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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.

Vele, Veil(l, n. Also: wele, veil(l)e, weill, veal(l, veale, weall, weale, viell, vale, vail(l, vaille, wail(l, voell, voull, ville. [ME and e.m.E. vel (Chaucer), veel (c1400), vele (c1420), veale (1544), veyl(e (1582), OF veel.] a. A calf, usu. as intended for food or slaughter. Also coll. See Fed ppl. adj. and Huddro(u)n n. b for further examples. b. The flesh of a calf, as food. c. attrib. With pyis, rostis, etc.; skyn, etc.; mercat, ? boards, ? stalls or scales (Brod n.²).a. 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 170.
Alexander sal … gyve to ws in name of propyne a ra or a buk; and falȝand of tham twa gud velis c1489 Liber Aberbr. 262.
To by lammys, velis, grys and chekinis 1513 Doug. v xiii 20.
Thre velys … In wirschip of Erix he bad down quell, And a blak ȝowe 1531 Bell. Boece I lv.
The steirkis quhen thay ar bot young velis ar othir slane or ellis libbit to be oxin(b) 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 185.
Tydy ky lowys, veilys by thame rynnis 1541 Linlithgow B. Ct. 20 July.
Ane syd of ane weill price vj s. ij d. 1544 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I 100.
Reasonable cartage of beif … ane guid veill … a muttoun bouk [etc.] 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 171/22.
Haif we nocht seyn in oure dayes … ane veill to be ane vicar … ane kow to be ane curate? c1575 Balfour Pract. 526.
The thift of a veill 1594 Acts IV 70/1.
That na … young weillis within ȝeir auldis be slayne or eattin befoir Witsonday 1605 Glasgow Merchants House 97.
Sindrie persounis bringis veillis and muttoune to this burgh without the skinis 1638 Brechin Test. 9 May.
Veilleis pryce of the peice or heid xl s. 1691 Foulis Acc. Bk. 139.
To Jonie Rob for killing the veill(c) 1569 Argyle Inventory in Orig. Par. II i 58.
A fedd veall 1572 Crail B. Ct. 6 Oct.
Weale 1590 Burntisland B. Ct. 8 May.
Addettit … for ane lege off ane weall 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Berthinsek.
Be the law of birdinsek na man suld … be hanged for the thieft of ane scheepe [or] ane weale 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 145.
Veals 1631 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 22 Dec.
Ane kwddorone veall(d) 1548 Stirling B. Rec. I 52.
The yong vale vj s. 1579 Crail B. Ct. 3 Nov.
Na fleschar … sleyand ony scheipe nowt or vaill 1617 Argyll Rentals I.
For fed waillis 1617 [£96] 1672 Stirling B. Rec. II 10.
Landwart fleshouris in bringing in to the mercat … old kye with milk in their papes, and selling the same for huddron vaillis(e) 1494 Deidis of Armorie 33.
At thai [sc. bees] ar generyt of the flesch of a deid voell 1627 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II 553.
Cattell, scheip and voullis(f) 1604 R. Brown Paisley I 222.
Johne Thomsoune, hedger, fleschour, was … decernt to pay four merks money of unlaw, for blawing of ane viell against the acts(g) 1674 Inv. in Sc. Ant. I 177.
For eggs 4 s. bride 1 s. for ville 18 s.coll. 1506 Treas. Acc. III 344.
To David Dunbaris man that brocht vele, kiddis, pluvaris, butir, cheis … to the king 1563 Acts II 543/2.
That all beif muttoun veill and lyke bestiall … bring with thame … thair hyde skin and birne 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 8 Jan.
Widcokis ȝoung weallb. 1515 Treas. Acc. V 21.
Ane weill, and ane quartar of weill, price xij s. 1529 Treas. Acc. V 373.
Ane seruand … that brocht venyson and veile to the king 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 5 Jan.
Twa quarteris gryiit weall 1597–8 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 1 March.
Ane leg greit weill 1608 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 520.
Roistit muttoun or veill 1698 Marchmont 183.
Rost vaille 1698 Marchmont 183.
Ollives of vaillc. (1) 1504 Treas. Acc. II 434.
For brede baking, chekinnis, caponis and velis baking 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 24 April.
Veill confeittis 1598 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 31 May.
Vailpyis 1615 3rd Rep. Hist. MSS App. 412/2.
Twa veill rosts xxiii s. 1620 Grant Chart. 325.
Veale(2) 1525 Wigtown B. Ct. 166b.
Ane weill skyne 1567 Edinb. Test. I 12b.
Wele 1703 Foulis Acc. Bk. 319.
For a veill head(3) 1682 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 37.
The veall mercat 1700 Edinb. B. Rec. XII 257.]
[The poultry and bread markets and veal boards are set to John Russell