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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.

Fla, v. Also: flae, flea. P.t. flew. P.p. flayne, flain(e, flane. [ME. fla (early flan), flo, ON. flá, OE. fléan. Cf. Flay v. and Fle v.⁴]

1. tr. a. To flay by taking off the skin.(a) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 248.
That vald firste quyke tham fla, & bryne thame syne 14.. Acts I. 27/2.
And … his punde … dee for hungyr, the burges sall nocht fla it 1456 Hay I. 48/24.
The quhilk [dragon] that consul … slew … and gert fla it belyflaucht a1500 Bk. Chess 933.
To byrne thaim boith … or than to fla thaim quyk 1574 Three Reformers 116.
As bairnes use to flae the wyld cat 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Glubo, to flae: excorio(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 767.
Men of Perce … flew hyme, & his skine ham bare to thar kyng(c) a1500 Henr. Fab. 2050.
Ȝe sallbe flane, And of ȝour skyn I sall mak mittennis twa 1566 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 225.
It … hes bene observit … that all scheip war flane throuche to the luggis 1602 Colville Parænese 32.
The notable examples … of Manicheus flain quik by the king of Persians 1622-6 Bisset II. 288/22.
He wes flayne alyve

b. To strip off (the skin). a1400 Leg. S. ix. 322.
Sum men sais … that his skyne [was] of flayne with lyste a1500 Henr. Fab. 2472.
Ga feche him hither, and fla his skyn of swyith Ib. 2485.
The doggis skyn of he flew 1570 Conv. Burghs I. 21.
That statutis be maid … that the scheip skyn be flane to the horn

2. To strip (ground) of turf. 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 14.
Syndry wther fremen and vnfre … flais up the haill muir by ordour 1581 Elgin Rec. I. 163.
That na persone … hoik or fla the samyn [moss] in ony kynd sort 1593 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 85.
Quhairby the saidis Inchis ar sa flayne and tirrit, that … thairis na faill to be had thairin 1647 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 115.
To caus pleughe and harrow [the] Grein in swa far as is flaine therof