A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Titill, Titil(e, -el, n.2 [ME and e.m.E. titil (Wyclif), tytylle (Prompt. Parv.), tittil (1570), f. as Titil(l,n.1] A tittle, a punctuation mark, stroke or the like, specif., titill est Amen, ‘the (usually) three dots following the letters and contractions in the alphabet on horn-books, where it is usually followed by Est Amen; so that tittle est Amen came to be used for ‘the end or conclusion’ (Earl F. Guy Some Comic and Burlesque Poems in Two Sixteenth Century Scottish Manuscript Anthologies note, University of Edinburgh Thesis 1952). —a1500 Colk. Sow Prol. 66.
Now I begin with titill est amen c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. v 18.
A lettir or a titile [W. titil, P. titel] sal nocht passe fra the law til al thingis be done
