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.
Quotation dates: 1606-1693
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Jaylour, Jailour, Jayler, n. Also : jayleour, jaylor, jayllyeor; jailer; jayllar; jayalour. [e.m.E. jail-, jaylor, jail-, jaylour (1611), e.m.E. and ME. jayl-, jailer (a 1300), ME. ia(i)olere (14th c.), OF. jaioleur. Cf. Jeylour, Jylour, and Gayler, Geyler, and also Javellour.] A jailer.(a) 1622-6 Bisset II. 332/28.
The Emperiour … gart the jayloure cast him out at the prison windo 1632 S. Leith Rec. 22.
[To] gat ane warrand to the jailour of the tolbuith to gat the confessioune of her pairtie 1675 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 421.
George Blaikie, officer and jaylor 1682 Ib. III. 56.
Robert Whyte, officer and jayllyeor 1693 Peebles B. Rec. II. 144.
To be jaylors and keepers of thair prisones(b) 1606 Craig ii. 61.
He whom still the jayler doth detaine 1692 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs IV. 600.
To the jayler yeirly … 40, 0, 0(c) 1614 Inverness Rec. II. 128.
That na libertie nor oppin durris be grantit to ony warder in tym cuming, bot the jayllar to be anserabil for his reset and custodie
b. Attrib. with fe, fie. 1624 Elgin Rec. II. 184.
The jayalour feis of persones wardit 1665 Dundee B. Laws 59.
Ther is ane table appointed of the jaylours dewes, viz. for jaylour fee of a stranger [etc.] 1674 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV. 149.
He … having nothing in the wordle to live upon or pay his jayleour fie 1686 Ib. XIII. 24.
Thomas Pett … ordered to be liberat … and that he pay no jaylor fies
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"Jaylour n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/jaylour>
