A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1400, 1500-1599, 1699
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Squel(e, Squeil(l, v. Also: squile, suaill. [ME and e.m.E. suelland, squeland (both Cursor M.), sweling (a1400-50), squeale (Shakespeare), squeel (1684), appar. imitative.] intr. To utter a loud sharp cry, usu. as a result of fear, alarm or pain.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii 145.
He … squelyt gret & raryt a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 39 (B).
Baith Johine the Ros and thow sall squeill & skirle And evir I heir ocht of ȝour making mair 1513 Doug. viii iv 77.
The catal gan to … cry and rar; … Quhil in the caif as that a quyok lowis, With lowd voce squeland 1513 Doug. xii xii 60.
For feir the bestis dum all standis by, And all in dowt squelys the ȝong ky 1535 Stewart 36172.
He ran … With mony schout ay squeilland like a kid 15.. Christis Kirk 17 (B).
Thay squeilit [M. squeild] lyk ony gaitis 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Cvrialitas.
The … bairne … mon be heard cryand … (or as it is written in sum buikes) brayand, squeiland, or loudlie cryand(b) 1699 Argyll Justic. Rec. 169.
By the pain of the said stroakes … to the hearing of the people upon the field, she squiled and mourned(c) 1578–9 Elgin Rec. I 153.
For the provoking William Hardy … saying to him giff yow be better nor me suaill for your lyff
