A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1471-1629
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Silour, Sylour, n. Also: siloure, silor, -are, -ouir, sylar. [ME and e.m.E. silour (1394), silloure (a1400-50), syler (1523), OF sileure, cel(e)ure (15th c.), med. L. celura (c1267), selura (1415), sylor (1446) (Tobler-Lommatzsch); f. as Sil(e v.2]
1. A canopy. Also attrib.Chiefly with reference to the interior architecture of a church or chapel.(1) 1471 Ayr B. Ct. 7 Oct.
To the panctyn of the silare abone Sant Michel 1497 Treasurer's Accounts I 357.
To Dauid, wricht, for the completing … of the altar … for the sylour completing 1506–7 Reg. Episc. Glasg. II 612.
To the queyre … fife silouris for the covering of the stallis tuenty fute lang ilk siloure … the gest at the siloure standis in to be hewin and graithit … with five colums to ilk siloure … with rinrufe and foure lefis about ilk knop in ilk siloure 1524 Edinb. Hammermen (ed.) 76.
For the mending of the … silor & putting of ane mollor 1535–6 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I 191.
Gold asur and uthir stuf … to … the ald silour in the chapell 1539–41 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I 286.
Schort aikin jestis to … the nether silour of the chapellattrib. 1516 Edinb. Hammermen (ed.) 63.
For the laine of ane lang ledder to wyn to the silorheid 1524 Edinb. Hammermen (ed.) 77.
For mending of drapery & courtings about the silor heid(2) a1500 Golagros and Gawane 66.
The sylour deir of the deise 1587 Paterson Ayr & Wigton I 168.
Ane sylour wpoun the bak of the sait hall buird 1629 Lowther's Jrnl. 42.
Silouir, bedtester
2. A ceiling. 1535 Stewart 37579.
The sylar als wes of the sypar tre, … Richt curious carvit with mony ane knot 1561–2 Edinb. Old Acc. II 154.
Ane daill … to be molloures to the siloure of the said study
3. attrib. With nail. 1513 Treasurer's Accounts IV 524.
ijc sylour naile … xij d. 1532 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I 80.
For iim sylour naill … xx s. 1532 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I 88.
xvc sylour naill of dure naill schank … iic sylour naill of planschoir naill schank … iiic windok naill schank for sylour naill 1534–5 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I 127.
[8412] blynd sylour nale
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"Silour n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/silour_n>
