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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ȝal(l)ow, Yallo(w, adj. (n.). Also: ȝallo, ȝal(l)ou, yallowe, yallou, yhalow, -ou, yhal(a)u, ȝaulow, ȝollow, yholowe, ȝello(w, yellow, ȝeal(l)ow, yeallow, yealowe, yaillow, welly. [ME and e.m.E. ȝolewe, ȝeluwe (both c1175), ȝeolu (c1290), ȝolow (Wyclif), yelow, ȝelowe (both Chaucer), ȝalow (1397), yalow (Coverdale), yellow (Shakespeare), OE ᵹealu, -o.]

A. adj.1. Yellow, the colour. a. Of flowers, fabrics, etc.: (Bright, pale, etc.) yellow, orange, etc. Also in the name of a ship. b. Of light. c. Of the hair of a person: Blonde, fair, ? red. Also as a nickname or surname. d. Of the coat, skin, plumage, etc. of an animal, bird, etc.: Tawny, light brown, golden. e. Of the teeth, etc.: Discoloured due to age or illness. Also yellow fever, ? jaundice. f. Of baked goods: ? Golden, brown or ? coloured with saffron.a. (1) ?1438 Alex. ii 6.
Flouris … Blew and burnat, blak and bla Quhite and ȝallow 1494 Deidis of Armorie 53.
The ȝalow coulour that is in the myddis of the ros 1513 Doug. vi iii 95.
Lyke as ful oft … The gum or glew … Is wont to seym ȝallow on the grane new 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 1 Oct.
For whyt and ȝallow carrots 1681 Blackness Customs 15b.
Ane hundretht pund yellow wood in ane pocke, ane barell reid wood(2) 1489 Treas. Acc. I 165.
For xj elne of ȝallow dammysk to viij doublatis 1497 Treas. Acc. I 366.
For … ȝalow and rede carsay, to be hos to my Lord of Mar 1500–1 Treas. Acc. II 61.
For tuenti unce of silk ȝallow to the samyn browdster 1506 Treas. Acc. III 300.
For ane ȝallo cote to litill Martin the Spanȝart 1516 Edinb. Hammermen 92.
For viij eln & ane half of reid & ȝallow bukcrem to the heid of the altar & to the clath aboue the sanctis hedis 1516 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 22.
Yallo(b) 1562 Treas. Acc. XI 215.
Ȝollow(c) 1544 Coll. St. Leonard 217.
Ane drawer of bukram of five bredis part grein part reid to yaillow(d) c1590 Fowler II 180/17.
Yealowe 1653 Soc. Ant. XXIII 300.
Yeallow(3) 1474 Treas. Acc. I 54.
Dauid gunnare … passand in the Ȝalou Kerveleb. 1513 Doug. vii i 114.
Semyt this gudly wight Tobe involuyt in ȝallo reky lyghtc. (1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2990.
[He] loutheris frome his hed can ryf Of his fair ȝallow hair 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1852.
The douchteris fair … Of Driada … Vpon ane craig dryand thair ȝallow [L. ȝalow] hair 1502 Treas. Acc. II 153.
To the leich with the ȝallow hair, be the kingis command 1531 Bell. Boece I xxii.
Two peple richt different … that ane, for thair yallo hair, callit Pichtis … and this uthir. for thair blak and curland hair callit Scottis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1152 (B).
For all ȝour ȝallow [Ch. ȝealow] lokkis, Ȝour wantone wordis, but dowt ȝe sall repent 1549 Compl. 41/11.
Ȝallou 15.. Christis Kirk 23 (B).
Fow ȝellow ȝellow wes hir heid 1611-57 Mure Sonn. ix 10.
Quhyt dangling tresses, yallow curls of gold(2) 1413–14 St. A. Univ. Rec. 1.
Gillelmus Yhalulok 1426 Exch. R. IV 405.
Walteri Yhalauhare 1429 Exch. R. IV 500.
Walterus Yhalowhared. c1420 Wynt. i 779.
A best thai call Manticora … Hys eyne ar yholowe [C. Ȝalow, W. ȝallo], and [of] hewe Is blwde rede 1460 Hay Alex. 2956.
Of the see com sic ane huddun … Sche haid ane mouth was mare nor ony tun Off diueris hewis, blak, ȝallow, red and dun 1494 Deidis of Armorie 40.
Corcodrille is a fische … with iiii feit, ȝaulow of coulour 1513 Doug. ii xi 73.
I … our my nek … laid A ȝallow skyn was of a fers lyoun 1513 Doug. xi xiv 64.
Lyke as … the ȝallo egill … The eddir hyntis vp 1531 Bell. Boece I xl.
In Gareoth is ane hill namit Doundore, that is to say, the Goldin Montane. The scheip that gangis on this montane ar yallo; thair teeth ar hewit like gold; thair flesche reid as it wer littit with safron; thair woll is on the same maner 1589 Digest Justiciary Proc. M 4.
The slauchter & striking of ane din ȝallow hors 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 45/41.
This foule … Quhois bodie … uith pourpoure uas ourcledd … hir craige lyke yallou [v.r. yallowe] golde. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xxix 23.
Quhen for elde … his tetht waxis ȝalou 1644 Petrie Chiliasto-Mastix 2.
Any who hes the jaundies findes everie thing yallow(2) 1572–3 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 7 April.
Absolvit … fra Thomas Watsouns clame … for the allegit kepin of him in the ȝellow fewarf. 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. V 280.
Reid bapis, counterfute bunnes, yallow coittis and siclyk breid

B. noun.a. The colour. b. Yellow fabric.a. c1500 Coll. St. Salvator 156 (see Palit ppl. adj. (3)).
Yhalou a1568 Sempill in Sat. P. xlviii 11.
Semely hewis for sommer play; Dundippit in ȝello for mony gud fallo 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. vi 207.
Croceo, with ane bugh that in cullour is betoine ȝeallow and greine 1575 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 335.
All kynd of light and variant hewes in cloathing, as red, blew, ȝeallow, and siclyke, quhilk declares the lightnes of the mynd(b) 1494 Loutfut MS 146a.
He beris asure sable and goullis welly or ony othir colourisb. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 98/26.
Cuddy Rug the Drumfres fuill … All roundit in to ȝallow and reid 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII 29.
Deliverit to the four muletteris to be thame coittis [etc.] … thre elnis half elne ȝallow 1567 Treas. Acc. XII 53.
Braid Inglis yallow to be cote and breikis c1590 Fowler I 314/66.
I see Within your window lye The dyvers sorts of schewing silk … I see ȝow take In ordour nixt the ȝallow