A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Rale, Raill, n. [? Contracted form of Ravell n. rather than f. ME (c1320) and e.m.E. rail a horizontal bar.]
1. Only in Doug.: A ‘toil’, a temporary barricade of nets.In the first two quots., rendering L. retia a net or snare.1513 Doug. iv iv 4.
Huntmen … With ralys and with nettys Ib. x xii 57.
The bustuus swyne … betrappyt … Amyd the huntyng ralys and the nettis Ib. xii xii 135.
Quhen that the huntar stowt Betrappit has and ombeset about With hys ralys [L. saeptum] and With hys hundis gude, The mekill hart
2. A beam or plank of timber. = Ravell n. 1.1566 Inverness Rec. I 141.
xxxiij dussan ralis 1571 Ib. 206. 1572 Ib. 218.
All keynd of tymmer, sic as ralis, cuppill treis, keaberris [etc.] 1579 Ib. 273.
Tymmer, sic as rales, caberis [etc.]
b. attrib. with galrie stair: (Furnished with) (hand) rail. = Ravell n. 2 attrib.1589 Glasgow B. Rec. I 148.
Ane raill galrie stair and ane turlies
