A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
S(c)hil(l, adj.2 and adv. Also: schyll, chill, shyle, scill. [ME and e.m.E. sille adj. (c1220), schille (a1250), appar. repr. OE *scielle, scyl (once, late WSaxon). Cf. MHG schel, schelle sonorous, quick in movement, luminous, e.m.Du. schelle shrill, ON skjallr sonorous, resounding.]
1. adj. a. High-pitched; penetrating; shrill. b. Resounding; sonorous. Also transf.(1) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 24.
The birdis … Quhais schill noitis fordinned all the skyis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 516.
And berdis schoutit in schaw with ther schill [Ch. & M. still, Ch. & M. (STS) scill] notis(2) 1513 Doug. v iii 90.
Quhill the mekyll hyllys Bemys agane, hyt with the brute so schil is Ib. xii Prol. 194.
Sum sang … With vocis schill 1531 Bell. Boece I 152.
Galdus … exhortit thaim with schill voce Ib. 153.
Galdus … commandit all his army to schout with schil nois and sang Ib. II 86.
Ane of the Pichtis … cryit with schill voce, ‘Fle, fle!’ Id. Livy I 64/28.
Syne with schil voce (that his inemyis mycht here) he commandit his pepill to [etc.] c1475 Wall. (1570) iv 604.
Sad men of armis that egir war of will About the Scottis with mony schout full schill a1585 Maitl. Q. 275/2.
Than they began with schiller toons of joy A uterpe sang a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 46 (W).
So schill in sorrowe was hir sang, That … the roches rang c1590 J. Stewart 223 §93.
Vith schillest voce, loud clinkand as ane bell 1587-99 Hume 54/55.
Persing phiphers shill 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 251/455.
Praise him … Uith uioles guthornes cistres & shillest uoyces syne 1590 Burel Pilgr. i 443.
And Evrvs with loud schouts and schill, His braith begud to fynd(3) 1535 Stewart 5726.
The schalmis schill gart all the schawis s[ch]aik Ib. 12398. 15.. Clar. ii 880.
He had with him baith trumpit and clarioun chill 1599 Burnett of Leys 331.
Ane trumpet shyle throuch all the warlde wide 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 50/9.
Praise Him … Uith uatry quhissiles schill(4) 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. i 53.
[Tempestatesque] sonoras, schill(5) transf. 1533 Boece Proh. 29.
Schyll Triton with his windy horne Ovir whelmit all the flowand oceane 1604-31 Craig ii 152.
I shall sing in sonets shill
2. adv. Shrilly, resonantly, sonorously.The Henr. Fab. quot. may properly belong to 1 above.a1500 Henr. Fab. 847.
He … Schot out his voce full schyll, and gaif ane schout Id. Test. Cress. 20.
The blastis … come quhisling loud and schill 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 85.
Wyde quhar with fors so Eolus schowtis schill [Sm. schyll] Ib. viii 88.
In a bowand horn … A feyndlich hellis voce scho liltis schill 1535 Stewart 10349.
The buglis blew, the schalmes schoutit schill a1550 Tayis Bank 32.
The … maveis … Schill schowttit throw the schawis 15.. Christis Kirk 39 (B).
Thome Lular … playit so schill and sang so sweit 1570 Sat. P. xiv 2.
Ane ȝoung king I hard schoutand schill c1590 J. Stewart 154/1.
O elresche Echo, that dois schout so schill 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 34/9.
Lett us of thy health sing loude & schill
