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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quel(l, v.¹ Also: qwel(l, quhel(l. P.t. and p.p. quellit etc., quelled. [ME quelle(n, cwelle(n, whell (a1450), e.m.E. quell, ME p.t. qualde (13th c.), quelde (13–14th c.), quelled (14th c.), p.p. i-queld (13th c.), quelt (14th c.), quelled (14th c.), OE cwellan, p.t. cwealde.Only in verse.]

1. tr. To kill, slay, put to death.Chiefly of a personal slayer, also once of a plague.(1) a1400 Leg. S. iii 236.
Sewine fendis … all that passit by can quell ?1438 Alex. ii 8629.
Mony ane Grecian hes he felled Bot neuer-the-less he had bene quelled Throw Grecians that assailȝeit fast, Quhen [etc.] Ib. 9229.
My standart doun is fellit! Releif it sone or all be quellit [F. noient est de ma vie] Ib. 7898.
Quhellit c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 3274. c1475 Wall. xi 257.
Sen I mon doggis qwell c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 248.
Rottin crok, … cry cok, or I sall quell thé 1513 Doug. iv xi 19.
And qwel [1553 quhel] thame with ȝour glavys Ib. viii ix 47.
With this sammyn rycht hand quellyt and slane Ib. ix vi 50. 15.. Clar. iii 654.(2) c1420 Wynt. viii 7148.
The dede wes entret in Scotland … Quhare mony men, … ware qwellit [C. ourqwellit] then

b. To beat down and so kill, to strike down. 1513 Doug. v xiii 21.
Thre velys tho … In wirschip of Erix he bad down quell 1535 Stewart 19650.
With mony knok the Romanes doun tha quell 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2252.
Withouttin caus ȝour awin sone doun to quell

c. In weakened sense: To beat, strike. 15.. Christis Kirk 205.
Thay cavellis with clubbis culd vther quell Quhill blude at breistis out bokkit

2. intr. To deal out blows on an adversary. 1535 Stewart 27109.
With kene knokis ilk ane on vther quellit, Qhill mony freik … wes fellit

3. tr. To overcome, reduce to subjection (a people etc.); to tyrannise over, enslave; to crush, oppress, ruin by oppression. c1475 Wall. v 1104.
Thou art a Scot. The dewill thi natioune quell! 1513 Doug. viii Prol. 112.
Quha quellys the puyr commonys bot kyrkmen 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4076.
Ane kingdome thow wald quell Ib. 8029.
The greit Deuill of hell Quha daylie settis his curage for to quell All mankynde with his kene crudelitie 1568 Lyndesay Pref. Adhort. 31.
Gif thay to quell Christis flock ȝit still pretendit a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xcvi 3.
Fra ws expell this creuell ciuile weir That all this ȝeir hes done this cuntre quell 1570 Sat. P. xxiii 124.
Thay did comfort vs, And maid vs fre quhen strangers did vs quell 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xli 50.
Sathan … The Kirk of Christ seiking to quell