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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rag(g)al(l, Regale, v. Also: rag(y)ell, -ill, raggle; regall, -ele. [Cf. e.m.E. and late ME regyll (1458), regall (1577); rigall (1555), riggall (1609) n. a groove in wood or stone; e.m.E. rigoll (1580) v. to furnish (a barrel) with a groove in which the head fits, OF regol (1210 in Larousse), rigolle (1339) n. a narrow water or drainage channel, MDu. regel a straight line, L. regula. Also in the later dial. See also Rag(g)al(l)ing,vbl. n. The Sc. -a- is difficult to account for.]

1. intr. To cut a groove in the stonework of a gable wall to receive the edge of the roof of a new adjoining building.(a) 1649 Old Dundee I 422.
[He ought] not to mak holls for putting of geasts in the gavel wall, but withal put bolts of iron therein and raggle thereon(b) 1512–13 Prot. Bk. J. Foular I 164.
[Permission] to have in his said north gavil the end of a lintale and the end of a dormond and to regale abon to had him watter ticht that he may sklait the sam

2. tr. To join the roof edge of a building to, intill, in the gable wall of the adjoining building by means of a groove or raggle. b. To insert (a drainpipe) in such a groove.(a) 1525 Stirling B. Rec. I 22.
That the said Cristan Ra … sall tousk, bowale and ragall the gawill of the saidis Cristan new hous to the gavill of the said Sir Allexander hous 1613 Glasgow Chart. II App. 574.
Concerning the said Mr Hew his gavill of his tenement … nixt adjacent to the said William his tenement … the said Mr. Hew grantis licens to the said William to draw the paittis of his gavill, rais and big the same … and to raggall his sclait ruif thairintill(b) 1529–30 Edinb. Guild Ct. 15 Feb.
And inlyk wys to ege thair gutteris & to regall thair sclaittis in the samynb. 1551 Dundee B. Ct. II fol. 110 (9 Nov.).
The said Johnis spout to be raggalit in the said gawill ane insche deip

3. To groove stonework to allow the attachment of another structure by means of a watertight joint; also, b. spec. To act as a drainage channel (cf. mod. mining usage (SND, s.v. Raggle v.¹ 2)). 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. II 129.
To iiij servand masouns to ragill the bak syd of the pillar Ib. 131.
To ane mason that … regeleit ane quarner of the pillar and soupleit the regeleing of windo, for cutting of the glass bandis — 1616 Aberd. B. Rec. II 340.
The said Thomas shall ragyell the new gavill with ane tabill of frie wark to mack the tolbuith waterthichtb. 1611 Glasgow Merchants House 108.
Thairfoir ordanis him to ragell the wall of the said tenement fra the mouth of the said jawhoill doun to the ragelling of the wall of the said Michaell Brounis back buith unto the grund … and to clois the said ragelling with buirdis to the grund … swa that the wattir … cuming furth of the said jawhoil may discend … to the syour