A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1450-1606
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Wail(l, Wale, v. Also: vaill, wayle, vayle, wawill, vale, well. [ME and e.m.E. waile(n (c1330), wayle(n, weile(n (both Piers Plowman), waille (Lydgate), weale (1554-9), wail (1671), ON *veila, vǽla. Cf. Bewail v.]
1. intr.To lament, utter cries of sorrow or grief, freq. in collocation with Wep(e v.(a) 1450-1510 Gray MS v 19.
Quhen wa ar deid … Quhat helpis than to wawill or weip? c1500 Interl. Droich 115.
My name is welth thairfoir be blyth … Suppois wrechis will waill & wryth, All darth I sall gar die c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark v 38.
Men wepand and wailand(b) 1513 Doug. iii v 61.
With that word scho bryst furth mony a teir, And walit so that piete was to heir 1513 Doug. iv vii 15.
Quhiddir gif he murnyt quhen we wepit and walyt? 1513 Doug. xi iv 25.
Evander … plenand on wofull maner, … Wepand and waland as his hart wald breke a1568 Gyre-carling 6.
For luve of hir lawchand lippis he walit and he weipit 1606 Craig ii 62.
How I or'edriue in deadly dooll the day, And how this longsome equinoct I vale(c) 1461 Liber Pluscardensis I 384.
Thocht all this warld suld well in wo and weid
2. tr.To mourn ((the loss of) something). a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS 448/13.
We that hime wantis mey vaill his daith c1590 Fowler I 176/7.
I will my langour and my losses vayle [Hawthornden wayle] c1590 Fowler I 242/58.
Petrarcha Laure did never so lament Nor Pyramus his precious Thisbe waill c1590 Fowler I 255/12.
A louing mother … Who wailles her lose with mone and dullfull cheir
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Wail v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/waill_v>
