A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Female, -all, Femell, a. Also: femaile, -aill; femel(e, femeill, -ill, feimell; femmale, -ell. [ME. femal (c 1320), female, femele (1393), attrib. use of the noun.] Of the female sex. a. Of persons, esp. of heirs.(a) c1420 Wynt. iv. 1784.
He sulde be kyng off all the hale, That cummyn was be lyine female 1529 Reg. Privy S. I. 584/1.
The … airis maile or femaile succedand thairto 1574 Prot. Bk. T. Lindsay 64 b.
Gif it salhappin … that thair be na maill childrene … bot all anerlie femall and vemen 1590 Douglas Chart. 297.
Togidder with the mariag of the bairnis posthume male or femall 1646 Stirlings of Keir 457.
Dochteris and bairnes femaill 1662 Fraser P. 250.
Airs femall of the said mariadge(b) 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 231/2.
Airis male or femel succedand to the … heretage 1543 Ib. III. 38/1.
Air or airis of the said Robert, male or femell 1579 Reg. Episc. Brechin II. 324.
To transfer this his pensioun … to ma persoun or personis maill or femell, as hie sall think expedient 1597 Foulis Acc. Bk.p. xlvii.
Thre femeill childryne begottan of him 1622-6 Bisset II. 175/27.
The successioun of airis feimell … to the inheritance of subiectis(c) 1511 Reg. Privy S. I. 341/2.
With the mariage of the aire or airis male or femmale 1566 Montgomery Mem. II. 203.
Prowyding gew [= if] thair beis airis maill the said Erle sall pay nocht to the femmell
b. Of animals.1533 Boece v. x. 183.
Apoun sum [pennys] was prentit ane wolf femell gevand sowke to Romulus and Remus Ib. xi. ii. 403.
Ane creature baith maill and femell c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1402.
Of femaill and of maill Of everilk kynde, wer keipit two
c. Of hemp.1625 Edinb. Test. LIII. 114.
Sex scheives of femill hempt
