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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Male, a. Also: malle, malȝe, mail(e, maill(e, maell, meale, meall, mele. [ME. male (14th c.), mawle, masle (1450), OF. male, masle.]For some further examples see Famell and Female.

1. adj. Male.Of persons, esp. heirs, animals, the male sex, etc.a. predic. or absol. or following the noun. Very common in air (= heir) male. b. Preceding the noun.a. (1) 1375 Barb. xx. 130.
But air male of his body Gottyn 1391 Lennox Mun. 43.
Til him and til his ayris male gottin or for to be gottin 1397 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 166. c1420 Wynt. iii. 817. 1531 Bell. Boece II. 395. 1541 Reg. Privy S. II. 605/1. 1649 Acts VI. ii. 142/2.
Laufull air male to the hous of Ros(b) 1474 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 125.
To … my … air appeirand and till his airis maill 1481 Ib. II. 330.
And to the ayris maille 1557 Reg. Cupar A. II. 137. a1578 Pitsc. I. 62/20. 1689 Grant Chart. 359.
His ryteous air maill(c) 1535 Glasgow Prot. IV. 76.
And to ther aeris maell(d) 1659 Lamont Diary 149.
He left no aires meale behinde him 1699 Yester Writs 321.(e) 1585 Perth B. Ct. 8 Oct.
Failȝeing the airis mele(2) 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 94.
And gif thar be ane other ayr that is malȝe beande within elde 1511 Lennox Mun. 194.
The airis … sal be … habile to succeid … thai beand maile 1581 Acts III. 226/1.
Thair apperand airis maill or famell of lyne 1649 Glasgow Chart. II. 10.
Me and my airis, alsweill maill lyne tailyie as provisione(3) 1456 Hay I. 253/13.
He was nerest of the lignie male 1468 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 406.
Ony otheris of my kyne male or famell 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV. 289 b.
Quhidder it [the child] be maill or famell 1665 Montgomery Mem. 328.
Failing of both meale and femall I leaue all to my … brother(4) a1500 Colk. Sow iii. 97.
Twenty four chikkynis … Twelf maill and twell famell 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8516.
Twa rauins, ane female & ane male a1578 Pitsc. I. 145 heading.
Of the skartht that was born of baith the kyndis maile and femaleb. 1531 Bell. Boece I. 270.
Dioneth gat … two douchteris, but ony mail childrin 1562-3 Winȝet I. 82/4.
The maill barne nocht circumcidit 1594 Edinb. Test. XXVI. 328.
Gif the barne be ane male and lad chylde 1606 Ib. XLII. 218.
A maill bairne 1629 S. Leith Kirk S. 18.
To teach any maill children 1662 Crim. Trials III. 618.
And thair meall-children and posteritie 1675 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS. 10 May.
Any mail children

2. absol. as n. a. A male heir; the male line of succession. b. A male person or animal; male sex.a. 1375 Barb. i. 60.
Thar mycht succed na female Quhill foundyn mycht be ony male That were in lyne ewyn descendand c1420 Wynt. iv. 1787 (C).
[Of] the malle [line] sulde nane succede, Bot al war cleyr Ib. viii. 334. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 243/7.
The lord of Lorn … talȝeit all his landis to the male and surname in the said parliament 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II. 247. 1580 Inverness Rec. I. 284.
Linallie descending of maill of burgessis 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 36.
Of sic heires being mailesb. 1513 Doug. Æn. Comm. i. Prol. 371.
Sexus is the … differens in schap betwix the mail and the female 1549 Compl. 141/13. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1402. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8582.