Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Fall, Faw, n.¹ Also: fal, fa. [ME. fal, fall (c 1200), f. Fall,v.]

1. An act of falling; an accident of this kind. Freq. in fig. use.(1) 1375 Barb. xi. 391.
I trow thai sall Nocht weill eschew foroutyn fall c1450-2 Howlat 834.
The tuchet gird to the golk, and gaif him a fall a1500 Seven S. 1808.
Quhen myrrour, ymage, towre & all Into the fyre tuke sic ane fall c1515 Asl. MS. I. 264/5.
He deit at Kingorne be a fall of a hors 1513 Doug. ii. Prol. 4.
This dedly tragedy Twiching of Troy the subuersioun and fall 1533 Boece ii. vi. 69 b.
The fall of all thare freyndis in the recent bargane 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 85 (B).
I … gat ane fellon fall [M. faw] And lay betuix ane picher and the wall [M. waw] 1596 Dalr. I. 51/19.
Ouer a stay bank or hich fal of water maid in a damm(2) c1450-2 Howlat 961.
I may be sampill heir eft, That pryde neuer ȝit left His feir but a fall a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 301.
Dreid God and his grace ay incall For to preserf thi innocence but fall 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 32.
My waverand wyt, … My mynd mysty, thir may nocht mys a fall 1535 Stewart 5810.
Pride left neuir his maister but ane faw a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxi. 92.
Amend ȝour lyveis ane and all, And be war of ane suddane fall 1646 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 66.
[To] pay suche penalties as he sall be enjoynit … for his severall fallis in fornicatioun

b. Event, outcome. 1596 Dalr. II. 256/27.
The fal of weiris is bot lyke a cast of the dyse

2. A lineal measure of land equal to six ells; the square measure corresponding to this. 1388 Bamff Chart. 22.
The qhylk toftis haldis of lenthe achttene fal lang 14.. Acts I. 387/1.
The rude [sal contene] xl fallis. The fall sall hald vj ellis 1437 Reg. Dunferm. 285.
The qwhilk land … is of quantite tua acris, thre rudis, & fyften fall in the hale 1537 Reg. Great S. 383/2.
Lie Halhill, extenden. ad iij casuras virge, viz. lie fawis 1559 Mun. Univ. Glasg. I. 67.
The land … thay fand be thair metting bot thre akyrs, thre ruyd, ane fa, and ane quartar fa 1582 Soc. Ant. XXVIII. 44.
A hie strete and passage to be maid … of the breid of sex fallis 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Particata.
Ane rod, ane raip, ane lineal fall of measure, are all ane Ib.
The superficial fal is the measure baith of the length and the bredth 1635 Glasgow B. Rec. III. 32.
Ane buriall place … , contening the bounds of half ane fall of grund 1678 Corshill Baron Ct. 147.
Three rood bait nyn fall of land tileing [= tilling]

3. Naut. (See Eftirfall.)