A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1420, 1500-1599
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Hails(e, Hailis, v. Also: haylse. P.t. hailsit, etc.; hailist, haylist, hayllyssyd. Also late variant: helse. P.t. helsit. [e.m.E. and ME. hailse (a 1300), ON. heilsa. The (b) forms occur only in the earliest Sc. texts. Cf. Halse v.2.] tr. To greet, salute.(a) 1375 Barb. ii. 153.
Quhen Dowglas saw hys cummyng He raid and hailsyt him in hy a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii. 1078.
Sanct machor … met sanct Ternane reuerendly, And halist hyme & his cumpany, & he hailsit hyme aganes his 1535 Stewart 5384. 1535 Ib. 9530, etc.
Ane messinger … Quhilk hailsit him with mony staitlie stylis 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 42/13.
Eftir that thai [sc. the ships] hed hailsit vthirs, thai maid them reddy for battel c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 135.
Hails ane Frence lady quhen ȝe pleis Scho wyll discouer mouth and neis 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 7160.
Ilk ane on thair maneir, Thai hailsit vther c1590 Fowler I. 43/176.
As a man that dois mak change, Of hailsing others(b) 1375 Barb. iii. 500.
The king full humyly haylist he a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvi. 365.
The consul … Rase & hailist hym honorabli a1400 Ib. xxxvi. 125.
Na hand til his Lord to reke, As ȝarnande til hailis hyme c1420 Wynt. v. 3790.
Quhen the byschope bodyly He saw, and haylyssyd hym mekly c1420 Ib. vi. 1744.(c) 1576 Digest Justiciary Proc. I. 22.
The foirsaid Thome … helsit hir and said Guid day, Bessie 15.. Clariodus i. 1096, 15.. Ib. 1110, etc.
Thay helsit him all four with reverence 15.. Ib. iii. 1463.
His host him helsit sum deill hevilie 1585 James VI Ess. 73.
Fyrie Titan … Did dewlie helse all thame on earth do dwell
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"Hails v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/hailse>
