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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.

Keling, Keiling, Keeling, n. Also: kelyng, keylin(g, keilling, keillen; kelling, kellyn, and Kealding. [North. and north midl. ME. keling (c 1300), chelynge (c 1440), ? obscurely derived from or related to ON. keila ‘cusk, Gadus longus’. Cf. also Killing n.] A cod-fish.See also Corf keyling.(a) 1380 Exch. R. III. 42.
De ix turbotis, … de xvij kelyng 14.. Acts I. 305/2.
Of ilk hundreth fysch kelyng, leyng or hadock … four peniis, … and of a hors lad of kelyngis [etc.] … a peny 1477 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 408.
Tuelf mvd keling and threttene mvd codlingis 1482 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 45.
Of the j^c grete fisch, as keling, … vnbarralit iiij d. 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 243/1.
In taking of ane keling callit assis keling fra the said constable 1513 Treas. Acc. IV. 492.
[600] keling salt, price of the hunder [£4/5/-] 1515 Ib. V. 21.
[116] hard keling 1546 Ib. VIII. 479.
Laid in the castell of Edinburght … vij barrell of keling 1549–50 Elgin Rec. I. 101.
Accusit for the wrangus bying of fresche keling at the see syid 1566 Treas. Acc. XI. 516.
Send to the Inche iij^c of blawin and dry keling(b) 1497 Treas. Acc. I. 344.
For xij keylin … v s. 1549 Banff Ann. I. 26.
That na man pak nor peyll keilling, leyng, nor ony vther kynd of fyschis, nor haue na salt keilling within the howis, accept vi keilling at the maist 1586 Conv. B. I. 218.
Ilk tun herring and keilling saxtene penneis 1594 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I. 218.
Ilk boitt … sall pay yeirlie ane hundreth keillingis merchand wair 1622 Urie Baron Ct. 45.
The haill fischers ar decernit ilk lyneman to pey 100 haddox and thrie keilling 1628 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 582.
Keillen 1692 Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. ii. 116.
Further down the sands, neer the sea they take keilling and skait by hooks baited and laid upon the sands, which they get at low water(c) 1597 Bk. Rates in Halyb. App. cxv.
The last of keelling codlings and ling ij unce 1683 Coll. Aberd. & B.100.
The sea affords white fishes here in abundance, which are keeling, skaitt, turbett, and codfish. This they call their great fish 1684 Sibbald Scot. Illustr. III. 23.
Asellus major, the cod-fish, or keeling(d) 1482 Misc. Spald. C. II. 324.
A lytil haddok vij pennyis, a kellyn xxx pennyis 1597 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 69.
Hering and kelling being hazardus warres and subiectit to mony inadventures

b. Attrib. with barrell, handilling (= hand-line), tre, also head. 1548 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 259.
xviij keling barrellis 1594 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I. 218.
Ilk boitt that sall happin to cum within the said cuntrey to the keiling handillingis allanerlie with thair land lyer sall pay [etc.] 15.. Aberd. B. Rec. MS. (Jam.).
Knappel & keling treisproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 976.
I wald aw your kin were keilin heads, and ye were wirried on the baines