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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pellok, n.¹ Also: pel-, peill-, peal- and -ock, -ouik, -ack, -at; and pillock; pallack, -ect. [Of unknown origin. Only Sc.]

1. A porpoise; ? also, a dolphin. Also plur. without inflection. b. The flesh of the porpoise.In the mod. dial. applied to the porpoise. In some of our quots. appar. some marine auimal distinct from the porpoise, ? the dolphin.[
Per vnam pelocam missam camerario 1331 Exch. R. I. 363. Ib. 397.]
Per vnam petram de porpoys et tres pelokis 1505 Ib. XII. 372.
Custume trium barilium belluarum marinarum vocatarum pellok 1511 Treas. Acc. IV. 337.
For ane selcht and ane pellok and salt to thaim 1530–31 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 351.
That na man tak apoun hand to sla pellokis, selchis nor grete fische with culveringis 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxxvii.
This firth [Forth] is richt plentuus of … selch, pellok, … and quhalis 1533 Boece ii. xiv. 89. 1580–1 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 198.
The flescheouris … for breking … of ilk pellok or selche sauld deirar than xx s. to haif xij d. 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Delphine, a pellock 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 52.
Ane pellok drevin in at Lunay comprysit to ane halff gulyeoun with ane rottin selchie 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 4.
Ther is … upon all the cost of Sutherland a great quantitie of pealoks, sealghes or sealls and somtymes whaills of great bignes 1653 Nicoll Diary 110. a1688 Wallace Orkney 17.
Many spout whales or pellacks which sometime run in great numbers upon the shore and are taken(b) 1684 Sibbald Scot. Illustr. iii. 37.
Pillock, skatebread, [etc] 1684 Symson Descr. Galloway App. 150.
The pillock is a large fish about ten foot long and as great of body as ane ordinare horse … The countrey people make oyl of themb. 1513 Treas. Acc. IV. 488.
j barrell pellok deliverit be the maister cuk 1525 Household Bks. Jas. V 31.
Empt. … ij quarte pellok 1535 Stewart 4996.
And for till by thair merchandice agane As selch and salmone, stuir, pellat and pran 1566 Crail B. Ct. MS. 21 May.
Ane barrall of peillouik xl s. 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 28.
To quit hirselff of ane peice pellok seine at the bankis

2. a. Pellok-fisch, b. in Orkney and Shetland, pellok-quhale, id.a. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 343.
1½ leid sture and pellok fische of Edinburgh to Carlileb. 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 120.
Ane uther litill pellok quhaile giffin out for xxx s. 1644 Shetland Witch Trial in Hibbert Shetland Islands (1822) 599.
Be your … airt of witchcraft being transformed in the lyknes of an pellack quhaill 1681 T. Brown Diary 18.
A pallect whaill 1688 Ib. 52.
Ther wes threttein pallack whaills dryven in at the shoar of Kirkwall with speits, [etc.] … the greatest of them wes but a faddome long or a little moir