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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.

Kendil(l, v. Also: kendyll, kendile, kendell, kendle. [Common var. of Kindil(l v.: cf. late ME. and e.m.E. kendel (a 1450), kendle. Cf. also Kennil(l and Keindle.] To kindle, in lit. and fig. uses.

1. tr. To set (a fire or fire) burning, to ignite (a fire, combustible matter, etc.). Also const. on. a. lit. b.fig.a. (1) 1375 Barb. xvii. 429.
[They] fyre till hir [sc. the ship] has kendlyt soyne c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 457.
They myght nocht kendile the fyre Ib. 477.
Go ȝhe And … kendile gret lycht, Of the quhilk lyght kendlit so bryght [etc.] c1420 Wynt. iii. 948.
[He] gert … kendyll fyre rycht fast about Off thornys … gret 1513 Doug. iii. iv. 133.
We … on the altaris kendillit sacrifyce c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5357.
Nor thow can kendyll fyre with yce 1592 Prot. Bk. T. Auchinlek 25.
The bailȝie … past to the hous … and sloknit the fyre … being thairin and kendlit the vtheris in … taikin of thair possessioun 1596 Dalr. I. 10/14.
Quhan danger is, thay kendle bleisis in tour heidis 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 507.
Sparks may … kendle a fire(2) a1500 Rauf C. 107.
‘Dame, … kendill on ane fire’ 1513 Doug. ii. vi. 64 (Sm.).
Synone … kendland evir on the new fyris(3) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. v. 15.
Nor men kendlis [P. teendith; L. accendunt] nocht a lantern and puttis it vndir a buschel Id. Luke xv. 8.(4) a1500 Seven S. 1381.
Scho … maid brandis … And in the chalmer kendillit 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxxi.
Ane stane … that … kendlis cauld stra … in fire, quhen it is involvit thairwith 1596 Dalr. II. 99/20.
A new fyr kendlet the alde col a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 6.
They … kendlit thair trayne of gun poulder 1629 M. Works Acc. XXIV. 3 b.
Sex laid of coilles … tuo laid of peittes to kendill thame 1666-7 Blakhall Narr. 83.
Bottes of strae that I had kendledb. (1) a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 513.
Ane spark of lufe … kendlit all his bodie in ane fyre Id. III. 141/47.
Of discord it kendillis mony fyre c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4970.
O prince, … Kendle in ws the fyre of charitie a1568 Scott xxxii. 8.
Lufe is ane fervent fyre, Kendillit without desyre(2) 1533 Boece i. vi. 47.
This pepill sa fals … sall sum tyme kendill to ws ane terribill bleis … never to be slokynnyt 1596 Dalr. II. 157/14.
Quhen this fyvie bleis, quhilk was lyk to kendle the hail realme, was sloknet 1638 Bk. Pasquils 86.
Oure awen eivell gyding … in this countrey kendle shall the fyre, Wee might have quenched(3) 1567 Sat. P. xi. 48.
Throw thé is kendlit ciuil weir 1551 Hamilton Cat. 108.
As ane litil fyre may burne [etc.] … sa ane evil toung may kendil mekil evil 1640 Acts V. (1817) 318/1.
Diligent … by thair suggestiounes to the Kingis ma. … to kendle and interteine factiounes and divisiounes theranent(4) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1121.
It semyt be thair contenance that kendillit wes care 1533 Boece ii. vii. 70.
Furoure and dispite kendilling to thame baith strenth and hardyment 1535 Stewart 31913.
Into thair hart it kendlit sic ane heit c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 609.
Lufe kendillis euer cair 1558-66 Knox III. 193.
Ydolatrie so incensis and kendillis the wraith of God 1581 Burne Disput. 60.
That … our cheritie may be kendilled touard God c1590 Fowler I. 119/31.
It … besemeth me to kendle all my zeill 1587-99 Hume v. 77.
I feele thy fellon wraith against me kendled het 1603 Reg. Privy C. VI. 553.
[That this proclamation] may kendile and steir up in the hartis of all … Scottis subjectis … ane … kyndlie dispositioun 1626 Garden Worthies 12.
This … ill, It kendl'd more then did my courage kill(5) 1513 Doug. iii. v. 31.
Be fervent luf kendillit in gret desyre Our cuntre man to vissy a1538 Abell Chron. i b.
To instruk the redaris and kendill thame in lufe of God 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5878.
The Empreour Quha kendillit was in fell fyrie furour Contrair his Son 1570 Leslie 56.
The myndis of his adversaris wes sa kendlit with hatrent aganis him [etc.] 1581 Burne Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 161/29.
Johann Kmnox … being kendillit vith ane inquenshibil … ambition 1610 Rep. Earl Southesk MSS. 14.
Sum qualite … so powerfoull to kendell my hart uith luiff

2. intr. To be set on fire, to catch fire; to burn or blaze up; fig., to be aroused or inflamed. a. lit. b. fig.a. c1420 Wynt. iii. 955.
The fyre wyth-owt thare kendyllyt sa fast [etc.] c1475 Wall. vii. 423.
With lint and fyr that haistely kendill wald a1578 Pitsc. I. 312/7.
The fyre … wald on nawayis burne nor kendill ane lang quhyll 1600-1610 Melvill 21.
The bent … kendlet sa on fyre that we haid all ado to put it out 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 125.
By a shrud neglect a fire kendled in or about a nurseryb. (1) 1596 Dalr. II. 151/34.
Of thir spunkis throuch Scotland kendlet sik a low that Angus and the Quene … fled to … Ingland(2) a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 30.
Thocht lufe be hait, ȝit in ane man of age It kendillis nocht sa sone as in ȝoutheid Id. Orph. 87 (Asl.).
Betwene Orpheus and … Erudices … The lowe of luf couth kendill & encres a1568 Bann. MS. 245 a/4.
Cauld cauld culis the lufe that kendills our het 1596 Dalr. I. 71/15.
Gathelus perceiuet the diuine ire kendle toward the Aegiptianis Ib. II. 105/7.
That hett hatred and jnuie betuene thame daylie waxing hetter, and kendleng mair and mair(3) 1513 Doug. xii. xiv. 141 (R).
Than full of furour kendillis he in hie 1596 Dalr. I. 150/2. Ib. II. 113/25.
The Scottis al kendlet in sik a furie 1600-1610 Melvill 718.
At the quhilk wordis the great bisschope kendelit sua in a raige of foul flyting