Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nettill, n. Also: nettyll, -el(l, netl, nettle, neittill. [ME. and e.m.E. netle, nettle, netel(le, nettille, etc., OE. netele, netle (and netel) fem.] A nettle.Also reid nettill, the red nettle.(1) c1500 Makc. MS. xiii. 71.
Hec vrtica, nettyll c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 137.
And lat no nettill vyle … Hir fallow to the gudly flour delyce 15.. Clar. v. 2260.
Full oft I put the nettill for the rose c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1086.
Thirsyll, nettyll, breir and thorne a1568 Bann. MS. 257 b/61. 1570 Sat. P. xv. 25. 1582 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 149.
For weding the thrissillis. houmloikis, neittillis and vtheir vnprofitable weidis 1500-1699 Herbarius Latinus Annot. cxlviii (Bot.).
Urtica nettell, nettill 1629 Justiciary Cases I. 138.(2) a1500 Henr. III. 151/48.
With reid nettill seid in strang wesche to steip 1597 Crim. Trials II. 28.
Scho maid a saw of reid nettellis and butter and wodbind, and laid it to the patientis lunȝie 1650 Brechin Presb. 51.
Shee drank a drink steiped with the roote of the read nettle [etc.]

b. Attrib. in netl caill (= broth), nettle claith (cloathe).(1) a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 1549.
Ye breid of netl caill ye wold fain hav meekl service(2) 1550 Exch. R. XVIII. 119.
Nettle claith 1586 Edinb. Test. XV. 235.
xix ell of nettill claytht at xxx s. the ell 1588 Ib. XIX. 80 b. 1596 Ib. XXIX. 321. 1605 Ib. XL. i 86.
Ane ell … of nettell cloathe pryce thairof xxxv s.