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.
Rattiling, Rat(t)ling, -yng, vbl. n. Also: ratill-, raitling. [ME rateling (Trevisa), rattelinge (1555), ratling (1656), Rattil(l v.]
1. The clashing noise made by men in armour when moving; rattling, clashing (freq. of arms or armour).(1) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 18519.
The ratilling of armit men 1531 Bell. Boece I 199.
The nois and ratling of armit men(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 230.
For rerd of thé, & rattling [M. ratling] of thy butis 1513 Doug. ii vi 7.
So bustuus grew the … furyus fray, And ratlyng [Sm. raitling] of thar armour on the streit 1533 Boece 93b.
Ratling and noyis of quhelis and bellis Ib. 215.
The remanent … rusching fordwart … with felloun ratling of harnes 1585 James VI Ess. 17.
Nothing hard but gunnis, and ratling fair Of speares, and clincking swords 1596 Dalr. II 295/17.
With this sound, rinniling, and rattiling, finalie with the gret gunis, al daschet, dung and shaikne
2. Chattering; talk.1570 Bann. Memor. 7.
Ye weill seis, for all his rattling and railling, he kens weill ynoughe quhairat he wald be
