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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Avail, Avale, n. Also: availe, availl(e, avayll, awail(l, awayl(l, aweill; awale, awall, avell. [ME. avail(l)e, avayl(l)e, also avail, etc. (c 1440), from Avail, v.]

1. Of na (or nane) avail, of no value, authority or validity. Also nocht of avail. 1425 Acts II. 9/1.
Thai lettres salbe … of nane awayll, fors, nor effec 1466 Acta Aud. 5/2.
Allegiand that … the summondis is nocht lachfull nor of avale c 1476 Lennox Mun. 107.
That bref suld be proclamyt tyl a certane place or ellis it is of nane availl 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 253/1.
All sic alienatiouns … to be cassate, adnullate, and of nane avail 1542 Ib. II. 728/1.
His hienes … decernis the samyn surreptite and of nane availl 1555 Reg. Cupar A. II. 125.
This … letter of tak to be of nane avale, force, nor effect fra thyne furtht

b. In pl. of na availis. (Cf. 5.) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxiv. 34.
Ȝitt women sould … Thair vertewis all mak of na availis

2. Of avail, of value or worth. Also of gret, les, smal, etc., avail, and with at. c1475 Wall. viii. 1445.
His delyuerance thai held of gret awaill 1473 Acts II. 105/1.
The saidis plakkis … therefter [to] haue cours as thai ar of avale a1500 Henr. Fab. 90.
I lufe fer better thing of les auaill, As draf, or corne c1515 Asl. MS. I. 208/17.
He rewlit him … be men of na avale and of law birth 1500 Dunferm. B. Rec. 114.
The borcht … wes funde be the assis of avale 1513 Doug. ix. Prol. 49.
The cur, or mastis, he haldis at smal availl 1525 Liber Aberbr. 450.
Swa that tha be noythir of greitar autorite nor auayll na hyrself 1556 Crim. Trials I. *389.
The best mutton bowik, for vj^s. And vther nocht sa guid, to be sauld vnder that pryce, as it is of availl 1622-6 Bisset I. 300/9.
Quhidder that his ilk denyell be of awaill or nocht c 1630 Misc. Hist. Soc. II. 265.
I think this trantillis … will be bot of small avell

b. In predicative use without of. a1500 Henr. Twa Mys 217 (A).
Quhat is avale thi feist in rialte, With dreidful hart and tribulacoun? 1497 Dunferm. B. Rec. 77.
It is fvnd be assis that the borcht of fif crovnys is avale c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5709.
More than ȝour landis bene auaill 1596 Dalr. II. 361/22.
That ilk persone pay sa mekle as he is auaile, to hald … the men of weir vpon the borderis

c. In … avail, in esteem or repute. 1596 Dalr. II. 357/12.
His gret experiance in Antiquitie, quhairin … he was in na smal auale, bot in gret honour

3. Material value or worth; the amount that anything is worth. To the avail, at the proper value. 1473 Acts II. 105/2.
The siluer … is sa fer scaithit of the avale fra the fyne siluer, that the pupill is … dissauit thairthrow 1485 Ib. 172/1.
The werk to be brokin, the werkman to vpmak the avale to the finace foresaid c1500 Rowll Cursing 31.
All that lattis … The vicair to dispone his awin Kirkland hay or gres to the avale 1574 Acts III. 92/2.
That nane … ressaue the saidis plakis and hardheidis … of ony derare avale and pryce nor is abone specifeit a1578 Pitsc. I. 37/17.
His treasuris and riches sall come to nocht and small awaill 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Extent.
Extent of landes … is the verie availe that the land is worth 1622-6 Bisset II. 241/22.
He is bund to restoir the awaill as it is prysed 1643 Bamff Chart. 263.
Within few yeiris he will go to wrack, except the saidis landis … be sauld at ane competent pryce and availe 1662 Decis. Lords G. 38.
He sold it [wine] at a small rate and avail, lest it should altogether perish 1684 Ib. F. 60.
Prelats and Barrons might set their lands in few-farm, to the competent avail

b. For, to, or at the maist (best, hiest, or utter) avail, at the highest possible price or rate. 1515 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 155.
The said woll to be sauld for the maist availl 1522 Ib. 209.
Till apprys the saidis landis … to the maist availl 1552 Ib. II. 168.
The samyn … [to be] rowpit to the vtir availl 1571 Peebles B. Rec. 327.
To set the hillis … to the hieast awaill 1572 Ib. 338.
The inqueist ordanis the Venlaw to be let in gerssowmes to the maist availl 1602 Conv. Burghs II. 131.
The rowpping and setting of thair … commoun guid to the vtter awaill 1624 Ib. III. 174.
Putting the same to the hiest availl 1668 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 248.
That the dean … sell the same for the tounes vse at the best availl

c. Within (or inwith) the (just or true) avail, within or below the proper value. 1569 Edinb. Test. I. 258 b.
Ten bollis aittis sawing, … ilk boll sett within the availl, xl d 1576 Oppress. Orkney 48.
Thair gudis and geir war comprysit, meikle inwith the avale 1588 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 425.
xxiiij drawin oxin, … ilk pece sett within the iust awaill, iij lib. 1596 Conv. Burghs I. 475.
To sett in few thair commown guid within the awaill 1663 Decis. Lords G. 59.
The Estate … [being] sold far within the avail

4. The material or monetary value of something.Very common in 16th c.; in 17th occas. in plural. 1482–3 Acta Conc. II. civ.
To prufe the avale and quantite of the said goun 1483 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 408.
The double of the avale of his marige 1489 Ib. II. 265.
To pref the avale of the malez and proffitis of the saidis landis 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 107.
Ane inquest to preif the avale of the lard of Bernbowgales releif 1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 178.
To preif the said availe of the saidis soumes of cattell pastorit Ib.
The soumes of cattell and the avale tharof 1558-66 Knox II. 301.
The rentis and yearlie availl of the haill benefices 1593 Acts IV. 31/2.
To ask … ane ressonable taxt … according to the availl of the saidis landis 1622-6 Bisset I. 127/19.
Summonis for singill and dowbill awaill of mariaige c1650 Spalding II. 435.
To declair the availl of thair godis plunderit be the Irishis 1688 Wemyss Chart. II. 253.
Goods … of the availls and pryces afterspecifeit

b. An equivalent in value. 1514 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 147.
That the saidis guidis or the availl thairof sall be furthcumand to the commoun proffit of the toun 1518 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 94.
Tua s. grett Flandris money, or the awail thar of in money of the cuntray thai cum to 1527 Ib. 117.
To deliuer the said spounis agane, or thane thair awaill 1560 Stirling B. Rec. I. 75.
The samin [gudis] or the avale tharof … to redound to the saidis barnis 1593–4 Irvine Mun. I. 80.
To pay the samen … or ellis the aweill thairoff 1622-6 Bisset II. 207/7.
Thrie serplaith of woll or the awaill thairof 1680 Glasgow Chart. II. 209.
To make furthcumand … the equall halfe of the haill goodis … or the awaillis and pryces therof

c. The amount of a certain sum or quantity. 1514 Prestwick B. Rec. 47.
He wrangwysly et his beyr … to the awaill of 3 b[olls] 3 f. 1515 Reg. Privy S. I. 401/2.
Movable gudis … extending … to the avale of xx lib. usuale money of Scotland 1569 Crim. Trials I. ii. 8.
Ane soir hewit horse, with his hail harnesing, extending to the awaill of fourescoir pundis 1622-6 Bisset I. 148/30.
All actionis … to the awaill of fourtie pundis 1661 Bamff Chart. 296.
The edifieing quherof not exceiding the worth and awaill of four hundreth markis

5. a. pl. Emoluments, profits. 1452 Reg. Great S. 131/2.
My officis of scherifdomes … with al and sindri proffittis or avalis to the saide officis pertenande 1527 Montgomery Mem. 107.
The said lord sall persew be law the … witholdars of the avales tharof

b. Advantage, profit. c1475 Wall. vii. 1136.
Our mekill it is to proffer thaim battaill Apon a playne feild, bot we haiff sum awaill Ib. xi. 1270.
Off science I thocht me maist awaill a1500 Henr. Fab. 98.
Thow agane … For thyne auaill may me as now despyis 1483 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 47.
Thay depend … vpoun thair singular availl and proffit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 101/6.
Ȝour wife is not, I se, for ȝour auaill 1570 Sat. P. xx. 19.
For small auaill ay selling caill a1570-86 Maitland M. Fol. c. 39.
Ane taile sa far agane ȝour proffeit and availe

6. The fact of being at one's service. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvi. 14.
The lang availl on humill wyse, And the lytill rewarde agane, For to considder is ane pane