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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Fyle, File, v. Also: fyl, fyll, fyill. P.t. and p.p. fylit, fyllit, filit; fyled, filed; fyld, fild, fylte. [ME. file, fyle, early southern fulen, OE. (á-, be-, ᵹe-) fýlan, f. fúl adj. foul.]

1. tr. To make unclean, filthy, or dirty.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1484.
It semes not ȝour celsitude … To fyle your teith or lippes with my blude Ib. 2626.
To glar my drink, and this fair watter fyle a1500 Rauf C. 444.
Fairand ouir the feildis, … [I have] oft fylit my feit in mony foull fen a1500 Seven S. 1453.
Baith courting, cod, covering & shete Of silk he fylis with his feit 1513 Doug. xii. ii. 124.
In the dusty pulder … [I may] Suddill and fyle hys crispand ȝallow hair c1568 Lauder Minor P. ii. 57.
The dayntie dammis may nocht sustene The faithfull for to fyle thair flure c1590 J. Stewart 234 § 13 b.
Quho tuitchis pick … vill fyll thair hand 1633 Maxwell Mem. II. 221.
Hir haill arme … was fylit with putrifiet wennum a1682 F. Semple Banishm. Poverty xxvii in Watson's Coll. i. 14.
Foul a dribble fyld my teeth(b) 14.. Acts I. 336/2.
Of skynnaris [it is said] … that thai file the kingis watter a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 447.
Sum … Spat in his face, filit his cristall eyne 1513 Doug. ii. v. 67 (Sm.).
Quhat hard mischance filit so thi plesand face 1533 Boece v. x. 182 b.
Anthone … slew his broder Geta abone his moderis breist, filing … the samyn be grete effusion of blude

b. To make foul with excrement. Also absol. to evacuate. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2558.
Quhill he for feiritness hes fylit vp the way c1500-c1512 Dunb. xliv. 24.
That fowll his nest he fylis Ib. l. 47.
He fyld never sadell in his dais, And Curry befyld tua 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 306.
For euery lord, … Brocht in ane bird to fyll the nest a1568 Scott ii. 177.
Thair avairis fyld vp all the feild a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1641) 18.
Shee's a foule bird that fyles her own nestabsol. a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 471.
Thow fylde [M. fild] faster than fyftene-sum mycht lawe a1570-86 (Dunb.) Maitl. F. xi. 89.
Suppois thai fyllit with thair arssis a1605 Montg. Flyt. 70 (T).
Thow … maid bot a mow, Syne fyld by the row

c. To pollute, render impure or unhealthy; to infect. a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 498.
For of myne syne it is vnfayre, Quhene I spek it fylis the ayre 1456 Acts II. 46/1.
Thay … suld nocht lat thame pas away … to fyle the cuntre about thame a1500 Henr. Fab. 2561.
For feiritnes full oft I fylit the wind c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1242.
Quhilk gif I wald at lenth declair It wer yneuch to fyill the air 1549 Compl. 42/19.
The reik … and the stink of the gun pulder fylit al the ayr c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 468.
Your gredynes it stinkis and fylis the air a1585 Polwart Flyt. 598 (T).
To alter my styll … for fylling the air 1642 St. A. Presb. 6.
They had alreadie wared … fiftie merks upon that poore woman … , fyled by her husband with the French poxe

d. To let (land) become foul with weeds; to spoil (a fishing ground).(1) 14.. Acts I. 387/2.
Gif thi natiff man or thi bonde haf fylit thi land with guld, for ilk plant of it he sall gif to thé … a mutone 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 167.
Gife hir land be clene scho sal kep it clene, and gife it be filyt scho sal gife gud labur and diligens to distroy it 1531 Bell. Boece II. 164.
He that sufferis his land to be fild with guld, or siclik improffitabil wedis, sall pay ane ox(2) 1611 Conv. Burghs II. 327.
Be the ballasting of the fysche boits with staynes, .. casting the same in the sey, the fyscheing of hering is hurt and the grund fylet

e. intr. To become foul. 1456 Hay II 120/1.
The quhilk wayke stomak sone fylis, … for fault of gouernaunce

2. To defile with some impurity, esp. of an immoral nature.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xviii 564.
Sa that al that mentyme I fylyt sawlis als fer as myne Ib. xli. 149.
Na ȝet sal I fylit be vith ony manis flesh c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 471.
Hys tempile, was Fylede in the effusioune Of mannys blude 1456 Hay II. 49/20.
He suld hald his handis undefoulit or fylit with our vilaynouse dedis a1500 Seven S. 281.
Ȝe hecht to revenge me of this devill That schupe to fyle my womanhed 1533 Boece viii. xiij. 278 b.
Templis … war … fylit with ymagery of idolis 1551 Hamilton Cat. .
A rowkar and rownar sall fyle his awin saule 1596 Dalr. II. 382/16.
At last thay war sa balde [as] to … pollute and fyl the sacramentis(b) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 466.
To fil myn flesche sa ȝed I wod Ib. 537.
The mowth … it filis nocht Anerly bot als the thocht 1533 Gau 16/14.
Thay that handlis … oders onhonestlie quhair throw thay fil thair self

b. To taint through wrong-doing. c 1541–2 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 27, p. 1.
Inglesmen … quhilk fylit the myddle marche 1587 Acts III. 452/1.
The wardanis … salbe ansuerable to the king for all … guidis transportit in Ingland fylling thair merches Ib.
Incais his guidis stollin fyill his merche

3. To stain with dishonour or disgrace; to blacken or defame.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 58.
The feynd … Thocht that he wald put a smyt In hyr gud nam, for to fyle it c1420 Wynt. vii. 2117.
Thus this Philipe fylyd the fame Off ryale Frawns, and his awyne name a1500 Henr. Orph. 172.
Len me thi licht … To fynd the faire in fame that neuir was fyld 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 256.
Dido of Cartage floure, … Quhais hie renoune na strenth nor gift mycht fyle 1535 Stewart 7303.
Quhat wes it movit thé To fyle thi faith and to be mensworne a1568 Scott xxxiv. 31.
Ȝour faithis ar fylit, To frawd thay silly aipis 1596 Dalr. I. 319/21.
A … knycht, … heireing Edgar innocentlie fylte with sa foul ane blek, was verie discontent(b) 1513 Doug. x. xiv. 52.
I … Filyt the glor and honour of thy name 1531 Bell. Boece II. 178.
He … exhortit thame to file not with schamfull fleing the glore that thay conquest afore be thair manheid 1533 Boece ix. viii. 305 b.
The rymes and geistis feneȝeit of Arthure and his knichtis … filis and obscuris mekill the fame of thir nobill men

4. To find guilty, to convict.(a) 1488 Lanark B. Rec. i.
Jame Andro, … Kethrin Andro, fylit of pycry 1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 211.
The foresaid assise … fylyt the foresaid Alexander & coutht noucht acquyt him of commone thyft 1565 Lennox Mun. 429.
To … present thair men, tenentis and seruandis, … fylit for ony billis 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 348.
The said assyis … culd not find na pynt quhairon to fyle them 1592 Acts III. 531/2.
Quhatsumeuir persone clengis not of certane knawlege the personis accusit, he fyles thame 1629 Annandale Corr. 29.
[He] was so confident that he could not be fyld when M^r Lewis Steward came to plead for him 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. xvii. § 5.
They should not fyle the pannel, though copulation be proved(b) 1498 Justiciary Rec. (Reg. H.) I. 144.
Memorandum to get the buk quhar the lard of Johnston was filit 1525 Stirling B. Rec. I. 22.
Ritschart Broun was convictit and filit for the thifftuis steilling of twa maris 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Assisa.
The man that is clenged, albeit wrangowsly, can not be filed againe or punist 1673 Justiciary Ct. Rec. II. 205.
Francis Dugwid … they file as guilty of art and part of the crime of deforcement 1682 Decis. Lords F. 20.
He did only desire that the justices would inclose them till they returned an apposite verdict, either filing or cleansing(c) 1555 Digest Justiciary Proc. B. 116.
Johnne Lindsay … fyllit for the chaissing and howsing of John Somervell 15.. Clar. iii. 1780.
Sir Thomas callit was in judgment, And with ane sise fyllit incontinent 1600-1610 Melvill 218.
The saise wald nocht fyll him, wherat the Court was verie crabit a1650 Row 387.
Marshall did sweare … that he had not fylled him at all(d) 1592 Reg. Privy C. IV. 825.
The barronis … hes refusit to furneis assysouris that knew and culd fyill the criminallis

b. To fyle a bill, to find the charge made in a bill justified and the accused guilty. 1552 Treas. Acc. X. 150.
Certane Scottismen upon quhome thair wes billys filyt to the … Wardane 1563 Reg. Privy C. I. 240.
He … sall keip court and tryist at the said Keparis command … and sall help to speir and fyle billis alsweill of Ingland as Scotland 1570 Leslie 87.
Sindrie billis [were] also fylit one the bordouris, as use is 1576 Douglas Corr. 207.
He … sayd he wold nether qwit nor fyll those billis

c. To confirm a charge on a person. 1566 Treas. Acc. XI. 506.
To admonische the lard of Pharnihirst to relief the wardane … for vi oxin fylit on Thome Ruthirfurde