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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Vailȝeabil(l, -le, Valabil(l, -le, Valiable, adj. Also: vailȝieabill, -le, vailyable, wailyeabill, vailliabill, vail(l)able, valible, walabile, valiabill, waliabill, val(ȝ)eabill, valeable, walȝeable, waleabill, valliable, veilȝeable. [ME and e.m.E. vailable (Gower), vayllable (c1407), vaillable (1433-4), veyllable (1530), vaileable (1544); Va(i)lȝe v.]

1. Morally useful or profitable; permissible. 1456 Hay I 301/18.
A prince suld be amesurit to tak delytis fleschly, nocht vaillable. For quhen a man is our delytabily … governyt in his ȝouthede he may nocht dure langsumly in the travailis of weris c1460 Thewis Gud Women 63.
Kep thaim fra delyt nocht walabile [Gud Wyf & D variabill] And fra al deid dishonorabile

2. Valid, efficacious, chiefly in legal usage. Chiefly predic. b. Of a person: Not valid as a candidate for office.predic. (1) 1478–9 Acta Conc. I 22/1.
To bring … evidentis mare valable & of strenthe thane the said reuocacioun 1480 Acta Conc. I 71/1.
Valible 1563–4 Reg. Privy C. I 262.
Grantis the samin redemptioun als valabill as gif ane decrete of the Lordis of Counsale wer gevin 1599 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 371.
Na verball bargane salbe valabill without write past thairvpoun 1646 Misc. Spald. C. I 57.
I beseache your lordships … to cause renew my saids warrand and exemptione in suche a manner that it may bee valable for mee to free mee frome other warrands(b) 1561–2 Reg. Privy S. V i 257/1.
Als valiable in all respectis as gife he were providit thairto in the courte of Rome 1565 Inchaffray Chart. 162.
All fredomes … be als valiable and of als grait strenth, force, and effect … as gif [etc.] 1565 Inchaffray Chart. 163.
Valiabill 1566 Edinb. B. Deeds 204.
Valliable 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II 207.
Ordourlie done, and execute, and als lauchfull and valȝeabill in the self in all respectis 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 14.
Valeable 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 168.
Without thame [sc. Parliament] materis of les wecht can nocht be valiable by the lawis of the realme 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 214.
Albeit the samyne [sc. Parliament] wes nocht within the portis [sc. of Edinburgh] … it sould be valiable heirefter 1578 Acts III 99/2.
Valeabill 1582 Perth B. Ct. 20 Aug.
Waliabill 1584 Prot. Bk. J. Robertsone 27.
Walȝeable 1584 Acts III 309/1.
The decisionis … of the saidis auditouris … to be als valiable and effectuall as gif [etc.] 1591 Glasgow Prot. X 53.
To warrand the same [redemption] gude and valiabill in the law 1607 Inverurie B. Ct. 14 May.
The said freindis decreit to stand waleabill as giff the same haid bein dedusit befoir the lordis … in sessione & consall(c) 1563 Acts II 542/1.
All instrumentis … made be quhatsumeuer notar … to be sufficient & vailȝeabil in the self 1567 Acts (1597) ii 14b.
Vailȝeabill c1575 Balfour Pract. 413.
Ane decrete arbitral gevin be the maist part, … of the arbiteris … is sufficient and vailȝieable c1575 Balfour Pract. 456.
Reversioun is vailȝieabill to redeme the landis fra ony possessour thairof 1576 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 277.
William Abirnetheis pretendit rycht acquyrit culd neuir be profitabill nor vailȝeabill to him 1577 Reg. Morton I 94.
Vailliabill 1584 Acts III 353/1.
The richt … quhilk he sall shaw and produce vailȝeable to bruik at the tyme of his complaint(d) 1554 Acts II 601/2.
That this oure exoneratioun and discharge be als veilȝeable … to … discharge our sade cousing(2) 1581 Burne Disput. 116.
Vnles thay … be reconciled vith the treu kirk, the baptisme sal not be valabil to bring thame to saluationattrib. 1592 Acts III 574/2.
That na assignatioun or vther euident alleagit, maid in defraud of the creditour, salbe a valiable title to persew or defend withb. 1575 Reg. Privy C. II 472.
That quhair thay … hes bene in use of electing … of provest [etc.] … And attour thair being bot … twa of the wobstar craft within the said burgh, the ane being defamit … and the uther not valiabill the kingis unlaw

3. Of a person: Of sufficient means, solvent. b. Of a crop: Of sufficient value. 1591 Edinb. B. Rec. V 46.
Anent the ressaving of friemen and maisteris … that he be valabill in guids and landis the sowme of fyve hundreth pundis 1604 Stirling B. Rec. II 383.
That na person … be … admitit to the fredome of ane gild brother … except thay beis wailyeabill for guids and geir … fyffe hundirethe punds money 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 77.
Gif the debtour confessis the debt, and is not valliable in gudes and geir, to pay the samine 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 80.
Gif the borgh may proue that the principall debtour is vailable, and distrenȝiable to the creditour for that debtb. 1569 Canongate Ct. Bk. 134.
The cornes than growand … war nocht sufficient nor vailyable to pay the xx chalderis victuall libellit