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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.

Cavill, Cavell, n.¹ Also: cavyll, cavil, cavel; cawill, -el; pl. caflis. [ME. cavel (c 1300), MDu. cavele (Du. kavel) lot, MLG. kavele small stick used in casting lots. Cf. ON. kafle, a piece cut off; kefli, a round piece of wood. See also Kavill, Kevill n.]

1. A small piece of wood used in the casting of lots: a. To cast (rarely draw) cavillis.(a) c1475 Wall. vii. 378.
Latt ws … caflis cast quha sall our master be Ib. vii. 383.
Caflis to cast about thir v began 1493 Lennox Mun. 146.
Power … deuisione to mak, cavillis to cast 1497 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 61.
The toune salbe quarterit in four partis, and cauellis castyne for the wechin of the tone 1506 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II. 162.
To dele and caus be delt … be castine of cavillis, [in] equale porcions and diuisione, … the five merkis worth of land 1522 Fife Sheriff Ct. 253.
The landis of Kyttady … the said Ianat is befalline be cavillis cassine in iugement hereupone 1531 Bell. Boece I. 145.
Thay kest cavillis, quha suld be first devorit Id. Livy II. 88/15.
Cavillis war cassin quhay suld cheis the dictatour 1549 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 268.
Ane vaiche of tuenty personis to enter this nycht … the bailȝeis to cast cavillis quhair the same sall begyne 1555 Stirling Ant. IV. 219.
Iohn Allan drew cavillis for his fourt pairt of a tenement of land 1561 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 335.
Ilk quarter to haf the schip that chances to thame, and cavillis to be casting quhat quarter sall begyn and quha sall fallow 1577–8 Glasgow Chart. II. 559.
Sua that ilk ane … may have and gett thair parte … be cutt or casting of cavills(b) 1488 Acta Aud. 125/1.
That the … conuent haid richt to a ferd parte of the said landis and that cawillis suld be castin tharapon 1551 Prot. Bk. R. Lumsdane 18 b.
Twa merk land … that he aucht, and suld be kennit thairto as vse is, be diuisioun of cawillis to be cassin thairvpone 1552 Corr. M. Lorraine 358.
We dessyirrit them to dail and gif ws wr chois, or cast cawillis 1557 Inverness Sheriff Ct. 59 b.
Cawillis being cassin, … scho fell hir terce to the schadow

b. Be cavill(is), by lot. 1513 Doug. v. xii. 169.
Eneas … Be cavillys syne the tenementis dyd depart 1533 Boece vii. iii. 224 b.
Fergus be cavill gat ane schryne full of bukis to his parte 1533 Bell. Livy I. 37/11.
It is nocht schawin … gif thai wer chosin allanerlie be cavell Ib. 234/2.
Ilk tent man [was] hedit be cavil 1563 Dumfries Town C. 10 Feb.
The tennentis of Gallow rig quhilkis has fallen ther landis be cavill and dule 1587 Acts III. 446/2.
The odman salbe chosin be cavill 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. Table 82.
Quhen the king and the earle be caueills divides betwix them 1678 Rec. Old Aberd. I. 132.
Quhat ever syde of the said mos sall happen to fall be cavill to the east syde of the said toune

2. Division or assignment by lot. ? a 1200 Acts I. 31/1.
Sciendum est quod stallangiator nullo tempore potest habere loth cut neque cavyl de aliquo mercimonio cum burgense nisi infra nundinas quando quilibet potest habere loth et cavyl a 1300 Ib. *93/1.
Non habebit loth neque cauel cum confratre nostro 1405 Ib. 340/1.
Quod nullus burgensis rure manens habeat lot neque cavil equaliter cum burgensibus inhabitantibus 1531 Bell. Boece I. 26.
All the landis of Scotland war cassin in cavill amang the nobillis thairof Ib.
Be the first cavill, fell to Cornath … , the landis of Cathnes Id. Livy I. 142/21.
Becaus the cavil fell to Horacius, … Valerius past … aganis the Veanis Ib. II. 92/19.
Caius Julius … dedicate the tempil of Apollo … but ony cavill 1533 Boece I. viii. 51 b.
I think that sevin men … sall mak cavillis quhareby euery man sall resaue his parte

3. A portion (esp. of land) assigned by lot. 14.. Acts I. 68/2.]
[Of the cavilis … quhair the Kyng and the erl dividis betwixt thaim the Kyng and the erl sal haf the ta half and the thayn the tothir half 1533 Boece ix. ix. 309.
To Scottis in thare cavill of the pray assignit war chareotis and were cartis 1582 Edinb. Test. X. 325.
My oyis … till haif the ane half of the foirsaid ten merkland as sall fall to thame at the ane end be thair cut or cavill 1607 Melrose R. Rec. I. 35.
[The rigs] beand baith on ane cavell … suld be equall in breid & lenth 1622 Reg. Great S. 125/2.
Terras de Myresyde … cum duobus lie daillis … et 4 lie caviliis extenden. ad 4 acras 1644 Rec. Old Aberd. II. 19.
The salmond fishers of both the cavels of Don compeired and payit … ilk man 10 lib. 1655 Ib. 50.
The names of these that were found guiltie at this tyme, viz Robert Proctor and all that cawell 1657 Melrose R. Rec. I. 146.
It being … proved that the brome swa cutt … doeth belong to his pairt and cavill thairof