Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Rail(l)ing, vbl. n. Also: rayl-, ral-, real(l)-. [e.m.E. raylynge (1470–85), railing, realing(e (1526), (rallying (1673)). Cf. Railȝeing vbl. n.] a. The using of scurrilous language; inveighing (upoun); scolding. Also, an instance of one of these, a scurrilous writing. b. ? Bantering talk, jesting.a., b. (1) 1562-3 Winȝet I 56/25.
Iohne Knox, of his … accustomit craft of rayling and bairding, attributis to me a new style Ib. II 81/21.
Sum blasphemous bairdis … be thare iesting, tanting and rayling [etc.] 1570 Bann. Memor. 7.
For all his rattling and railling he kens weill ynoughe quhairat he wald be 1570–1 Ib. 93.
Sic intollerable and enorme railing vpoun our souverane lady c1590 Fowler II 20/33.
Is this rauing railing decent for an maister, quhais lyfe sould be ane example of … grauitie 1637 Rothes Affairs Kirk App. 199.
The confused multitude … furiouslie pursued after him with railing 1642 Sc. N. & Q. 1 Ser. XII 60.
Ordenit to mak her repentance … and pay xii libs for flyting, railing, and abusing of ane gentelman's viffe 1653 Lanark B. Rec. 151.
The railling and scolding of Marion Kilpatrick in calling hir huir and loun 1664 S. Ronaldshay 45.(b) 1570–1 Knox in Bann. Memor. 92.
I grant the accusatioune bot realing I deny 1596 Melvill 376.
Sic bitter … realling against us(c) c1590 Fowler II 25/24.
Thai neuer desistit in raling fra iniuries, nor in persewing fra crueltie(2) 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 52.
Ladin with despites, vexit with raillingis a1605 Montg. Sonn. lxiii 14.
Nor I am he these rascall raylings maid

c. Const. out, in sense a. — 1633 Peebles Gleanings 131.
For railling out, miscalling, and baning of the brekeris