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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
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Sail(l, Sale, n.¹ Also: sail(l)e, sayl(l)(e, saell, saeil(l; seal(l, seale; siell; sell(e; sall, saul. [ME and e.m.E. sæil (Layamon), sail (Cursor M.), sayl (1342–3), etc., also ME and early e.m.E. seil(e (Layamon), seyl (Chaucer), seill(e (Trevisa), ceyle (Prompt. Parv.), seyle (1497), etc., OE seg(e)l, ON segl.]

1. A sail (of a ship, etc.).Also Foresail(l, Fuksail(l, Main-sail(l, Topsaill. 1375 Barb. xv 293.
The gud king had thar Gert his schippis with saillis ga Owt-our betuix [the] Tarbart[is] twa c1420 Wynt. vi 2043, 2046.
And sone fra scho the sayle wp-sawe Than till Makbeth … Scho sayd, ‘Makbeth, luke wp and se, Wndyr yhon sayle forsuth is he … that thow has sowcht 1461 Ayr B. Ct. 11 May.
For the wrangwis takin of a sayle with iiii bonatis out of Sant Johnis kirk 1494 Treas. Acc. I 248.
For beryng of the sayle and ayris to the kyrk and for the dryen of the sayle 1513 Doug. v i 30.
Hym self infangis the le schete of the saill 1515 Treas. Acc. V 25.
For saillis ankkeris airis [etc.] … for the graithing of twa botis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 621 (B).
Quhen all the sailis plaid brittill brattill c1550 Id. Meldrum 723.
The Inglis artailȝe … sloppit throw thair fechting saillis 1561 Treas. Acc. XI 117.
xvij elne of tweill hardin to be ane croce of ane saill a1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvi 10.
With evin keill befoir the wind Scho is richt fairdy with a saill a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 62/28.
Ane lekand bott … To beir the saill nocht havand ane steif mast 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Carbacus, fyne lynt or ane saill c1590 J. Stewart 97/628.
Vaeik crezit barge vpon the suelling sie To euerie vind vill not hir saell vpbend 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 19b.
For ane tard saell 12 l.(b) 1494 Treas. Acc. I 254.
For the tursing of ane grete sale [etc.] 1497 Acta Conc. II 93. 1506 Treas. Acc. III 295. 1512 Ib. IV 305.
For the fraucht of iiij gret pakkis canves for salis, ilk pak ane tune wecht 1533 Ib. VI 163, etc.(c) 1598 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 53.
To creaf a compt of Robert of hir auld siellis and tacle(d) 1533 Treas. Acc. VI 165.
For xij elnis canves to mend hir saulis(e) 1595 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 9b.
For twyne to our sallis Ib.
For making ane tar sall x s. 1619 Melrose P. 329.
The artaillierie, sallis, and otheris ornamentis of the ship(f) 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 11b.
For last mell for the selles 6 li.proverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1641) No. 765.
Sokand [= soaking] seall is best a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1194.
Soking saill is good saill a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1371.
Sokane seale is best

b. In phrases with various verbs and/or adverbs, as also in 2 b.As to rais, pull up, etc., and to lat fall, lat or draw doun or in, to strike, etc., (one's) sail(is, the sail, for which see also the verbs.(1) 1375 Barb. xv 286.
And set thaim in the schippis hey And sayllis [C. salys] to the toppis tey And gert men gang thar-by drawand Ib. xvi 700.
Thai raissyt sayllis but abaid c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1698.
Thai … halit wp thare salis hie c1420 Wynt. ii 1600.
Eneas and Askaneus … Wp to [the] tope thare sayllys drewe And drawe on as thame blastys blewe c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 90.
Or thow durst move thy mynd malitius, Thow saw the saill abone my heid up draw 1513 Doug. ii ii 143.
Quhil vp salys drew thai Ib. v xiv 6.
Than al sammyn … Dyd heys thar sail and trossyt down thar teys 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 35.
We pullit vp sailis and culd our ankeris wey 15.. Clar. v 2675.
Thay raisit saillis bent unto the height, And fuire ower fluide 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7340.
My marinaris thay ar in reddynes To tak vp saillis, and to the sey thame dres 1562-3 Winȝet I 3/18.
Sum … fleing fra the sanddy beddis speidis baith with airis and erect salis to brek … the schip on the feirful rokis 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 216/298.
With willing mindes they hailde the tyes, And hoist the flaffing sayles(2) c1475 Wall. ix 53.
The seymen than … Leyt salys fall, and has thar cours ynom 1513 Doug. iii iii 111.
Down fallis salis, the aris sone we span Ib. iv 110.
Do lows the rabandis, and lat down the saill 1528 Lynd. Dreme 1020.
One schip … did slake hir salis, and gan to creip Towart the land 1549 Compl. 40/27.
Cut the raibandis and lat the foir sail fal 1560 Rolland Seven S. 581.
Als sone thay come vnto thair kyndlie coist, Doun drew thair saills 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. v 15.
Colligere arma, to draw in the saills a1578 Pitsc. I 229/27.
Thinkand that thay sould haue struckkin sailles at thair boast(3) 1513 Doug. v xiv 12.
And al his salis vp with fellon fard 1549 Compl. 40/4.
Ane galiasse … lyand fast at ane ankir and hyr salis in hou

c. In fig. contexts.Referring to the raising and lowering of sails and alluding to a person's spirits, ambition, bearing, style of life, success in performance, etc. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 176/13.
Walk furth, pilgrame, … Bend up thy saill and win thy port of grace Ib. 186/15.
Quharfor of confurt set up all thi salis [: avalis, balis (= sufferings), assalis] c1552 Lynd. Mon. 154.
Synthea the hornit nychtis quene Scho loste hir lycht and lede ane lawar saill Frome tyme hir souerane lorde that scho had sene And in his presens waxit dirk and paill a1570-86 Shaw Maitl. F. 384/10, 11, 17.
And set ȝour sale a litle lawar For gif ȝe hauld ȝour sale ouir strek Thair may cum bubbis ȝe not suspek … And thocht the air be fair and stormles Ȝit thair hauld not ȝour sale ouir pres [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. II 14/1.
For thay seand that the Erle of Lennox his enimie was cum in Scotland … to depois him of his auctoritie … that causit him and his freindis bayth to bear the lawer saill and be contenttit to [etc.] c1590 J. Stewart 11/4.
Muses muife me now ane quhyle Vith sacred furie … Thow … Queine of Cypris yle Hich heyis my saeils and mak my passage plaine Ib. 265 §259.
My muse go low and nocht so hich pretend In this Carib do nocht thy saeill vpbend. Hold bak, hold bak [etc.] 1648 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 528.
I found the bent sail of the spirits of some so much on the engagement, that all things else were like to be neglected 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 57.
Tho a man of wast estat … yet he keips sick a low saile that he wil not spend the thrid of his rent

d. fig. To turn (one's) sail or sailis, to sail in a new direction, change direction, also const. on (= to turn against). a1568 Mersar Bann. MS 269a/25.
Than turnis he [sc. the fickle lover] his saill annone And passis to ane vthir port 1540 Lynd. Sat. 583.
Becaus thay lichtlyit gude counsale Fortoun turnit on thame hir saill 1560 Rolland Seven S. 662.
Becaus … this emprice did persaue Na kynd of childe scho was able to haue Scho turnit hir saillis vnto ane vther wind Quhair [etc.]

2. The sails of a ship, collectively. 1375 Barb. iii 691.
Thai … maid redy … Ankyrs rapys bath saile and ar 1516 Exch. R. XIV 149.
Cordis, et groundrapis, schetis, sale [etc.] 1526–7 Edinb. B. Rec. I 229.
The graith of the schip … viz. mastis, … takle, saill, and all vther graith 1615 Melrose P. 215.
He gatt a bigg boat with oares, sale and taikleing 1622 Urie Baron Ct. 43.
[They] ar decernit to redelyuer back the saill of the boit bak to the laird 1622-6 Bisset II 245/7.
[That] they be bound to ordoure there saill weill and trewilie

b. In phrases with various verbs and verb phrases: cf. 1 b.To draw, hois, pull, stent, tak, wind (up, etc.) sail; to direct, set, mak boun sail; to lous, let sail; to mak, tak sail; to strike (= lower) sail; for which see also the various verbs.(1) c1420 Wynt. ii 749.
He tuke wpe sayle and furth he past a1500 Seven S. 2490.
In the schip thai ȝud And drewe wp saile c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 236.
To scip thai went, And swyth up saile unto the top thai stent 1513 Doug. iii iii 80.
This sted alsso leif we, and sail maid bown Ib. ix iii 50.
Quhen … Thai … at costis of Itale Arryvit ar, and in [Ruddim. to] tha portis set sail 1533 Boece 132b.
[They] pullit vp sale, tending to seik new habitacioun 1535 Stewart 317.
Tha saw … Ane he[r]bering place … ; Sone tha let saill and straik into the raid And ankeris caist Ib. 38803.
The Danis … Wand saill to top, and saillit syne fra hand To Olawaus 1587 Waus Corr. 396.
Ve tuik chip and lovsit and twik saill … vyth fayr vynd 1596 Dalr. II 242/9.
How sune the schip was now furniched, sayle thay lous and … thay to the Skye and Leuieis sayle Ib. 311/8.
Monseur Vilagnon with sum shipis and four galayes louses at Leith and directes sayl to France 1600-1610 Melvill 252.
We hoised seall with a lytle pirhe of est wind and lainshed furthe c1610 Melville Mem. (1683) 8.
We hoised sail toward Ireland 1618 Trial Isobel Inch 5.
He com to the said burghe the tyme of the maiking saill of the said schip c1650 Spalding I 151.
And vpone the 28th of Marche hoysis wp saill Ib. II 339.(2) 1460 Hay Alex. 4169.
Thai straik sale send furth a galiote 1558-66 Knox II 12.
Streicking saill, and making as thai wald cast anker 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 32.
The grit Secratar wold nocht pas by the castell of Edinburgh without stryking of saille, in sing of obedience

c. With full or bent saill, with bent saill full, with sails filled by the wind, at full speed.c1475 Wall. ix 58 (see Sail(l v.¹ 1 b (1) (b)). 1513 Doug. i i 64 (see Sail(l v.¹ 1). Ib. iv xi 6.
The queyn … gan espy, With bent sail furth caryand, the navy

d. Undir (the) saill, (of a ship or ships) having the sails set. c1420 Wynt. vi 2064.
Fra that the sowth bate ware sene The landys wndyre sayle betwene c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 457.
Quhen that the schip was saynit and undir saile [etc.] a1568 Bann. MS 249b/36.
Schippis off tour and ballingeris of weir Be thowsand sailis rycht swiftly ondir saill 1549 Corr. M. Lorraine 317.
Efter our schyp wes ondyr sell c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 838.
Syne, put the schippis vnder saill 1570 Sat. P. xvii 10.
Us to exerce as ship vnder the saill Sum tyme in storme sum tyme in temperate tyde a1578 Pitsc. I 229/5.
Thir thrie schipis makand wnder saill command fast towartis thame

3. A ship's sail as descried at a distance at sea; hence, a ship. Freq. with a numeral, (so many) ships.Also complemented by of ships, of men of war. c1475 Wall. ix 63.
Sowthest he saw … Saxten salis arayit all on raw, In colour reid, and towart him couth draw Ib. x 799.
Out off the south a gret rede saile thai se, Into thar top the leopardis standand hye c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 51.
I saw approch agayn the orient sky, A saill, als quhite as blossum upon spray, Wyth merse of gold … Quhilk tendit to the land full lustily c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 711.
Of ane greit saill thay gat ane sicht … Than past the skipper … Up to the top … And saw it wes ane man of weir 1595 Cal. Sc. P. XI 661.
[Ten or twelve galleys with other smaller] sailles 1610 Reg. Privy C. IX 567.
Thay having tuo saillis, the one a schip about 200, the other a choise pinnace 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 1584.
He send to sea A sextie saills of warreuninfl. pl. 1570 Leslie 227.
Thair arrivit … a xxv saill of men of war 1628 Soc. Ant. XXVIII 444.
I mett ane … staitis man of warr, quho assurit me that thair ar twentie six saill come from the King of Spain 1657 Balfour Ann. IV 350.
Generall Blacke passed … with 60 and ode sayle 1667 Laing MSS I 361.
80 saill of shipps 1689 Dunlop P. III 52.
Above one hunder seal of ships now laying at Greenock

4. Transf. to various objects resembling sails. 1460 Hay Alex. 1288.
The armit knychtis with helmis and basnet, … With trapit hors and bellis in thair talis, With ostrage fetheris, buschus and with salis 1569 Inv. Q. Mary 184.
Ane selle of blew purpour weluat to be careit on Corpus Christeis day with four panda[n]tis and with brouderie of cleith of gold about the borderis of the same a1570-86 Maitl. F. 440/119.
The women als … Thay man be buskit wp lyk bryddis Thair heidis heisit with seikin sailis 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 329.
The saids pynoris havand affixit ane braid saill betuix thame and the castell … to that effect that thai suld not be sene work, the suddartis of the castell ischit and brint the said saill 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 30.
Of gryitt cloakes … The going wark … The neatt of the saills quhilk the midquheill maks to go 1654–6 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 602.
For amending the saills of the knock

5. attrib. and comb.With canves, linning, maker, nedill, sewar, threid, tre, twyne, wob, yarne.1482 Edinb. Chart. 169 (see Canves n. 1 (a)). 1640 Aberd. B. Rec. III 225.
Thrie thowsand elnes of hardin tyiking or saill canves for making thair tentis 1661 Acts VII 253/2. 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X 172.
Necessaries for the use of shipping … quadracks, … astrolobes, sea pleats, sea draughts, cairts, atlases, … seall canveses, … seall twyne — 1689 Brechin Test. VII 212b.
Fourty elns off sell-linning at vj s. per eln — 1686 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 192.
Peter Pittit sailmaker — 1497 Treas. Acc. I 379.
For saill nedillis xij d. 1538 Ib. VIII 160.
For ane dosane of sailnedillis … ii s. 1591 Edinb. Test. XXIII 290.
Fywe hundretht saill neiddillis at xiij s. the gros — 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 318.
To James Mowat and David Kaling, saill sewaris, becaus thai tynt and brak thair nedillis, xiiij s. 1512–13 Ib. 471. 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 53a.
To the sallseuer iii s. 4 d. — 1494 Treas. Acc. I 253.
For nedillis and sale threid xij s. 1512 Ib. IV 454.
Saill threid for the completing of the salis 1534 Ib. VI 235. 1538 Ib. VIII 160.
Twa pound four unces of sailthreid Ib. 161. — 1652–3 Peebles B. Rec. II 195.
Ane geist of 24 foot to be sailtrees … £2 4 s. — 1601 Dundee Shipping P. 71.
For sayll twayne 1601–2 Montrose Treas. Acc. 6b.
To Villiam Petrie youngar for ane pund and halff pund off saill twyne 1622 Brechin Test. IV 62b.
Saill tuyne — 1639 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 596.
Restand of the pryce of ane seall woob quhilk he bocht fra the said complener — 1681 Blackness Customs 39b.
Ane hundretht & fyftie pund saill yarne