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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Handil(l, Handle, v. Also: handille, -yll; han(d)el(l, handal(l, hanteil. [ME. handel(l, -il, earlier handle(n, OE. handlian, ON. hǫndla.] 1. To handle. a1400 Leg. S. v. 462.
Sanct Johne … softly vith his handis twa It [sc. a partridge] handlyt c1420 Wynt. v. 1382.
He ordanyt als the corporalle, … that nane suld handyll it 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xxxix.
Thay eit nocht of the herbis that wer twichit or handillit be men 1564 Reg. Privy C. I. 28.
The marinaris … that sall handill the gudis a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 152 (L).
I hurt me and bruit me, The ofter I it hanteil [: candill] a1585 Polwart Flyt. 609 (T).
He … blistles wes banisit for handling the hennis 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 3.
Scho wantand the profeit of hir ky eftir that Kaithrein Makteir had handallit thame

b. To lay hands on (a person) in a hostile manner; to seize or capture. c1475 Wall. v. 568.
Feill war sone dede … ; Quham he handlyt he leyt no forthir pas 1533 Boece v. i. 163.
As the nobillis had devisit, the king be men of armes was handillit and … cruelly slane 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3717.
And ȝe vs handill Ȝe salbe curst and gragit 1551 Acts II. 482/2.
In caice ony … tratouris happinnis to be handillit, takin … or slane vpone suddantie

2. To deal with, treat, or use (a person, in some specified way). Chiefly said of rough handling or unfriendly treatment.(1) 1375 Barb. x. 693.
The erll wes handlyt thair so hat That [etc.] c1420 Wynt. vii. 1275.
Swa he handlyd the child sa fast Thare-off qwhill he deyd at the last 1496–7 Acta Conc. II. 47.
He folowit on horseback on the sade Thomas and violently handillit his persone c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxii. 29.
He grippit hir abowt the west, And handlit hir as he had hest 1533 Gau 16/13.
Thay that handlis … oders onhonestlie quhairthrow thay fil thair self 1549 Corr. M. Lorraine 288.
We … handelit tham swa scharply as we culd … that thay cryit at all tymis for mercy 1556 Digest Justiciary Proc. B. 128.
Alexander Symsone … defoulit hir persone, and handling hir sa vncorteslie swa that he brak hir bak 1558-66 Knox II. 409.
Your Grace accuseit me, that I had irreventlie handyllit you in the pulpat 1587 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 17.
George Strawchine … exponit til us quhow he was ewill handlit and abusit(2) 1535 Stewart 37222.
Sic seiknes … It handlit him so hetlie to the deid, [etc.] Ib. 51887.
That fell poysoun it handillit him so sair 1563 Acts II. 544/2.
The burrowis … ar maist heuylie hurt and extremelie handillit be the lait impositioun rasit … be the King of Denmark 1570 St. A. Kirk S. 344.
And quhow evil he had bein handillit not onlie in wanting of his stipend [etc.] 1590 Waus Corr. II. 442.
In to the quhilk persuit of improbation the puir man is verie evill handillit and maliciouslie dissauit 1597 Douglas Corr. 41.
Williame … can not be sa weill handillit and awaittit on … as with our cousinace … his moder

b. In the passive: To be afflicted (with a disease, or death). 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5897.
Sa handillit [he] was with sic infirmitie, With lippernes 1590 Edinb. Test. XXII. iii.
Now at the plesour of god I am extremelie handellit with seiknes 1622 Crim. Trials III. 526.
Cuthbert Greig, sueitting and brocheing in ane vncouth seiknes, sairlie handillit, quhairby he was nocht able to gang Ib. 527.

c. In the passsive: To be harassed, or busily occupied (in some employment). 1564–5 Breadalbane Lett. MS. (Reg. H.) No. 38.
The commissioun … ar sa handillit in bankatin that we can get nay lasar as ȝet 1566 Waus Corr. I. 38.
I am extremlie handillit in sundery weyiss in sundery thingis quhilk I nevir wist of befor

3. To attend to, set in order, or prepare, by handling. 1483 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 49.
That na fleschour bye na fische to sell and regraitt agane, bot to brek thame allanerly for thair fie … and handell thame honestly 1517 Ib. 171.
Guid and sufficient stufe and honestlie handlit and sufficient worth the money 1564 Reg. Privy C. I. 281.
That … the lynt … be … oppynit, handillit, and cassin furth to the wynd 1594 S. Leith Rec. i.
Robert Mitchell for ane ȝeir to cum to handle the knok and hald her gangane 1597 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 364.
To … Estiene Piere [etc.] … quha handelit and dressit the naiprie, for thair painis 16.. Hist. Kennedy 51.
Doctour Low was he that handellit his woundis

4. To manage, conduct, direct (a matter, course of action, etc.). Also absol., to treat. 1545 Douglas Corr. 155.
Nocht the lese ville the Kingis mageste handille thir maters vaislie 1568 Buch. Indict. 33.
Thingis wes thane sa covertlie handallit that [etc.] Id. Detect. (1727) 25.
For baith be buikis set out and be pictures and be cryis in the darke nicht it was sa handillit that the doeris of the mischeuous fact micht esilie [etc.] 1590 R. Bruce Serm. 77.
But givand that they had a warrand of their calling in the book of God, yit they handle the sacrament all wrang 1596 Dalr. II. 378/33.
Tha hanelit anent the mariage of the Quene, of the tocher [etc.] 1617 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 144.
Concerning the remanent of the towns affairs … to be socht and handlit in parliament

b. Also, to deal with, treat of (a matter, in writing). a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun xi.
The cause quhy that I, ane ignorant, did handill the things  ... in this ... buik

5. intr. const. with: To have commercial dealings, to trade or traffic (in certain merchandise). See also Handling vbl. n. b. 1581 (1650) Dundee B. Laws 40.
The actis … maid annent all unfreman … who without all order handle with stapell guides 1607 Ib. 412.
That na maister shall admit his prentise to have libertie to handill … or traid wnder cullour with ony thing belanging to the craft