Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1768-1769, 1895-1928
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DILL, Dull, v.2, n.2 [dɪl, dʌl]
1. v.
(1) tr. and intr. To soothe, to assuage, to calm; to die (away). Common in n.Eng. dial.Sc. 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 12:
An' wachts o' peat-bree frae the burn Can dill curnawin at a turn.Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 119:
Da noise 'at Aanie wis makkin' begood ta dill awa.Ork. 1912 J. Spence in Old-Lore Misc. V. ii. 71:
The night's mother'd tue, the wind's doon, an' the wather's dillan.
(2) intr. Used fig. (gen. with doon) = to be forgotten, pass out of mind; used gen. only of a piece of news, or a fama (Sh.10 1949; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 42, dull; Bnff.2 1940; Abd.27 1948). Ppl.adj. dilling (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.).Abd. after 1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shepherd (S.T.S. 1935) ll. 896–97:
That now the dinn o' it wad soon dill down, An' but a story at the last be found.Abd. 1895 J. Davidson Old Abdsh. Ministers 144–45:
He was speakin' aboot a gryte reamys they're haddin' awa' aboot Germany some wye . . . he thocht it widna maybe jist dull doon again.
2. n. A lull (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)).
[O.Sc. has dill, v., as above, from c.1470; n.Mid.Eng. dillen, to render dull, dill, adj., slow, dull, which is from a mutated form *dyl- < *duljo-; cf. Eng. dull.]
