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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MITTLE, v., n. Also mittal.

I. v. To injure, to do bodily harm to, to maul, mutilate (Ork. 1929 Marw.; ‡Kcd., Ags., Per. 1963); to strike one a heavy blow (Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. 153). Hence vbl.n. mittlin, mitlin, a hurt, an injury, a scar or weal. Also ppl.adj.Sc. 1820 A. Sutherland St. Kathleen III. vii.:
I'se warrant nae ghaist come your wye, save it be the ghaist o' the stirk, that ye lat get itsel' mittled the ither day.Per. c.1879 Harp Per. (Ford 1893) 347:
Thae “lines” [railway] hae skaed puir fouk nae little, Just look hoo mony a' ane they mittle.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 34:
Sae deud Brockie, wi no a mitlin on his body; for his hide wus as teuch as a bull's.Ags. 1896 A. Blair Rantin Robin 26:
Marget's gotten an awfu' mittlin wi' tumlin doon the stair.Abd. 1917 J. L. Robertson Petition 10:
He's murderin', mittlin', burnin', rapin'.Ags. 1948 Forfar Dispatch (8 Jan.):
The Granny on the lum-heid gaed wheekin up ee air afore it fell throwe the sky-licht ee washin-hoose. It wad hae mittled onybody gin it hed played lick on their napper.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodie 172:
Efter aa' hid was o' little account whin Tammie wisno waar mittled.Sc. 1995 David Purves Hert's Bluid 53:
For fullie a week the gorblin blekkie
wi the mittilt weing cokkit its heid
at our houss door and keikit up
at me wi pit-mirk sheinin een.

II. n. A sign of hurt or injury, a scar, weal, etc.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 15:
I'me dichted dee face . . . an I canno' find a mittle on dee bodie or a skrat on de skin.