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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sale, Saill, Seall, n.² Also: sail(l)e, saell, sell, seal(e, seile, seil(l, sall. [ME and e.m.E. sale (Cursor M.), ME also selle (c1400), saale (c1430), OE sala, ON sala wk. fem., also sal neut., f. root of Sel(l v.] The action or an act of selling; disposal of goods for money or its equivalent; selling price; opportunity of selling.Also Hale sale n.In various constructions and collocations. Also fig.(1) 1436–7 Ayr B. Ct. p. 55.
Sale of quhet x s.(b) a1500 Rauf C. 243.
Thow sall haue for thy fewaill, For my saik, the better saill 1564 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I 90.
The marchandis hawing … litill saill to Franche and Flanderis wairis war than content rader to bring hame syluer 1572 Inverness Rec. I 216.
Scho can gett na saill to hir aill 1572 Sat. P. xxxii 20.
[We] Ay gat gude saill Ib. 60.
Thow hes vs baneist, thow hes vs fleit fra crakkis: We sit at hame, na saill is to our wairis 1626 Conv. Burghs III 221.
Merchandis … ar frustrat of the saell of thair guides 1660 Nicoll Diary 271.
That a committee is appoyntit to bring in a bill for saill of the estates of the delinquentis 1692 Glasgow Chart. II 244.
That the saill and merchandize of the saids goods should allenarlie belong to the burgesses(c) 1540 Renfrew Arch. Coll. I 188.
To be interdictit fra all maner of alienatioun sellis wedsetting and away putting of the five pund land 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 229.
Schew can nocht instantlye hawe price nor sell of gwddis be merchanddis(d) a1570-86 Maitl. F. 437/17.
Our baxisteris of breid hes no seil [: aill; Maitl. Q. saill](e) 1596 Bruces of Airth App. xlv.
Be the seall of the coillis within owre realme 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I 207.
That … pryce wiche formarlie thei ressavit by the seall of thair wolls 1661 Aberd. Council Lett. IV 203.
Quhairas our present band containes ten gallons notwithstanding quhairoff ther is 12 or 15 franks of difference of seall at the mercat 1666 Lamont Diary 190.
Seale 1676 Conv. Burghs III 668.
It shall be leisum … to transporte the same to any vther porte where they may have best seal therefor 1684 Glamis Bk. Record 1.
By the seal of bear cropt '83 at 4 lib. 6 s. 8 d. per bol(2) 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xiii.
All thinges were set to seale at Rome 1677 Edinb. B. Rec. X 292.
All confeits [etc.] … quhilk shall happin to be offered to seall efter [etc.]fig. ?1438 Alex. ii 8069.
Honour sall be set to saill [F. est mise a vente] 1639 Baillie I 213.
These who put our lives and our lands for ever to seile(3) 1573 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 99 (14 Dec.).
Sindrie gratitudis done to him be his … mother … oblissis him to mak sall … to … dame Katherine … during … hir lyftym [etc.] 1589 Reg. Privy C. IV 417.
Thay mak vent and seill of thair wynes in Normandie [etc.] 1656 Boyd Fam. P. No. 228 (23 Dec.).
With all the howses ther belonging to me [etc.] … I dispone … to my saide mother … and … givis her fwll power to maike saile and penney therof 1671 Salmon Borrowstounness 96.
That no persone … shall make sale and offer the samen to any persone … untill such tyme [etc.] 1674 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 365.
Quhich sheip that was undelyvered the said persewar might have maid seall of long befoir now 1676 Corshill Baron Ct. 135.
If he doe not releive the same … by payment of the said debt acclamed, sell will be made of the samen 1681 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. XXXVIII 163.
Sir if they be comt to your hand and yow heve maide saille of them [etc.] 1688 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 331.
The persones havers [of gunpowder] … are discharged upon ther perrell to make seall of aney of the same 1700 Argyll Justic. Rec. I 190. — 1608 Bk. Univ. Kirk III 1055.
Befor they make opin seale therof [sc. books]

b. attrib. Made to be sold; for general or public sale. 1454 Liber Coll. Glasg. 178.
Sex penyis and a galown of the best sale ale of the town … to the coventis collaciown 1602 Misc. Maitl. C. III 47.
Sufficient guid aill better nor the commoun sell aill in the toun 1701 Lanark B. Rec. 264.
Two shillinge Scottis to be a reasonable pryce for ilk pynt of ordinary sale ale — 1541 Linlithgow B. Ct. 13 June.
xxi s. for sex fuirlattis of sale beir 1564 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 17 June.
To ressaue vij bollis [etc.] … saill beir fra Alexander Moubray 1577 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 128.
[12 bolls of] saile [beir and 8 bolls of] saile [oats] — 1492 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 65.
Floure … to baik saile breid of 1566 St. A. Baxter Bks. 11.
That nane presume … to bak ony saill breid vpoun the Sabboth day — 1547 Misc. Spald. C. V 309.
The ferme corns of Westwod, … xv chalder vij bolls 2 firlots, sale corn price of the boll xiiii