We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. By clicking 'continue' or by continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings in your browser at any time.

Continue
Find out more

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quhirl(l)-wind(e, n. Also: quhirle-, whirl(e-, wirlle-; quheirll- and -wynd, -vind. [ME and e.m.E. whirlwynd (Rolle), qwyrlewynde (a1400), wherle-winde (1596), cf. ON hvirfilvindr, also Quhirl(l n. b, v. 1.] A whirlwind.Also fig. and transf.(1) c1520-c1535 Nisbet 2 Peter ii 17.
Thir ar … mystis drevin with quhirlwindis
a1568 Bann. MS 14b/42.
So lat Thy tempest chace thame And Thy quhirlewind with terror so deface thame
a1578 Pitsc. I 259/7.
This man … wanischit away as he had bene … ane quhipe of the whirle wind
1579, 1617 Despauter (1579) 42.
Turbo, turbinis, vertigo ventorum omnia turbans, ane quhirlwynd
1587 Carmichael Etym. 16.
Turbo, quhirlwind or top
1588 Crim. Trials I ii 164.
And quhene we heir the quhirll-wind blaw in the sey, thay wilbe commounelie with itt
1590 Lett. Jas. VI to Bruce 282.
In deadest calmes … perellous puftes and quhirlwindes will aryse
1595 Duncan App. Etym. (see Quhirll-pole n.). 1662 Justiciary Ct. Rec. I 25.]
[She … raised a whirlwind and thereby had carried away Robert Lauder's house
(2) fig. and transf. c1590 J. Stewart 240 §162.
Dame Auarice … Obteind the pest, … The ewill quheirll vind did vousting hence conwoy
1647 Durh. Univ. J. XXXIV 64.
She was Johne Giffanes wyfes death … by putting the wirlle wind in her hasse, that made her rattell till death

34426

dost