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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rail(l, v.¹ Also: raile, rayl(e, rale, real(l, reale; ryle. [e.m.E. and late ME rayl(e (1460–70), rail(e, F. railler (15th c.). Cf. Ra(i)lȝe v.]

1. intr. To jest or sport. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 193.
He ralis [M. railȝeis] and makis repet with ryatus wordis 15.. Clar. i 1403.
Sum with his fellow raillit and maid sport Ib. iv 333.
Meliades leuch at hir that raillit so Ib. 1941.
Thus raillit he with hir full pleasantlie 1590 Burel Queen's Entry 307.
Let no man me esteme to raill Nor think that raschelie I report

2. To utter invective or abuse; to scold; to talk wildly or in a wild or unrestrained manner. Also to rail out.Also const. against or upon (on) (a person or thing), and ? of.(1) 1568 St. A. Kirk S. 297.
And forther he wald be blawdit in the pulpet quhair the preacheris ralis by thair text a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 287/69.
Rek not … how raschelie ravarris raill a1585 Polwart Flyt. 136 (T).
I lawche to sie thé … Gloir in thy ragmentis rasche and raill With … mankit meitter 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 84b.
Gif any man railes or speiks evill to the baillie 1604-31 Craig iv 32.
Thus having runne, and rayl'd, till all admire thee [sc. Satire] 1632 Cullen B. Ct. MS 9 Nov.
He … sall not exclame nor raill, nor sclander the magistratis 1658 Lanark B. Rec. 162.
Iff ever the said Marione sall be fund railling — 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 357.
Your tongues so railing out, and backbiting your neighbours(2) 1570–1 Bann. Memor. 92.
The said Johne [Knox] … detracted, rayled, and invyed against our souerane ladie 1580 Hay in Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 42/18.
Quhy raill ye swa mekle against the seate of Rome 1649 Acts VI ii 446/2.
Disafected speeches, as railing and enveying against the cause and Covenant 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1681) i 53.
Hirelings … Who … rail and rant Against the Holy Covenant — 1596–1600 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II 420.
Thay sparit not in thair choleric sermons to rayle owt aganis the kings particular counsallors c1650 Spalding II 472.
Bot the preicheris and covenanteris raillit and cryit out aganist his majesteis lauchfull commissioun(3) 1571 Ferg. Serm. iii Malachi in 1563-72 Tracts 73.
And as for the ministers of the word … ȝe raill vpon thame at ȝour pleasure 1572 Sat. P. xxxvi 13.
God wait how we ar ralit on, and revylit 1606 Misc. Spald. C. II 151.
The maist pairt of the rest of the ministrie are contemnit and rayled upon, and ther doctrine not hard, and discipline mocked, and jesuits enteris in the kirkis, and parochinis wanting pastoris 1622 Crim. Trials III 521.
Rayleing 1645 Kinghorn Kirk S. 61.
[She] railed on the … baillie, calling him meikle keited carle a1651 Calderwood IV 273.
Another railed upon in the streets by Kait the witche, and other the like bairds and naughtie packes(b) 1650 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. LI (1975) 55.
The vther in steid of payment did ryle vpoun hir and curse hir feirfullie efter the quhilk cursing and rayling the said Janet Roull did contract a fearful disease(4) 1571 Bann. Trans. 194.
Thou wold have forborne to reale and speik so irreverentlie of a princes

3. tr. a. To utter (something) in a wild or nonsensical manner. Also to real out. b. To revile (a person).a. (a) 1560 Rolland Seven S. Schort Schawing 40.
To tryit tinklaris tell thy taill. Thy roustie ryme amang thame raill 1562-3 Winȝet I 50/23.
Thai … haldis it only law quhateuir thai raill, rattill, or trattill 1657 Dumfries Kirk S. 17 Nov.
Richard … said … that the minister rayles two words where he speiks one trew(b) 1614 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 175.
All of them … reallit out that they did not cair for any decreitb. 1695 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. ix 71.
He had much rather be railled by him than praised by him