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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Towel(l, Towal(l)(e, n. Also: towelle, towl(e, towll, touell, toual(l, toull, touvel(l, tovel(l, towald, twal(l, twell, tual(l, tuel(l, toill(e, tol(l. [ME and e.m.E. tuell (Cursor M.), towel (1378), towale (Chaucer), towell, touel (both 14th c.), twell (1507), towle (1542), towall (1557), touall (16th c.), OF toail(l)e, med. L. toualia, etc.]

1. A towel for use after bathing, etc. Also applied to a cloth used for wiping the fingers at table.(a) ?1438 Alex. ii 452.
His men him keipit euer ilkane. The watter him gaif schir Floridas, And the touell [F. la touaille] schir Perdicas c1420 Wynt. viii 4865.
Thai warpyt at the wall gret stanys … And … qwhen thai castyne hade, Wyth a towalle a damyselle … Wipyt the wall, that thai mycht se, To gere thaim mare anoyid be 14.. Burgh Laws c. 104 (A).
The lorde or the ayr sall haf til his hous the insicht that is to wyt the met burd a bord clath a towall a basing a lawar a principal bede [etc.] 1478 Acta Aud. 67/1.
Tua towalis vj pewder dischis iiij gret pewder chargeouris [etc.] a1500 Seven S. 2586.
Ȝe sall me the basyng hald And my moder the towall fald With gret honour apon ȝour kne 1504 Treas. Acc. II 426.
iiij elne Holland clath, quhilk wes bocht for the quene and hir almessar … and syne the maister cuke maid towales for the king of it 1522 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 209.
Ane burd claitht witht tovalis and vilecot, ane pair of schetis and nychtcurch 1539 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. x (Scott v. Scott & McDowall).
Ane stand of napre claithis towellis and seruiottis 1551 Reg. Cupar A. II 71.
Burd clathis, towallys, pottys, pannis, platis, dischis, and vthiris necessarys, conuenient for our hale kichyng, pantre, baikhous, brewhous and cellar 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 189.
The inventar of the airschip guddis of … Gilbert Clewch … ane meit almorie estimat to viij markis … ane towall to ij s. [etc.] c1575 Balfour Pract. 614.
Gif ony of thame be rebelland aganis him [sc. the master] … he sall tak the towel or boord-claith away that is befoir the mariner, or he put him out of the ship ?1666 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 8.
Sax dussane naiprie pryce of the dussan £3 inde £18 … six toualls pryce of the peice overheid 12 s. inde £3 12 s.; … ane old silver saltfat pryce £12(b) 1611 Brechin Test. III 184a.
Ane burdclaythe ane twall ane seruit(c) 1651 Buccleuch Mun. II 290.
Sex dussone of dornik servetts … sex tollis

b. With qualifier indicating the type of towel or the function for which it was used. See Basin n. c, Drinking vbl. n. 2, Drying vbl. n. 2, Hand n. D 16 and Nek n.¹ 5 for further examples.(1) 1456 Hay II 143/34.
Efter the stoving and bathing, men suld sytt on faire bynkis … and rubbit his fete and his handis … with a fair lynnyn towale, apon a fair fut schete 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II 406.
Ane burd claith of braid claith, fowre towellis of braid claith 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 176.
Inuentare of all the geyr left … within the bischoippis palice … The pantre … iij ald buyrdclathis … ij ald towellis of lynning … vj smal towellis of lynning haile … ane grit towell holit … ane lang towell riffin at the tane end … vij seruiatis 1563–4 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 138.
Four lang hardin towells 1598 Black Bk. Taymouth 325.
Off hardin tueillit towallis 1623 Edinb. Test. LII 21a.
Tua dussin of serveittis sex burdclaithes and four hardin toilles 1651 Edinb. Test. LXV 203b.
Twa watir cloathes … twa mouth cloathes … ane pearled toill 1654 Edinb. Test. LXVIII 40.
Ane lynd wark towell 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 359.
5 dornick tuells(2) 1529 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 230.
Ane wesching towell of dornik with basyne and laware of siluir 1542 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 572.
Ane lang weschein towale 1562 Will A. Betoun.
vii sewit weschin towlys 1581 Brechin Test. I 48b.
Ane basine twell 1635 Haddington Corr. 304.
Ane lang drinking towll, tuo lining drinking cloths 1704 Sc. Ant. I 129.
The … inventar of the gear … of Jean Campbell … four dornick servet … tuo hand towells with a lining hand towelle … Ane table cloath of lining of tuo elnes lenght with tuo towells of lining [etc.]

c. comb. Towall burd, a table with a table-cloth; towell pyn, a pin or peg on which to hang a towel.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. i 375.
Be this was commyn tyme of mete: Braid burdis war wpborn and sete And coveryt syne with clathis dere, Cowpis out brought of gold sa clere, One towalle burdys arayit & drest 1498 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 84.
Ane curtane of burdis ordanit for ane tovall burd(2) 1568 Edinb. Test. I 169a.
Ane towell pyn 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII 45b.
Ane sewit towell & ane towell pyn 1625 Brechin Test. IV 219b.
Ane tuall pin 1639 Edinb. Test. LIX 83a.
Ane wainscott towall pyn … ane wainscott cloak pine 1646 Edinb. Test. LXII 68b.
Ane towall pin with ane knave of aik 1661 Brechin Test. VI 205b.
Ane toull pine

2. A similar type of cloth worn as a garment, ? as a tunic or some kind of over-garment.[Alex. quot. may be influenced by F. toil(e (linen).] ?1438 Alex. ii 8711.
He had thair sa great gadering That weirit palice and tyre And silkin towellis [F. tunicles de toille] that war schire 1570 Inverness Rec. I 190.
His serwand woman rasauit certan lynyng clais to wesche, and amangis the rest ane lang small towald contenying sex elnis in lentht and sex quartar braid small lynnyng c1632 Tailor's Acc. Bk. B 29.
Ane dowblet & ane pair breikis of saitting bowmbersay with twa paisspyellis & touvellis

3. a. A cloth for covering an altar. b. Also as hand towell, a smaller cloth for use in communion. [Cf. F. tavaiolle.]a., b. c1420 Wynt. v 1384.
Nane suld handyll … nakyn thyng that halowyit ware, Chalyce, towale, or awtare, Bot thai that … ordanyt ware c1420 Wynt. v 1594 (W).
Towall 1432–3 Reg. Episc. Glasg. II 333.
Quatuor mappis sive twalis pro altari 1436 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 147.
ij tualis pro altari 1474 Treas. Acc. I 64.
vj elne of brade clath for ij tovellis to the kingis alter a1500 Coll. St. Salvator 157.
For the hee altar ane broudyn cod … for the sam fyve toualis of braid claith and tua of lynnyn 1504 Treas. Acc. II 293.
xxv elne Bertane clath, to be thre albes and hand towales to altaris 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 358.
Deliverit be the Dene of Glasgew … ane albe amyt, altar towellis, ane pendele to the altar [etc.] 1529 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 230.
Ane antepend befor the altar … with towellis, frontale, mes buk, corporall and vthir furnissing 1531–2 Treas. Acc. VI 22.
For sewing of x gret corsis on the altare touallis 1532–3 Treas. Acc. VI 93.
To be the alb, twa towellis, and the amicce, xvj elnis lynnyng 1540 Maxwell Mem. I 408.
Four towallis for the hee bwrd 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII 43.
For four hand towellis to the chapell 1544 Edinb. Hammermen 164a.
For ij ellis of hardyne to lay vnder the alter towellis 1559 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I lxxxix.
For the altare … 2 napkins and a rich hand towell 1559 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I xc.
Ane antipend for the sacrament house with a dornick towle to the same 1573-1600 Burne Disput. in Cath. Tr. 134/28.
It is lesum to the Papistis to adorne thair altaris sa sumptuouslie vith precious stanes, vith sa monie touallis

c. Under towel, a cloth placed under the altar cloth. Cf. 1544 quot. above. 1536 Treas. Acc. VI 278.
To be ane altar towall, v½ elnis dornik … to be ane under towall, v½ elnis blechit bartane canves

d. A cloth for use at baptism. 1589 Sc. Eccles. Soc. I 251.
That the towall and the bassin be sett on the pulpit at the secund bell to sermon a1651 Calderwood V 344.
[Baptism of Prince Henry] The Lord Sempill caried the lavyer with water, the Lord Setoun the basine, the Lord Livingstoun a towell