Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Cale, Caill, n. Also: cail(l)e, cayille. [Northern ME. cale (c 1300), cal (midl. and southern cole, col), ON. kál. See also Kale.]

1. The edible plants colewort, cabbage, or borecole.(a) 1433 Liber Coll. Glasg. 167.
Ane honest hall, chamir, and butler, with a yard for to set cale in 1478 Acta Aud. 82/1.
[They] sall … paye … for distructioune of cale viij s. 1527 Treas. Acc. V. 324.
Given to William Lyell, be the Kingis precept, for lynt, cale, and corne distroyit be his seruandis at the hunting 1692 S. Leith Kirk S. 171.
Agnes Dalmahoy being sumoned … for breach of Sabath by cutting of cale(b) 1478 Acta Aud. 82/1.
[They] sall … paye … for his caile viij s 1500 Prestwick B. Rec. 36.
Caile, erbis & all vthir thair gudis 1533 Boece xiii. xviii. 540 b.
Caill and quhat vthir small herbis grew in ȝardis 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 205.
All necessaris for beddis, burdis, kechin, with cayille and harbis 1544 Soc. Ant. II. 392.
Issobell Gowinlock … to be banist the towne for steling of Patrik Shairpis caill 1555 Peebles B. Rec. 222.
Thomas Iohnsone … is reput and suspectit for ane commoun [pikare] of caill 1564 Perth B. Ct. 89 b.
Tha could nocht aprehend na guidis poundable vpone the said ground excepting certane caill 1570 Peebles B. Rec. 325.
To pvnis all pykaris of caill, erbis, cornes [etc.] 1570 Sat. P. xx. 19.
For I … Dois wyn my meit ilk day … ay selling caill 1582 Reg. Privy C. III. 593.
Being in possessioun thairof be sawing of caill and lynt thairon 1627 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 528.
Raisines ane pund … Caill, ij s. viij d.

2. Cabbage or borecole cooked as a vegetable; broth made with this. (See also watir cale.) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 394.
He … askit hyme quhy that thai Vare nocht seruit of caile that day a1500 Henr. III. 152/59.
Ane brewing caldrun full off hait caill c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxv. 9.
His bony beird wes kemmit and croppit, Bot all with cale it wes bedroppit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6494.
Of thair [sc. women's] counsell I reid anis in ane taill, It is comparit to butter into caill 1566 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 148.
The caile and met quhilk wes sethand in the said pott

3. Attrib. with mercat, plant, pot, sede, wife, ȝard. 1570 Sat. P. xx. 185.
From cail mercat … Thir wordis I did indyte — 1587 St. A. Test. II. 80.
Caill plantis … growand in his ȝairdis — 1565 Prot. Bk. G. Grote 68.
Ane cayll pott, … ane gus pane 1566 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 148.
Alexander Heuch … tuk done the caile pott quhilk was sethand on the fyir — 1552 Treas. Acc. X. 83.
Coft and send to Lynlythgw to my lord governouris gardnar … ten unce of bastard caile seid — 1562-3 Winȝet I. 114 marg.
Ȝea, the cailwyfe seis ȝow heir, bund fute and hand — 1523 Carnwath Baron Ct. 10.
Thai fand hym nocht ane hous & calȝaird as … thai promittit hym 1556 Prot. Bk. T. Dalrymple 45.
Thai sall posseid & bruik the tane half of the cailȝard 1586 Edinb. Test. XVI. 321 b.
Ane littill hous and cailȝaird 1600-1610 Melvill 604.
The rycht … of ane cow-hous or a caill-yaird