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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.

Revele, -veil(l, -veal(e, v. Also: ra- and -wel(e; -veile, -veild, -veyl(e, -weile, -weil(l, -weild, -weyld; -veald; -val; -vel(l, -well(e; -veall; -vile, -vyle, -vill, -wil(l; revelie. [OF reveler (late 12th c. in Greimas), L. revēlāre to unveil, (fig.) to disclose, late ME reuele (c1450), e.m.E. reveale (1494), also reveil (1546) ‘with the second element assimilated to veil’ (OED). In early use appar. chiefly or only Sc.] To reveal.

1. tr. To disclose or make known (to or til a person) in a supernatural manner or by inspired utterance. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvii 378.
Bot son in til a vysione Reuelit it wes til a matrone 1456 Hay I 33/17.
Bot gif it war revelit till him of the will of God be the haly gaste 1490 Irland Mir. II 44/13.
His glorius resurreccioun he declarit mony wayis fyrst schawand reueland and declarand it befor his deid 1551 Hamilton Cat. 288. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10050.
Be ane greit voice it was to me reuelit … how that I may be halit 1560 St. A. Kirk S. 51.
And swa, be the ordour of Goddis word plainlie reveled, partising aucht to be led betuix us be the kirk 1566 Cal. Sc. P. II 291.
The same religion quhilke Christ in the last daies revelit fra the bossome of his Father 1587-99 Hume 15/117.
That maid thy Prophets mouths reveill Thy mysteries grit to cum 1600-1610 Melvill 559.
The manifest truth of God reveilit to us in the Scripture

2. To make (a fact) known to (til, vnto) a specified person or persons by communication; to disclose or reveal.Also, once, const. dat. pron.(a) 1409 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 72.
And gif ony … persavis ony … perele apperand til othir he sal … revele it or ger it be revelit & made knawin to the tothir part c1420 Wynt. v 2933.
[They] Assemblyd befor the Emprioure And sayd at thai wald thaire murmwre Rewelle till hym 14.. Acts I 338/2.
Gif ther be ony that tell or revel till other the consail and privateis of the nychtburis 1562-3 Winȝet II 81/3.
The sones of Cham quha, knawing ony licht falt … in thair forefatheris, reuelis it fra hand til wtheris 1565 St. A. Kirk S. 243.
The sayd Cristen deponis that … sche revelit to … hyr gud-sister that [etc.] 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 171.
That thair religion, newlie reuelit to the warld, be the preaching of thair pistolik Euangile [etc.](b) 1610 Binns P. (S.R.S.) 20.
My letter of advyse … will revelie you how I revil [= Reul(e v.] in thir effayrris(c) 1424 Grey Friars 167.
And it was reveylyt til me be my nychbourris of Kynggorne 1449 Acts II 37/1.
That justice clerkis reueil nocht to na persone his accion … withoute commandiment of the … consale 1512 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 137.
Quhair ony persoun beis seik within thair bounds that thai … reveil the samyn incontinent to the baillies 1513 Doug. iv viii 101.
This visioun sche to nane reveil wald 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II 30.
Reweile c1550 Breadalbane Doc. No. 77.
[They] sall nothir heyr nor se the skaytht of the said Collin … bot thai … sall raweyld the samin dewlie to the said Collin 1567 Crim. Trials I i 496.
The kingis destructioun is devysit, and I mon reveill it unto thé a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 21/17.
Be war quhamto thy counsale thow reveile 1596 Dalr. II 278/5.
Quhen was reueilit to the Gouernour, … quhat tyme M. Lorde Cardinal … and sum vtheris war present [etc.] c1650 Spalding I 218.
The Admirall Hammiltoun … reveillit the kingis proiectis … to the covenanteris 1655 Mouswald Kirk S. MS 6 (9 Dec.).
He shall [not] … conceill them from the sessione but shall reveill the samyn to the sessione(d) 1569 Sc. Hist. Rev. I 40.
Yit do not I knaw giff I dwrst haue reualit the mater or not vnto yowr grace(e) 1569 Sc. Hist. Rev. I 40.
Before that the persown reuealed the same vnto me c1590 Fowler I 4/1.
Reueald(f) 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 301.
Patrick Hacro … had now reviled the same unto the Earle of Catteynes 16.. Crail Squaremen 27.
That non … shall report the died or word and revill that to any uther … persons bot to crafts qher itt is leisome

b. Without compl.: To make known, to cause to be known; to make public.Esp., to divulge (what should be secret or confidential); to disclose (facts concealed from the authorities, usu. for criminal purposes).Also, once, with personal object.(1) 1488–9 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 6.
Qwha that alegis that ony reuelis the assis and cannocht appreft it sal be punist 1490 Irland Mir. MS fol. 279b.
God … has oblist the pepil to rewel and confes thar synnis Id. Asl. MS 21/9.
Bot he that revelis confessioun gevis occasioun to the person to brek the law of God for it gevis him occasioun to cum nocht agane to confessioun that he be nocht revelit 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 94.
Lust of wyne [and] warkis veneryane … revelys secrete bath two 1516 Fife Sheriff Ct. 30.
He … besoucht the said curate to reuele that in his name and ask forgevenes tharof at the party 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II 30.
Issobell Forsyth … has intromettit with infekkit folk … and nocht reuelt the samyn 1530 Aberd. B. Rec. I 448.
Neuer to rewele … the secreits … of this guyd toun … to ewaid … trubill of thair innymeis 1531–2 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 118. 1533 Boece 175b.
Sum Britan noblis … fynalie revelit thare dissymulacioun 1550–1 Cupar B. Rec.
Gif ony of thame reuelit aucht … the reuelar tobe baneset the town and haldyn as mensworn in tymis cuming 4 Feb. 1555 Coll. Aberd. & B. 383 (see 4 below). 1563 Lanark B. Rec. 31.
Quhat persoun of the said counsall that revellis ony thing that his marow sayis in the said counsall [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I 344/28.
That he wald keip the samin secreit nor schew it nor rewell it nocht 1584 Cal. Sc. P. VII 105.
I ame to be accused for these thinges which I rewelled upone houpe of my lyf(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 696.
For it effeiris nouther to heir nor spy Nor to reueill thing said vnder that seill c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 43.
Reveill gif ȝe rewit that rakles conditioun 1532 Inst. Ct. Sess. in Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 377.
That all massaris … sall reveil na thing that thai sall happin to heir comonit 1535 Stewart 13875.
I think schame to reveild The foull vices he vsit in to his eild 1543 Misc. Spald. C. II 270 (see Opin v. 7(1)). 1567 Lanark B. Rec. 36.
Quhay that raveillis ony thing that the said provest [etc.] … dois [etc.] 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 52.
Thair is nothing hyd bot it salbe reveailed 1596 Highland P. I 170.
John Oig wes buited and … had reveilit the murther 1600 Misc. Bann. C. I 163.
Bot quhidder it wes ane vyle murder, or treasoun, as yit it is nocht clearlie reveillit a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlvi 56.
I smore if I conceill, I wrak if I reveill, My hurt 1628 Fraserburgh Kirk S. II 16 Jan.
Isbell Young … hes not reweillit as ȝit quha is the fayther of it 1663 Old Ross-shire II 78.(c) 1489 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 15.
That Pat Flemyn sal beir na witnes in the actione … sayand that he wes vnabil be caus has he ellegit that he had rewillit ane assis 1622-6 Bisset II 177/1.
O moist mychtie … monarche, that had the preisage … of thy godlie lyfe and wirthie deidis reviled writtin and foirtauld the warray ȝeir of thy moist happie birth aige(d) 15.. Clar. iii 2034.
If that ȝe list reveale ȝour infortoun [etc.] a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 770 (Wr.).
I now Am debtbound to reveald ?1656 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III 64.
That no shirreffs officiar conceall any … wrong bot speedilie reveall the same(2) c1490 Irland Asl. MS 21/12 (see (1) above).

c. reflex. To make known (one's secret thoughts). a1500 Bk. Chess 265.
A … man … Luffit this virgyne in to sic a kynd That he become hir man in to his mynd And durst revele him to none erdlye wicht

d. absol. or intr. To disclose information. e. To revele of or wpone (a person), to inform upon.d. a1500 Bk. Chess 495.
So secret was the thing … that vnder bannysing Or to be hedit thair suld no man revele 1520 Grant Chart. 65.
Neuir ane … sal heir … harme to vderis … bot thai sal raveil to vderis be thair selfis or be vder mediat personis efter thair power 16.. Hist. Kennedy 9.
For feir that cairll had reweillit, he garit his fadir broder … hang hime. 1491 Acts II 230/2.
And gif ony ane persone that wes at the said slauchter will … reuele of the laif of his falowis 1606 Inverurie B. Ct. 19 Aug.
And lykwayis sall reweild wpone ony personeis that thai knaw hes downe ony thais crymes

3. tr. With personal object: To divulge (a person's identity); to inform upon or identify (a wrongdoer).Also, once, with compl.(1) 1478 Acta Conc. I 20/2.
Thai sal reueile and schew to the lordis sic persouns … as has the said charteris a1500 Seven S. 1927.
I tald ȝow Scho wald revele ws opinly 1533 Boece 258b.
That thai suld nocht reveill him in quham began the tresoun 15.. Clar. i 232.
‘Madam,’ he said, … ‘Reveill me not’ 1566 Anderson Collect. Mary I 37.
The authors of sa ungodlie and strange ane interpryis may be revelit, and regorouslie puneist 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I 540.
Promitting a thousand pund to ony that wald reveill the murtherars 1574 Reg. Privy C. II 410.
All … personis that will cum reveill and schaw of the … awaytakaris of the said gold 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I 86.
And thow … being revelit be the saidis scholaris to the wyif of the said Adam [etc.] 1614 Keeping of Deer Forests in Argyll Mun. (Misc. 17th c.) 2 July.
Gif it sall happin ony vther persone … to reveill … the slayeris of deir or rae and not the saidis forestaris, the saidis reveillares challengeris … of the fact sall haif thair awin recompence & nocht the forestares 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 29 Oct.
[Tapestries] … Sussanna … is accused and condemned. … Daniell revyled the elders 1666 S. Ronaldshay 53.
[The party who] revealled [them gets an additional dose] to pay his penalty for his abusing of John Berstone(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (S.T.S.) xxxvii 37.
He … Or Phebus dirknes him Goddis Sone reveild

4. To show; to make visible; ? to reveal the whereabouts of. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 164/117.
Had he reveild bene to the ruikis, Thay had him revin 1513 Doug. i vi 93.
He … Vnder the erth … Of siluer and gold revelit a huge weght 1525 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. V 30.
The ȝe cum ȝourselff … and reveyle and schaw and restor and deliuer all [documents] that ȝe ken pertenand to the said merchis 1555 Coll. Aberd. & B. 383.
The samen [persons] to schaw and rewell the samen and restore … the said carne … and als to rewel and schaw for what cause … the samen wes alterit 1587-99 Hume 74/185.
The poore defender … The peeces shaw he will, and cause reveill, For greater gaine

b. ? To open or unseal. But perh. merely a further example of 2 or 4 above. 1610 Calderwood VII 140.
I have upon your admonition reveilled your letter, and found that there is indeid other heads of your answer in it which I had not minde of