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

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

Swel(l, Swal(l, v. Also: suel(l, suall, swoll. P.t. also sowllit. P.p. also swolin, swolne, suoln(n)e, swowin, swon, swellne, swalleing, suollit, (suillted). [ME and e.m.E. swell(en (Layamon), suell (north., c1450), p.t. swal (a1250), swalle (Malory), swellyd (c1435), swole (1598), p.p. i-swolle (Trevisa), swollen (c1400), suolle (a1450), swelled (1535), swolne (1594), OE swellan, p.t. sweall, swullon, p.p. -swollen.]

1. intr. To swell, to increase in size. Also in fig. context, cf. 3 below. b. tr. To cause to swell.pres. 1494 Loutfut MS 31a.
And quhen he strenȝeis ony with his teith that man suellis sua quhill he tynis the liff a1538 Abell 97b.
He saw the saule of Edwert led to the hell with a company of ewill spretis sweland schowtand & criand 1549 Compl. 122/9.
His body began to suel, and sa he decessit 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I 93.
[She] keist witchecraft on the said cow … [and] cawsit hir papes and hendir quarters swell so gryt, that scho culd nocht win in at the dur 1622 Scot Course of Conformity 14.
Hierarchie … riseth upon the ruines of the Kirk, and proues like the melt in the bodie, as it swelleth and waxeth great the strength and beautie of the bodie decayeth(b) 1604-31 Craig iii 12.
For if you stand on top of Fortunes wheele, Beware lest with the bibull spoynge you swal 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 146.
Ȝe prayed that scho sould suall that eat ȝour meallp.t. 1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 236.
The said guidwyffe tuik ane wodnes, and hir toung schot out of hir heid, and swallit lyke ane pott 1629 Black Orkn. & Shetl. Folklore 75.
For slaeing of four gryss's … Quhairby Mareoun Flet be eatting of the said gryss's swallit and becam decraipit 1643 Dalyell Darker Superst. 266.
Quhen the corne was caryit to the grind, it lap vpoun his wyfis face lyk myttis and as it war nipit hir face vntill it swallit(b) 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 73.
And with the time it had bein in his mouth his head swalled as big as 2 headsb. tr. 1456 Hay II 139/5.
Evill wateris … ar bitter … in the mouth, and dryand and suelland in the body, and makis mekle wambe to beste or man that usis thame 1535 Stewart 26694.
This fals Saxone … Into the water rank poysoun pat … Of the quhilk Vter drank … Quhilk efterwart swellit him fit and hand 1573 Sempill in Sat. P. xxxix 86.
Infekit watter sowllit thame, cheik and chin ?c1650 Canongate Hammermen in Bk. Old Edinb. C. XX 110.
For cursing within the conveining house be saying devil swall George Reid

c. p.p. Swollen. a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 1596.
Sume [men] throu ydropesy sa gret Swolne that thai ma ete no mete a1400 Leg. S. xl 798.
Swolline 1531 Bell. Boece II 109.
His wambe … wes swolin, as he had been edroppic [pr. -it] 1657 Balfour Ann. III 436.
Shoe … being weill at night wes found dead one the morrow, all suolnne, the symptomes of poysone being seine one her(b) 1531 Bell. Boece I lx.
We ingorge and fillis our self … quhill our wambe be sa swon, that it is unabil to ony virtewis occupation a1568 Bann. MS 158b/71.
His faice als stiff is for scleip & his ene swowin(c) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 167.
I sall the venome devoid with a vent large And me assuage of the swalme that suellit wes gret(d) Arundel MS 256/45.
Suollit wer thy syddis, for-scurgit bla and wan(e) 1685 Cramond Kirk S. II 3 May.
The Session considering the sadd case of Bessie Robison lying sicke & swelled(f) 16.. Hist. Kennedy 50.
His wondis being with the cald sa gritt suallit 1657 Duncan Glasg. Physic. & Surg. 75.
Be reason of his legis were all swalit downward(g) a1500 Lanc. 1221.
His face was al to hurt and al to schent, His newis swellyng war and al to rent

d. To swell, puff up, distend be (for, in, with) an emotion. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8180.
For verray wraith, … His ene thay glowrit, and als his face it swellit c1590 J. Stewart 90/369.
His boudin brest all suellit vp in teine 1600-1610 Melvill 227.
[I] tuk jorney to Linlithgow to the Parliament, swalleing upe be hope, inquenchable joy [etc.] 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. i 48.
Ressoun alone … to Cupid then replyed, suolne with dispicht

2. intr. Of water, the sea, the ground: To rise. Also fig. a1578 Pitsc. II 246/22.
This serwand persaving the eird evir to ryve and to swoll quhair he stuid c1590 Fowler I 229/4.
Lord quha did marche vpon the stormye sees, … And calms them maist quhen they in rage did swell c1590 Fowler II 156/23.
For I compair fortoun to a violent flood, rining from the montains with impetuositie and ravishment that whils as he is suillted and deborded ouerfloueth all the plane, [Ital. che quando s'adirano, allagano e' piani] 1618 Trial Isobel Inch 6.
[They] went … to the sey syd … at enin … with the foresaid muill figures [etc.] … together also with sum litle reid stones the cullour of orangeirs, and … the sey, after incasting thairof, radgit, roarit, and swallit up, and becum reid like reid madder littfig. 1622 Scot Course of Conformity (1622) 11.
Againe the spait of division swelleth to a great height, the flouds encrease and prevaile in the assembly

3. intr. fig. To increase in riches, power or importance. c1590 Fowler II 85/31.
They wald never have permitted that the Romane kirk suld have suelled to that greatnes ?1655 Fugitive Poetry II xxviii 3/55.
Fiscalls, swellne with wealth, By sucking out the bodies health

4. fig. To increase in force or intensity. c1590 J. Stewart 59/65.
At suddan sycht his sute so soone sould suell For frustrat fauor vith refuise befoir 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. xx 13.
My weak ingyne Can add smal luster to thy gloryes schyne, Quich (lyk the boundles ocean) swels no moir Tho springs and founts infuis thair liquid stoir