Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Scheling, S(c)heil(l)ing, S(c)hilling, vbl. n.¹ Also: scheilinge, (sheeling); schiling, s(c)hil(l)ine, shillin; schelleyng, -en; shelling, (schelyn). [Late ME schyllynge (Prompt. Parv.), shillynge (1585–6), shelling (1598), shaling (Cotgr.), shilling (1681), also in the later dial; Schele v.¹]

1. The action of separating the grain from the husk, in sense 1 of Schele v.¹ 1583–4 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 320.
That the said milleris … diligentlie awaitt vpoun the scheilling of the quheitt pertening to … the baxteris quhidder it be on day or nicht 1588 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 191 (2 July).
Nane of your greit turnis promesit hastelie to be endit efter our last depairting as yit be nocht done, sic as the bigging of the clouse to mak your loch, the careing away the red from the tour windo, scheilling in the hielandis and sending your sone to Sanctandrois 1606 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 198.
The haill millers … actit thame selffis … to absteine from millinge, grindinge, or scheilinge on the Sabboth day 1625 Urie Baron Ct. 59.
All … persones … within the suckin … sall have meit grund to thame at the milne scheilling off thair awin cornes 1627 Ib. 64.
And the malt to be groundin vpon the sheiling 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 18.
There are but few milnes here, save hand milnes, called quairns, there is no shelling of victual 1688 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 235.
In lieu of the losse the baxters sustaines upon the accompt of dichting and sheeting [erron. for sheeling or shelling] of their wheat

b. ? Put for Scheling-hill n.c1634 Aberd. Trades 218 (see Schele v.¹ 1).

c. With law, as a place-name element. ? = Scheling-hill n. 1392 Reg. Great S. 338/2.
De terris suis de Schelynlaw

2. Grain freed from the husks, by threshing and winnowing.Chiefly sing. as mass noun.sing. (1) 1574–5 Prestwick B. Rec. 75.
For the … steilling of ane furlat of scheilling of the mill of Monktoune 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 173.
Than the said mylne … grund efter hir auld forme, and made gude meill and scheiling 1667 Stitchill Baron Ct. 46 (see pl. below).(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 147 (B).
As gredy gleddis ȝe gang With polkis to mylne and beggis baith meill and schilling [M. scheilling] Ib. 243 (see Lik v.¹ 5).
Lik schilling 1557 Digest Justiciary Proc. BB 140.
For the … maisterfull reifing … of ane pock of schilling 1598 Acts IV 179/2.
Ane greit abuse vsit be meilmakeris … in caussing grind the haill aittis and schilling 1601 Elgin Rec. II 94.
The Bischopmiln gangand and thai windoing schilling thair 1613 Fraserburgh Kirk S. fol. 20b (5 Aug.).
[He] had stowin sa meikill of Boigheidis schilling [etc.] 1619 Rutherglen B. Ct. I 15 Nov.
The deutie … conforme to the auld actis … half ane peck of schilling of ilk fywe firlottis [etc.] 1620 Broxmouth & Pincarton Baron Ct. 4 May.
And the multure to be taken of ilk firlott wheat corne or shilling to be ane dishfull 1631 Monteith Stewartrie Ct. 9 March.
[They] alledgit that the corne of the said schilling was raw and not weill dryit sua that it wald not grind nor labour as it suld have done 1639 Falkirk Baron Ct. 23 July.
2 capfull schilling for ilk kilfull 1641 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II 479.
Ane haddische meill for ilk boll shilling for the millar his bannak and seruice 1650 Brechin Presb. 26.
Elspit Gray … thinking that his sone was over lairge in melting [? metting] her shilling, said [etc.] 1652 Peebles B. Rec. II 1.
The under milleres to have onlie ane capfull meall straikit for ilk boll schilline 1660 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 263.
The compleinar having certane schilling grinding at the said miln … and payit the whole multor knaveschip and uther dewtie therfor 1663 Forbes Baron Ct. 243.
The bailȝie ordaines the guidmans of the saidis millis … that they sall not bink thair shilling nor brok thair stuff 1667 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 12 (1 March).
[He went to the Nun Mylne] quhair ther was certaine shilling and poyndit ane semple theroff 1677 Corshill Baron Ct. 141.
Confest … twentie three partes of shilling abstracted 1685 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 350.
[Out of every firlot of shilling] an dishfull of shiline for the mouter therof 1696 Ib. 795.
Shilline(c) 1534 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 118.
The action … movit be Robert Anderson and his spous … [anent the wra]ngus … spulȝeing of thair schelleyng at Mychelmes last vas 1562 Prestwick B. Rec. 66.
The wrangus wythtaken of ij peckis of schellen out of the myl of Prestwikschawis 1602 Old Ross-shire I 57.
[The] said thrald suckeners to pay onlie ane peck shelling as multir furth of everie sex firlatts(2) 1505 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 88.
The schilling of tua bollis of aits 1530 Prot. Bk. Gavin Ros 194.
[He] had received from her a peck of oatmeal or] ate schilling [or thereabout] 1672 Forbes Baron Ct. 289.
He aleigis that … Georg Walker did stolln his beir shilling in the mill of Barflatpl. 1620 Urie Baron Ct. 34.
For their bygane multeris … James Alardes; firlot malt, John Hendersoune j peck of schilingis 1667 Stitchill Baron Ct. 46.
That the owner of ilke melder shall have liberty first to cast in a neiffefful of seeds beffor they grind their meill or sheillings. Also it is statute and ordained that the owner of the corne mak their awn sheilling in all tyme cumeing

b. comb.Schilling cornis, grain freed from the husks.Scheling siedes, ‘the husks removed from the grain in the first process of milling’ (SND, s.v. Sheel v. 1 Combs. (9)).(1) 1572 Reg. Privy S. VI 337/1.
The thiftuous steilling fra James Lawsoun … of certane schilling cornis furth of the myln of Soltray(2) 1633 Aberd. Council Lett. I 385.
Malt and meall brocht from landwart to commoun marketts in burgh is verie often fund to be sophisticat, the grund malt being mixed with scheling siedes 1658 Ib. III 307 (see Run(s)ch n.).
Shillinseeds

3. transf. The husks removed from the grain. 1629 Black Orkn. & Shetl. Folklore 78.
Ye ar indytait … ye faddomit ane stack of bear … perteining to Michaell Reid and that ye took away the substance of the cornes thairof … and being challengit be the said Michael for it ye took twa meillis of it back againe from the said Robert and gave it to him [sc. Michaell] and being challengit be the said Robert Reid ye took the proffeit of the rest of the stak fra the said Michaell quhairin thair was sevin thrave and ane halff quhairoff he got nothing bot shellings and gave it to the said Robert Ib. 109.
[The pannell] confest … that the corne sho got was bot shillingis and that sho was not content