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: 1505, 1573-1590, 1658-1678
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Stale, Staill(e, Stell, n.2 Also: Land-stal(e. [North. e.m.E. stale (1588), also, e.m.E. stall(e (1531), stal (1670) a stock or hive of bees, a bee-hive, stall (1688) appar. the base of a hayrick, MDu. stael, MLG stale the base of a dike or embankment, Du. dial. staal the foundation of a rick. Appar. f. as OE staðol foundation, base; lower part of a cornstack.]
1. A stock or colony of bees, the bees stocking or inhabiting a hive. b. ? The hive itself. 1505 Treasurer's Accounts III 159.
To the gardinar of Linlithqw to by viij stales of beis, viij Franch crounis 1573 Edinburgh Testaments II 365.
Foure stales of beis price iiij li. 1575 Edinburgh Testaments IV 36.
Ane staill of beis xl s. 1583 Edinburgh Testaments XII 40b.
Tua staillis of beis price of thame viij merkis 1678 Rothesay B. Rec. 357.
That none within this toune have ane bei skape except the clerk and the doctor who is only to have one stale apeiceb. 1576 Orkney Oppress. 72.
Ane cog with certane hunnie in it and this by crusis, piggis, stalis, coppis and bikkaris
2. The foundation or bottom part of a stack (Stak n.1) of grain, etc. 1579 Edinburgh Testaments VII 79.
Ane staill of ry estimat to ane boll ry price thairof with the fodder xl s. 1658 Edinburgh Testaments LXIX 88.
Ane stak of peise with some other peise which was above the seide of the said staill 1662 Edinburgh Testaments LXX 188.
In the … barne ȝaird … ane staill and ane stak of bear 1665 Edinburgh Testaments LXXI 352.
Ane beir stack staill estimat to iij bollis
3. The basic sum or capital (of a person's inheritance). 1590 Edinburgh Testaments XXI 182.
Iohne Richardsone … to haif the geir of the ȝoungest las in handilling pay for hir sustentioun the dewtie & proffit of hir geir and keip the stell haill quhill hir perfectioun
4. The fundament, the anus. 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 97.
Tho their fingers stinkes whiles, the French dighting their staille with their fingers thinking it prodigality to do it with paper
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"Stale n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/stale_n_2>
