88/8.
Quhy wald ȝe heirfor thral ws, as ȝe war the Catholik Kirk, the pillar of veritie, that can nocht erre? a1568 Bann. MS 223b/16.
My cors is thrallit and my hairt is rent 1576 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 52.
We being weill willing rather to corrobrat nor thrall youre liberties … licence and grantt yew fre libertie to elect and chuse quhat personis ye pleis in the saidis offices a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 169.
He has … sa far thrallit and subdewit the kings majesties will and pleasure(2) 1531 Bell. Boece I xvii.
All thyngis quhilkis ar comprehendit within the speir of the mone ar sa thirlit to deith and alteration, that [etc.] 1559 Knox VI 24.
That our consciences sould not be thralled to men's traditiouns 1562-3 Winȝet I 89/27.
And quhy wald ȝe heirfor thral [MS thraul] ws to ane ceremonie 1562-3 Winȝet II 27/28.
His eftercumaris also wes thrallit to the curse of his sin 1586 Reg. Privy C. IV 107.
Thralereflex. 1531 Bell. Boece II 304.
Les than we, be corruppit life, list thirl ourself to eternal deith(3) 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 484.
The Lord Reay was much thralled in debt and forced … for the releef of his credit, to make away some of his lands 1672 Brodie Diary 336.
I did sie how his son and he wer thrald and plungd in debt

c. transf. To enclose, bind (a person's legs) in (boots). ?1644 Soc. Ant. IV 108.
In bootes of lead thralld were his legges

2. To astrict or bind (a tenant, lands, etc.) to a mill, to oblige (him) to have his grain ground at a particular mill. b. With reference to working iron in a particular forge. 1446 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 107.
To red the dame as othiris that ar thirlit to the said myl 1513 Acta Conc. in Lanark B. Rec. 356.
For the wrangws deferring to cum to his myln of Lanerk callit Mous Myln with thair cornys growand apon thair landis underwrittin, thirlit to the said myln to the xiij corn 1536–7 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 82.
The saidis persones being alwayes bundin and thirlit to the saidis commoun mylnis and to grynd all thair malt and cornys thairat 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II 225.
Quhair the haill maltmen baxteris and vtheris induellaris … ar thirlit to grynd their cornis at the commone mylnis … and pay thair mvlturis thairto 1555–6 Edinb. B. Rec. II 233.
That na … makar of malt or vtheris, thyrlit to thair commoun mylnis, in tyme cummyng pas fra the said commoun mylnis to ony other mylnis with thair malt to grynd the samyn thairat 1572 Lanark B. Rec. 68.
Therlet 1574 Reg. Privy C. II 384.
Quhilk haill lordschip is thirlit to the mylne of Habroule c1575 Balfour Pract. 496.
Gif he quha is astrictit and thirlit to ony miln, passis to ane uther miln with his cornis, without … leive of the millar … the lord and awner of the miln sall have the horse, and the millar sall have the sack and the corn 1588 Burntisland B. Ct. 19 April.
Thay [sc. the inhabitants of Burntisland] will do the said Schir Robert Meluill sic serwice and pleser as thay may and cum to his milnis befoir ony wtheris wpone frelege and libertie … bot refussis … to thirle obleis or astrict thame seluis in ony maner and the saidis Johine Clepane [etc.] … discicentit frome the said conclusione and consentit to be thrillit 1592 Haigs of Bemersyde 115.
[Robert Haig] thirles [the whole of the corns of the lands of Bemersyde to the mill of Dryburgh] 1608 Glasgow B. Rec. II 558.
That the inhabitantis … sould be thirlit and astrictit to bring thair malt and vther cornis to the mylnis … to be grinned thairat 1608 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 67.
The following persons, feuars, tenants and occupiers of the touns and lands undermentioned which are thirled to the said mill to inbring their corn to be ground at the said mill 1627 Orkney Rentals iii 45.
The milne of Ryssay is fewit be James, bishop of Orknay, to the said Robert Chalmer, and the half of the paroche thirlit theirto 1641 Black Bk. Taymouth 390.
It is … ordained that quarnes be brokine, and ilk tennent and cottar to goe with thair grindable cornes to the milnes, quhairto they ar thirled 1684 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 101.
That in caise any brewary shall be erected in these lands that they be thirled to the mylnes of Bonningtoun for grinding the malt therin 1662 Decis. Lords G. 12.
Unless the titular had thirled the teinds either by a constitution, or that he and the tenents had carried the teinds to the mill eo nomine … they could not be thought thirledb. 1622 Urie Baron Ct. 46.
Ewerie man … salbe thirlit to wirk thair haill irne wark with Stephane Forbes, smyth in Cowie

3. To put (one's lands, assets) under some sort of bond, to mortgage (them). Also transf. b. Of land: Bound, belonging to (a particular estate). 1480 Acta Conc. I 70/2.
Robert … grantit … juntfeftment to Marion … his spous of ten pundis worth of land … fre vnset … & vnwedset … and that the said Robert … sall be na maner of way thrill tha landis bot deliuer thaim fre as said is 1547 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 568.
[He is] put to extreme poverte [and cannot satisfy creditors] without he thirll his lands 1573 Reg. Privy S. VI 366/2.
Thair commoun rentis ar altogiddir sa bestowit and thirlit alreddie in that suppoirt of thair heavin and brig 1582–3 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III 554.
His saidis landes and propir heretage gevin in claus of warrandice of the saidis foirfaltit landis wedsettt be him … for furtherance of his Hienes service [etc.] … wilbe altogither thirlit and engadgit to his utter wrak and heirschip 1559 Fam. Rose 227.
Be this our obligacione we thrillis our landis and heritance, aieris, executouris [etc.] … to tham heis this present obligacione 1605 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 11.
That the commoun gude is astrictet and thirlet in … money borrowet fra thair nichtbouris 1607 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 329.
Thirlett 1620 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 216.
As the counsell findis thair commoun rent gretumlie thirlet be divers grete sowmnes of money takin thairupountransf. 1585 Acts III 402/2.
He was denunceit to the horne … quhairby he is wraikit baythe in body and guidis … for ane lyff thrallit and vnable euir to be recouerit without the kingis … fauourb. 1608 Fam. Rose 298.
The … haill liberties of mois, mures, and pasturage … being thraillit to the forsaidis landis of Fynnysfeld and being a richt debaitabill betuix Sir Alexander Hay and … my vncle

4. To cause (a person) to do one's will (by force or legal obligation), to bind (a person) to some obligation. b. To be tied to (a person) by an obligation. c. To be obligated for favours received. 14.. Quon. Attach. c. 30.
It is to wyt that na mannis fermour may thrill his lorde of the fre tenement of his lord thocht that within his terme he do ony seruice for it c1460 Regim. Princ. 263 (Maitl.).
To thrale the iuge be fors to thair intent 1531 Bell. Boece I 207.
He … nocht onlie habandonit all the cuntre, bot thirllit the nobillis to his assistance 1533 Bell. Livy I 31/33.
His posterite was thrillit to offer in it [sc. the temple] the spuleȝeis of thare vincust innemyis 1533 Bell. Livy I 119/12.
And nocht alanerlie spendit the public … money of the toun apoun this tempill, bot als he thirllit [MS therlit] al the pepill of the toun to ware thare laubouris on the samyn 1549 Soc. Ant. XI 94.
As for this act as ye allege the same thrallis nocht halie kirk albeit it thrall my tennentis to do my command c1575 Balfour Pract. 200.
Na maill payer may prejudge and thirle his lord, anent his fie and heritage, albeit he, within the time of his mailling and takkis, hes done ony thirle service, or uther service, to ony persoun, for doing of the quhilk his lord and maister was na wayis bund and oblist; for the law sayis that the deid of the tenent may not thirle his lord 1586 Reg. Privy C. IV 102.
To … thirll him to the pament of certane ministeris stipendis to be modifeit be thame 1590 Conv. Burghs I 321.
And be sa far as his maiesties fre burch [sc. Aberdeen] hes bene thrallit to serue ane raice of pepill as it war ane burch of baronaye neuer haiving ony prouest 1612 Reg. Privy C. IX 406.
George Monro … who pretendis himselff heritable officer to his majestie … thrallis and compellis the vassaillis and tennentis of the said erldome of Ross … to pay to the said George grite and intollerable dewtyis and dew serviceb. 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 385.
That neather he, nor any vther faythfull in the vniversitie, be thrallit to ony minister wha exemis him self fra order and godlie disciplinec. 1582 Cal. Sc. P. VI 191.
[Being] thrald [and obliged for the manifold pleasures and courtesies I have continually received]