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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

EILD, Eeld, n., adj.¹, v. Also ild; †yeeld (Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 7); yeild (Kcd. 1820 E. Tevendale Poems 15; Ags. 1901 W. J. Milne Reminisc. 69); eel. Now mainly poet. [i:ld]

I. n.

1. Age in general, a period of life.Sc. 1737 Ramsay Proverbs (1776) 75:
We may ken your eild by the runkles of your horn.Abd. after 1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shepherd (S.T.S.) ll. 195–196:
He's set to go about with the young squire, That by a year or twa had shorter eeld.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 34:
Here is the true an' faithfu' list O' Noblemen and Horses; Their eild, their weight, their height, their grist, That rin for Plates or Purses.Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail lxx.:
A handsome, manly youth for his inches and his eild.

Phr.: to be ae eild wi', — eels wi', to be the same age (as) (Mry.¹ 1925).Sc. 1859 C. S. Graham Mystifications 71:
I am just ae eild wi' the auld King George III, and I daur say I am as happy as he is.

2. Old age (Ags. 1949, ild). Also fig. = old persons, old folk; rarely in pl.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 95:
Eild and Poortha is a sore Burthen on one Back.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 40:
Wi' eild our idle fancies a' return, And dim our dolefu' days wi' bairnly fear.Ayr. 1786 Burns To J. Smith xiii.:
For, ance that five an' forty's speel'd, See, crazy, weary, joyless Eild, Wi' wrinkl'd face.Ayr. 1812 A. Thom Amusements 43:
Wedded eilds, to rest inclin'd.Rxb. 1821 A. Scott Poems 17:
Now legs and feet, benumb'd wi' eild, Could scarce step owre a strae.Sc. 1929 P. Macgillivray in Scots Mag. (Dec.) 197:
Decrepit eild; folk in their prime; And bairnies sair dismayed.Abd. 1936 Abd. Univ. Review (March) 132:
For crabbit eild'll grip ye yet.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 89:
The trees hae uprooted themsels an' gae dancin
awa doon the street, lowpin
like auld men lowsed o eild an' suddenly
daft wi virr. Edb. 1991 J. K. Annand in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 20:
Gif I had ae short simmer o sang
Wi hauf the beauty o thon flouer
In the snaw o eild I'd hap my tongue
And haud my wheest for evermair. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 3:
... auld Bunty Strachan, fa aince wis the swackest, bonniest quine in three clachans, grown auld hersel wi the stank o decay an the soor guff o eild niver ooto her neb; ...

3. Antiquity, long ago (Ags. 1949).Dmf. 1899 W. Bennet Echoes 71:
Hersel' the bards o' Eild could name, Wise, gude and clever.

II. adj. Old, aged. Rare. Also used subst.Dmf. 1874 R. W. Reid Moorland Rhymes 36:
Kind tae the eild he had been a' his life.Lnk. 1923 G. Rae 'Mang Lowland Hills 41:
I grup ye, hairp, wi' runkled hauns sae eild, An', till I dee, My sang shall be o' Scotland.

III. v. To grow old; used principally as ppl.adj. eildit, aged.Per. 1816 J. Duff Poems 55:
Prints o' different kinds an' patterns, Fit for maids or eildit matrons.Abd. 1900 C. Murray Hamewith 27:
I fear whiles He's forgotten on his eildit gard'ner here.Sc. 1932 Scots Mag. (Jan.) 292:
For I'm gey an' eildit.