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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sil(e, v.¹ Also: sill(e, syl(e, syil(l, syll; sell(e. P.t. and p.p. also sild, etc. [e.m.E. sil(e (1584) to deceive (the sight), ME, once, sile (Trevisa) to sew up the eyes of a hawk, OF ciller, siller, f. cil an eyelash, med. L. ciliare (du Cange).] tr.

1. To cover (the eyes or sight); esp. of Christ during his Passion. Also, once, const. up.(1) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 964 (Asl.).
Thai … Sylit his eyne as fule in dirisioun a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 448.
Sum … filit his cristall eyne, And silit his sicht, as he a fule had bene a1568 Bann. MS 31b/27.
Myne ene syld my face gritly confusit 1611-57 Mure True Crucifixe 650.
Now siling vp his eyes Hee streight must show Who Him did most with causelesse strips infest(2) 1575 Reg. Privy C. II 479.
[They] tuke thame nakit furth of thair beddis, and sylit thair eyis unto the tyme thay had distroyit the saidis houssis

b. fig. To obscure (the eyes, sight), to deceive. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1285 (Asl.).
Thy sicht is sylit [Arund. filit, Harl. filyt] with sensualite a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 243 (Harl.).
Syling [Arund. silland] a1561 Norvell Meroure 24a.
Why hast thou hardned … our heart … And syld our eyne, we shuld not cleirlie se … thy will 1565 Facs. Nat. MSS III xlix.
Oure rebellis … to syle the eyis of the sempill pepill hes gevin thame to vndirstand that [etc.] 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. in Cath. Tr. (STS) 77/27.
Gif the craftie delusion of Sathan sylit not the eyis of mennis hartis be ane subornit opinion 1590 Burel Pilgr. i 487.
Begyling and syling The eies of syllie beasts 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas ii 568.
What fetch of fyne device could syle her sight? 1635 Dickson Hebrews 63.
The sinner doeth beguyle himselfe, and seeketh to syle the eyes of others

c. Of sleep: To obscure (the eyes). 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 107/1.
What drousie sleepe doth syle your eyes allace

2. To deceive, mislead, beguile (a person, his senses). Also reflex.(1) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 449.
Certis we wemen … set us all fra the syght to syle men of treuth 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 205.
With sweit and subtell wordis I did him syle 1567 G. Ball. 184.
Their cloikit halynes Baith men and wyfis sa lang hes sylde a1570-86 J. Maitland Maitl. F. 436/91.
Be nocht thairfoir syld [v.rr. sylitt, syild] as ane bellie blind Nor lat thy self be led wpone [the] yce 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 97.
This sylit, begylit, They will bot get the glaikis a1578 Pitsc. I 125/18.
[They] had silit hir in contracting hir of that … wickit marieage 1582 Misc. Stair Soc. I 117.
Item quhair the defendaris wald meane to syill your lordschips witht ane craftie report that [etc.] 1594 Lett. Jas. VI to Eliz. 102.
That so wyse … a prince … shoulde be so sylid … by … heir owin subjectis 1600 Crim. Trials II 185.
I haveing inquirit at Andro Hendersoun him selff … [he] sylit me, and ansuerit [etc.] 1616 Crim. Trials III 586.
The Inglischmen ar michtielie blindit, deceavit, and sylet, albeit thay be vtherwayis ane natioun full of eyis(2) 1609 Garden Garden 26.
The folies that defyld My sinfull soule, and all my senses syld(3) c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 103.
Thay syle thame as thay will And makis thare law conforme thare till

3. To cover, hide, conceal from the view. Also fig. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 10.
Quhen Titan had his bemis bricht Withdrawin doun, and sylit [Ruthv. sellit] vnder cure 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 42.
Baith man and beste, fyrth, flude and woddis wild Involuyt in tha schaddois warryn syld [Sm. sild] 1533 Boece 186.
With … visage silit to be vnknawin he gaif him to fle 1533 Boece 373b.
Ane … abilȝit all in blak, with visage silit 1533 Boece 414.
The son was silit with blak cluddis … and gaif na licht 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (STS) Adhort. 4.
To se the warkis of plesant Poetrie To ly sa hid and sylit from the sicht Of those, in hart quha dois reiois aricht 1580 Hume Promine 79.
Dame Flora … Syilit with schaddow of the blumand bewis 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 150/690.
The … cataract … doth as with a cloath, Enuious syle and hide, The cristall shining humour, that Doth in his eies abidefig. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 473 (Asl.).
Syn sylis the licht of oure ressoun a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 92.
Silit he wes vnder schaddew of syn 1567 Sat. P. iv 29.
Hir licherous luife, quhilk kindlit ouer hait, Cauld hes it cuild and sylit me with dissait 1567 Sat. P. iv 116.
Ȝour [sc. women's] … mylde meiknes sylit with subtilitie

b. To hide from (public) knowledge. 1533 Boece 522b.
He aschamyt nocht to feneȝe ane fals policye to syle his vices a1538 Abell 98a.
Nocht at he consentit to thame bot alanerlie silit thare perdicioun 1549 Compl. 171/18.
Ther is na thing that is hid or sylit, bot the tyme sal mak it manifest 1567 G. Ball. 178.
Thocht thou flow in philosophie, Or graduate in theologie, Ȝit and thow syle [v.r. syll] the veritie, Than downe, thow sall cum downe(b) 1571 Cal. Sc. P. III 652.
[This declaration is … to the effect that our undeserved] hard handlilling [may not be] sylled