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 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wail(l, Wale, n. Also: wayll, vaill, vale, wall. [ME and e.m.E. wal(e (1295), wall (1530), waile (1627), OE walu.] The timber extending horizontally round the top edge of the sides of a boat, a gunwale. c1475 Wall. ix 134.
Her on the waill ner by thé I sall stand. God gyd our schip! 1513 Doug. iii viii 27.
We … went on burd in our the waill [Ruddim. wall] 1513 Doug. v iv 76 (Sm.).
Thai pinglit ayris wp to bend and haill With sa strang rowthis apon athir waill [Ruddim. wale] The mychty kervell schudderit at euery straik 1513 Doug. vi vi 57.
Sawlys expellit hes … Furth of hys bayt, quhilk sat endlang the wayll [Ruddim. vale] 1513 Doug. x v 24.
Cymodocea to the wail astart, And with hir rycht hand can the eft casteill Do gryp … that all hir bak ilk deill Abuf the sey watir dyd appeir 1534 Treas. Acc. VI 233.
For valis to cover abone the boit viij d. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 724.
The Inglis artailȝe … sloppit throw thair fechting saillis, And diuers dang out ouir the waillis a1578 Pitsc. I 251/16 (cf. Wall n. 8).
Scho [sc. the ship] was ten fute thik in the waill 1659 Nicolson Diurnals May.
Ane double tree for vaills