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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WYLE, n.1 Also wile and dim. or deriv. forms wylie, wylock, †wewleck, -ock; †wavelock. An instrument for twisting ropes from straw, a thrawcruik (Lnk. (wavelock), s.Sc. (wylie, wewleck, -ock) 1825 Jam., Kcb. 1912 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 291, wylie; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., wylie, -ock; em.Sc.(b), sm., s.Sc. 1961 Gwerin III. 212, wile(s), wylie). Comb. wylie-rope, a straw rope made with a wylie (Dmf. 1953). [′wəil(i), (-ək)]Ayr. 1828 D. Wood Poems 60:
A wyle I hae, but scarce can thraw't.
Dmf. 1921 J. L. Waugh Heroes 79:
The kye were milket, butter was kirned, the wylie was turned.
Gall. 1932 A. McCormick Galloway 207:
Hanging from the ceiling I still see the “wylie” which twisted hay ropes.

[A reduced form of Wavel, v., in the sense of moving to and fro, from the twisting motion of the instrument, the -eck, -ock ending, though appar. dim., possibly representing Heuk. For the phonology cf. the variant forms of Gavel, n.1, Nael, Raivel.]

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"Wyle n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 31 Oct 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/wyle_n1>

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