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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Coupill, Cowpill, n. Also: couppill, couple, coople; cowpell. [ME. coupill, cowpylle, etc., var. of couple, OF. couple, cuple. Cf. Cuppill.]

1. a. A verse, stanza. 1461 Liber Plusc. 383.
Nocht withstandyng thaire is mare of this lamentacioun, xviii coupill, … this ma suffyce

b. A leash for hounds. 1587 Treas. Acc. MS. 92 b.
Sex pair of new cowpillis to the houndis

c. A couple, a pair. 1631 Black Bk. Taymouth 432.
I ernestly intrett you to send me … a couppill of good earth dogs

2. A pair of sloping rafters, or one of these.Sometimes used in the singular as a measure of roof-space. 1496 Treas. Acc. I. 302.
For coupling of xv coupill to the chapel ruf 1567 Edinb. Test. I. 49 b.
Greit treis of asche sawin to be couppillis 1576 Misc. Spald. C. II. 43.
Of the quhilkis yill [= aisle] thair was xvi cowpill pwitt owip and thikitt with leid 1623 Prot. Bk. J. Scott (loose leaf).
They estimat the ruiff of the milne with the coupillis and caiberis to fowrteine merkis 1630 Bamff Chart. 224.
An pleneschit coupel with thrie pans and tuo ruiffis 1639 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 487.
Fourscore seven jists, … threescore and fyve couples 1646 Reg. Soltre p. lxxxv.
For … timber to be cooples, dales to be sarking 1663 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 608.
For fastenings of a couple in it, and for gryt yrne naills to fasten it 1675 Melrose R. Rec. II. 419.
The preiudice off nyne couples off timber and other workmanshippe wrought be the saids defenders 1680 Echt Forbes Chart. 147.
A kitchen of one couple, … a barn of one couple

b. A connecting beam. 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 159.
xxxj faddome of cords to fessan the cowpillis togidder of the greit pannell, to hald thame on-fleit in the sey

3. Attrib. with lenth, rowme (room). 1607 Rose of Kilravock 295.
Ane hous of four cowpill rowme 1639 M. Works Acc. XXIX. 13 b.
For thiecking up ane coople rowme one ilk syd of the said hous 1669 Reg. Caithness Seisins MS. I. 245.
15 ell from the wall of the said couple roomes — 1667 Lamont Diary 196.
His new barne, nire 2 or 3 cowpell lenthe, was blowen downe