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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.

Wal(e, Wail(l)(e, v. Also: vale, vaile, uaile, wayl(e, wael(e, weyl(l, weal(l, weale, wyl(e, wyll, vyll. [North. ME wale (a1310). Also in the later dial.] tr.Cf. Outwale v.¹ and v.²

1. To choose, select (a person, thing, etc.) from amongst others. Also absol. Also in collocation with cheis. b. specif. To choose a word, one's words.Some examples in Wale n. 1 b may belong here.The Montg. example in 1 b may include a pun on Waill v.(1) c1420 Wynt. v 5085.
A worthy wyff to wale c1450-2 Howlat 305 (A).
Thai … Walis wyslie the wayis be woddis & wellis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 361.
Ane seymly souerane in sale Ane wourthy wy for to wale a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 549.
That wy walit … all wedis of veir That nedit hym a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1096.
Lat it worth at my wil the wourschip to wale 1496–7 Treas. Acc. I 319.
To Johne Maware, to pas to Clidisdale, to the woddis, to wale tymmyr c1500 Crying of Play 163.
Gar sers baith Louthiane & Fyf And vale to me a mekle wyf 1533 Boece 188a.
Natholok … walit ane man of Murray … beleiffing him maist traisty 1552 Treas. Acc. X 96.
To the paynter that walit the culloris … v s. 1576 Reg. Privy C. II 505.
Quhill samekill of the best thairof be walit, merkit and laid by to the use … of oure soverane lord 1578–9 Waus Corr. 202.
I haif send this berar to rasaif my oxin, I wil send na bodde to wal tham … I wil still lippin in your honour and promes 1592 Wodrow's Life of Bruce 30.
Princes … so they would wale such men to be about them [etc.](b) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 784.
Yow worthis wisly to wirk, ane wy for to wail, That sal duchtely his deid do with yone deir c1475 Wall. ii 351.
All worthi men, that has gud witt to waille, Be war that yhe with mys deyme nocht my taille 1497 Halyb. 105.
Gyffin a man for the helpin of the merchand, and to waill tham c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 186 (M).
Scho … Askit hir chois of archaris … Venus the best bad hir go waill 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 443.
Waill [Pitsc. I 148/14, weyll] 1551 Corr. M. Lorraine 351.
I am myndit to persew it … at your gracis cumin in this cowntry, and nocht to waill na tyme in Gorgis absence 1558 Edinb. B. Rec. III 26.
To waill thre twn of the best wyne may be gottin for money 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9555.
Alexander ane vther straik waillit neist 1564 Edinb. Old Acc. II 193.
Send ane servand to Ravelstoun to waill twa lange stanis 1578 Waus Corr. 192.
I wauld ye gart waile me ane laycht bed 1588 Cal. Sc. P. IX 633.
That ane assyse be wailed 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 130/12.
Uaile a1605 Montg. Misc. P. iii 7.
Megera … Both wey my words and waill my verse to wry[te] 1608 Paisley B. Rec. 284.
Ane craftisman to be chosin … quha can wail the samin [sc. a pall] 1613 Calderwood VII 184.
Waille 1638 Dumbarton B. Rec. 55.
That ae ansenye be bocht … and … Johne Sempill … to pryse and waill it c1656 Irvine Mun. II 260.
Nyne dealls which they wailed from amongst the rest a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 67.
The title is wailed which is most sutable(c) 1637 Stirling Merch. Guild 54 (see Wale n. 1).
Waelit(d) a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1647.
Weale never a girdle be the ringing nor a widow be her singing(e) 1560 Old Dundee II 181.
Pieces of the … best ashler in all the kirk and aisle [sc. Blackfriar's] to be wylit be craftsmen having judgement whilk are maist convenient for the shore 1578 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 78.
The maist abill men throch all the towne, out of quchom the said hundrethe men sall be wylit 1656 S. Leith Rec. 105/1.
John Wilkie … to wyll the wyne and to sett it in the Sessione in tym that it may setle 1666 Ellon Par. 144.
[Alex. Couts wright to go to Aberdeen and] wyle 50 double trees to be ane roufe to the kirkabsol. c1420 Wynt. viii 6712.
He chesyt … xxx, all thir wichtast men That he couthe wail 1504 Aberd. B. Rec. I 431.
That nay persone baik, vaile, or by, quhill it be deuisit be the aldirman and consale 1513 Doug. ii i 10.
Of choys men syne, walit by cut, thai tuke A gret numbyr(2) 1596 Dalr. II 145/3.
Our king to cheis and wail the maist commodious place leidis his armie to Floudoun 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 379.
Let us then be wise in our choice, and choose and wale our own blessedness a1652 Dickson Psalms I 248.
The … daily necessities of the godly are taken notice of in a speciall way by God, choosing and weyling to them exercises for their conditionb. a1605 Montg. Sonn. liii 2.
Go, pen and paper publish my complantis; Waill weghtie words, because ȝe cannot weep 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xvi.
The very word [sc. ethos] that John wayles herein … doth importe, not onely a custome, but a constitution also 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 1057.
The prelat … Whose words weell wealled and convenientlie couch'd [etc.] 1681 Cloud of Witnesses (1714) 111.
Indeed they will wale their words so, as they may not give their enemies offence 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 76/1.
Ȝe man … tak heid, that ȝe waill ȝour wordis according to the purpose

c. intr.Const. infinitive and out (furth).(1) c1475 Wall. vi 582.
Thocht thai befor wantyt bath hors and ger, Anewch thai gat, quhat thai wald waill to wer 1562-3 Winȝet I 81/24.
Gif yow wale be a Catholik(2) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 7.
Thai walit out werryouris 1513 Doug. v xii 92.
Wail out al thame beyn waik and onweilde c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 258.
He … waillit furth ane hundreth speiris And futemen quhilk wer bauld c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 839.
[They] waillit furth of the Inglis band Twa hundreth men a1568 Bann. MS 243b/55.
War Paris levand … And had the goldin ball to serve I wait he wald sone waill ȝow owt 1580–1 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 196.
The baillies to … waill furth the maist habill, honest, and best airmit 1598 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 670a.
To David Williamson for tua aikin corbellis … to the wark men that vyllit thame out amongis vtheris 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 455.
He was chosen and wyled out of the same race whereof ȝe came

2. To pick over, search ((a quantity of) something), chiefly for the purpose of selection. Also const. on, and proverb.Some examples may belong in 1.(1) 1537 Exch. R. XVII 741 n.
That ye cause … Patrik Tennent waill our sa[i]d woll, sort, and pak the samin 1563 Edinb. Old Acc. I 439.
To pyonars, to cast ane haill hepe of daillis, to waill thir forsaids daillis iiij s. 1604 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 307.
To bring hame sic personis as can begyn upone Scottis wool to waill it, soirt it [etc.] 1639 Baillie I 144.
Had not the ministerie been verie well wailed for the purpose [etc.] 1639 Baillie I 226.
Wale your privat tymes that ye be not markedproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1077.
Litle luk in the house quhair the gudeman wails the bairnis meat for pieces of quhittin stiks(2) c1570 Maxwell Mem. II 138.
Aifter the sycht of your wryttein … I haif send ȝow syk thyngis to waill on, as I thynk sall serf your purpos