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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Cavillatioun, -acioun(e, n. Also: -ation, -acion, cavill-, cavylacyon; cavellatioun, -acioun, cauelation; cawillacioune, -one, cawellacion. [ME. kavelacion (14th c.), cavyllacion, etc., OF. cavillacion, L. cavillātio.] Cavillation, quibbling, chicanery.Chiefly in legal formulae and coupled with synonymous terms, esp. exceptioun, fraud, and gyle.(a) 1381 Douglas Chart. 30.
Hir baillyf doand till vs and ours here apoun, … all maner of fraude, gyle, exceptioun and cauillatioun owtane 1398 Liber Melros 489.
To pay … thretty pund forouten al manere of cauillacioun, controversy, question, force, fraude and male engine 1427 Melville Chart. 245.
That thire condicionys … salbe kepyt … aythire the partys are oblyste withoutyn fraude or gyle, cauillacioun, excepcioun, or desayt in ony manere 1456 Hay II. 88/23.
Syk covatis settis a mannis mynde for decepciounis and fals cavillaciounis to wyn warldis gudis 1474 Lennox Mun. 104.
All fraude, gile, cauillacioun, excepcioun, and evile ingyne removit 1507 Stirling Chart. 73.
In the sikkerrest forme and stile of obligacioun that can be maid or diuisit, but cauillacion, fraud, or gile 1549 Compl. 167/4.
There is nocht mony men … bot is aye inuentand cauillatione and wrang titilis to haf ther nychtbours heretagis 1562-3 Winȝet I. 68/17.
We exhort ȝour modestie … that ȝe purge ȝou thairof, without cauillatioun in ane word(b) 1432 Lamont P. 14.
To be fulfillyt … as is for wretyn but fraud gyle and cawellacion 1486 Stirlings of Keir 256.
All fraud, cawillacione, gill and dissait awayput 1497 Douglas Chart. 166.
Forowt fraud, gyll, cawillatioune, in tym to cum(c) 1496 Lennox Mun. 162.
All fraud, gyle, cauelation and ewill ingyn excludit 1543 Carte Northberwic 64.
Without cauellacioun, fraud, or gyll a1500 Henr. Fab. 461 (H).
This feinȝeit foxe, … maid to this cok ane cauellatioun 1622-6 Bisset I. 123/4.
Bevar … that … by … malisious cavellatioun, thow pronunce a indirect sentence aganis the pairtie haitted by the

2. Contention, quarrelling. 1600 Reg. Privy C. VI. 857.
[Iames Greir and one named Bane, while] playand at the tables fell in cavillatioun