A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Kele, Keil(l, v.1 Also: keyl. P.t. kelit, keilled. P.p. kelit, kelyt, keillit; keild. [Sc. var. of Kill v., with change of vowel, appar. first occurring in the p.t. and p.p. forms kelit, -yt, and keild.]
1. tr. To put to death, slay, kill (a person or animal).(a)c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1781.
Thocht the reirgard no man sla nor kele Quha dois bidding in battall fechtis wele1545 Douglas Corr. 158.
[I] heris reporting off gentille men, saying … that ȝe ville keille man, veyman, and chayldring 1513 Doug. x. xii. 35 (R).
Mimas [sic] syne he kelis in the feild c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4149.
God … Hes maid of tyrrane kyngis instrumentis To scurge peple and to keill mony one man 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4321.
Se ȝe the same hound keil [: weill] Befoir his ene Ib. 8048.
[It] in na sort pertenit to ane quene On sic ane wise a ȝoung clerk to gar keill [: steill, heill, etc.] 1567 G. Ball. 184.
Eftir thay think to slay and keill [: weill] All that confes the word of Christ 1570 Sat. P. xviii. 36; Ib. 56.
Reset nane of thay lownis … that did his body keill [: weill] 1572 Ib. xxxiii. 46. 1588 Misc. Spald. C. II. 62.
Thoicht I the wikitt thoill yow keill … This promess trew I mack yow tillabsol. 1513 Doug. x. xiii. 4. (R).
Thay kele and are bete doun on euery syde a1568 Scott xiv. 5.
As the kocatrice keilis with hir sicht(b) 1513 Doug. ix. vi. 48 (R); Ib. xii. 80, xii. viii. 35, etc.
Thre of his servandis … Full reklesly he kelit 1669 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 246.
[Not proven that he] keilled [the sheep](c) 1513 Doug. xi. xvii. 52 (R); Ib. viii. ix. 63, xii. ix. 33, xiii. i. 95, vi. 201.
Fra tyme Camilla kelit haue thay sene 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 243.
As … Holopharne be Judeth keillit wasse(b) a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 271.
The feild Quhair twelve thowsand trew Scottismen wer keild 1535 Stewart 771; Ib. 4304, 7270, etc.
Fra tyme tha come the Scottis wan the feild, The tother part war baneist all and keild Ib. 14361.
And mony berne withoutin bute or beild, In that counter rycht cruellie wer keild a1568 Scott ii. 27.
Bot to debait or be doun bet And in the quarrell keild [: ȝeild] Or slane Ib. 174.
Sum cryd the koward suld be keild [: ȝeild] 1567 G. Ball. 181.
Ȝe, my lord, Quhilk hes the wyte that thay are keild [: beild]1603 E. Melville Godlie Dreame 436.
Ȝour enemies ar keilde
b. With adverbial extensions and complements: To strike or cut down; to strike through the body or part of it, so as to kill; to kill full cald.(a) c1450-2 Howlat 566.
The Douglas … Kelit dovne thar capitanis and couth it conquere c1475 Wall. vi. 651.
His brothir Hew was kelyt thar full cald(b) 1535 Stewart 36950.
Richt mony freik wes fellit than throw force And mony knycht was keillit throw the cors Ib. 48587.
Mony bald man laid wes on his bak And mony cruell keillit throw the croun(c) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1448.
Bodyis but hedis thik lyand in the feild Sum fra the body doun to hanch out keildIb. 3362.
Or he rayis the lyffe fra him he keild
c. Said of an impersonal agency.c1420 Wynt. viii. 6428 (C).
Baith men, and barnnys, and women, It [the plague] sparit noucht for to keyl then
2. In fig. contexts: To put to death, slay, destroy; also, hyperbolically, to come near to killing, cause to suffer.c1520-c1535 Nisbet III. 338/16.
The law … thairby keillis [T. kylle] us, and makis us bounde to eternall dampnatiounn a1568 Bann. MS. 255 b/6.
Fals fortoun is nocht my frend, Bot evir castis me to keill a1568 Scott xix. 23.
Chryst send hir remors of consciens [who] Sa crewaly hes keild My cors But paciens 1567 G. Ball. 151 (A).
[Man] … Quhais vnkyndnes dois keill me, And puttis me to greit paine Ib. 152.
Till vnkindnes had keillit me a1605 Montg. Misc. P. lii. 29.
Uncourtesly thus keill thay [sc. women] mo Than I
