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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scailing, Scaling, -ynge, vbl. n. Also: skail(l)-, skayl-, skaling; scalen; skeilling. [Scail v.]

1. a. The scattering or dispersing of (a thing) in sense 1 of the verb. b. The action of allowing water to flow away in sense 4 c of the verb. c. The action of dispersing, disbanding, etc. (persons) in senses 6, 7, 8 and 12 of the verb. d. The action of raising (a siege) in sense 9 of the verb.a. (1) 1554 Dundee B. Ct. II fol. 327b (8 Aug.).
Adiugit to have done wrang to Jhone Carmichel in skaling of his girs ourethwort the cawsay 1575 Glasgow B. Rec. I 38.
Fund in the wrang … in castyng of hir downe … and skailing of hir sybois 1604–5 Ayr B. Acc. 224.
For skaling of the middingis 1609–10 Ib. 244.
For skailling of fuilȝe upoun the hillis 1615 Inverurie 197.
Fined for … spoilling of the new sawn beddis and skailling of the seids(2) 1544 Reg. Privy S. III 115/2.
He ma nocht gudlie pay the saidis dettis … without skaling of his hous 1556 Inverness Rec. I 3.
For the wrangus skaling and sellin of thair geyr in opyn mercatb. 1708 Stirling B. Rec. II 114.
To visite … the Bridge Milne … where the spout is and to ordor effectual course … for preventing the scailing of the waterc. (1) c1460 Wisd. Sol. (STS) 172.
Tyme of scalynge, tyme of gaderinge 1519 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 149.
Lettres … for prolongatioun of the pece and scailing on the bordouris 1569 Aberd. B. Rec. I 366.
The scolars … compellit be … thair maister to conveine at sick tymes as thai war in wse and preuelege of libertie and skaling obefoir 1570 Leslie 46.
Under … the skaling of the power foresaid, thair was incontinent greit … distructioun done 1572 Cal. Sc. P. IV 483.
[At the] scaling [from the Parliament] 1593 Bk. Univ. Kirk III 805.
Willing them befor thair skailing to direct two or thrie of thair number vnto him 1640 Dundonald Par. Rec. 465.
Let the hour of gathering [sc. at the school] in the morning be seaven of clock and the hour of skailing six 1645 S. Leith Rec. 54/1.
At the kirk scailing(2) a1500 Bernardus 386.
Better is scalynge [pr. stalynge] of thar barnagis In to the warlde [L. per mundum dispersio] … Na [etc.] 1497 Treas. Acc. I 354.
Tithingis of the skaling of the Inglismen 1523 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 180.
Eftir the skaling of the said army 1569–70 Edinb. B. Rec. III 269.
At the skaling of the nycht wasche, viz., be sex houris in the mornyng 1572 Peebles B. Rec. I 341.
To vse the stryking of the swische nychtlie to the wauche and in the mornyng at skaling of the watsche 1598 Edinb. B. Rec. V 232.
The scailing of the hie schole for feir of the pest 1603 Moysie 24.
In the skailing of the pepill from the execution, thair wes … letters fund in proes 1651 in Boyd Zion's Fl. Introd. 53.
Mr. … Boyd to be spoken to about the soon scaling of the Barony Kirk on Sunday afternoon 1656 Nicoll Diary 175.
Skayling 1661 Dumfries Council Min. 14 Jan.
At the skailing of the kirk 1664 Glasgow B. Rec. III 35.
After the skailling of ony buriall, to sight the calsay 1683 R. Brown Paisley I 302.
At skeilling of the preachingd. 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 301.
The Ballioll eftir the skaling of the seige … come … to Skoyne

2. To tak scailing, to cease hostilities (? by withdrawing one's forces). 1535 Stewart 8938.
The quhilk wes send … With speciall power for to purches peice And scalen tak fra all battell and weir Ib. 10748.
Tha tuke na scaling nother nycht nor da Ib. 8956.

3. ? Goods or articles to be disposed of (? by sale). Cf. sense 1 a (2) above. 1638 Brechin Test. V 257.
The outreid & skailling of his quarter forsaid of the said schip