A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1499-1513, 1567-1620
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
(Twinkilland,) Twynkilland, ppl. adj. Also: twinkling, twynkling, -yng, -yne, twinkland, twynkland, tuinkling, tuynkilland, tuynkling. [e.m.E. twinkling (Shakespeare).]
1. Shining, sparkling, glistening, flickering. a1500 Henr. Fab. 629.
Vnto ane hill he went, Quhair he micht se the tuinkling [Bann. twynkling] sternis cleir And all the planetis off the firmament c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 31.
All the lake as lamp did leme of licht, Quhilk schadowit all about wyth twynkling [M. twinkling, B. twynklyne] glemis 1513 Doug. viii i 17 (Sm.).
In the ayr vpgois the tuynkilland lycht 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 21.
The twynklyng stremowris of the orient 1567 Satirical Poems iii 58.
With browis brent and twinkland cristell eine c1590 J. Stewart 15/7.
The tuynkling star so far resplendant fair c1590 J. Stewart 43/24.
Tuynkling vattir casting clairlie cleir a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 306 (L).
The cherreis … Lyk tuinkling rubeis round and reid a1605 Montg. Sonn. iv 5.
With bendit brou and tuinkling teirs
b. transf. Moving rapidly. 1513 Doug. ii iv 20.
Twa gret lowpit edderis … Wyth tongis quhislyng in thar mowthis rede Thai lyk the twynkland [Ruddim. twynkilland, Sm. twinkland] stangis in thar hed
2. Of a moment's duration. c1620 Boyd Zion's Fl. (1855) 68.
In a twinkling trice To goe to work
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Twinkilland ppl. adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/twinkilland>
