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.
Quotation dates: 1375-1628
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Sele, Seil(l, n.1 Also: seile, seyle, seyll, seal, seele, sell, saill(e. [ME sel (Orm), sel(e, seal(e (both Layamon), sele (c1250), sell (Cursor M.), seel (Manning), seele (c1440), e.m.E. ceile (c1485, 1662), thereafter in Sc. and Eng. dial. as seel, seal, sele, OE sǽl masc. and fem. Cf. also ON sæll adj. happy, whence sæla wk. fem., sǽld str. fem., happiness.] Happiness, prosperity, good fortune.Common in the asseverative formula Sa have I, etc., sele and variants of this.Also, once, in pl., an instance of happiness or prosperity.Also as a term of address.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxii 595.
Sad Cypriane: ‘Sic is my sele, That al that tale I trew veile’ a1400 Legends of the Saints xliii 346.
For-thi is gud ȝe wyse ȝu weile, Or ȝe tyne al varldis sele a1508 Henr. Want of Wyse Men 7 (Ch. & M.).
Welth is away, … Now sele is sorow [B. no seill is sover now](b) 1375 Barb. i 303.
He thocht weill he was worth na seyle, That mycht of nane anoyis feyle c1420 Ratis Raving 380.
Quhethir-euir it sorow be ore seill c1420 Ratis Raving 764.
Sa lang sall he … neuir have hap to met with seill c1420 Wynt. iv 1942.
Fra thai be growyn in welth and welle, And till wnkyndly slepand seile, Till maistry or till mykyll mycht a1450 Fifteen Ois 110.
Grant me … ay to wyn with Thé in seill 1460 Hay Alex. 10022.
Na lak na loif at nane vtheris behest Bot gar thame knaw that thow has witt and seil [: wele] a1500 Golagros and Gawane 4.
The syre that sendis all seill a1500 Henr. Garmont 38.
I durst sweir by my seill, That [etc.] a1500 Prestis of Peblis 240 (A).
Quhill he had slely sliddin fra all seile c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 74/61.
God and Sanct Jeill heir ȝow convoy … To sonce and seill, solace and joy c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 190/30 (M).
Lordis in silk harllis to the heill For quhilk the tennenttis haiff sauld thair seill [B. somer meill] And liffis on ruttis 1513 Doug. iv xii 26.
Happy allace! our happy, and ful of seyll [L. felix, heu nimium felix] Had I beyn, only gyf that neuer nane At our cost had arryvit schip Troiane 1513 Doug. x v 100 (Sm.).
O haly Goddes with happy fute of seyll [L. adsis pede, diva, secundo] Cum and assistis to thyne awyn Troianis 1513 Doug. xiii x 20.
Eneas … Desyrus this syng suld betakyn seill c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS 140b/45.
Fra sons and seill we thame syle 15.. Wyf of Auchtirmuchty 118.
Quhen I forsuk my plwche I trow I bot forsuk my seill 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 4005.
Ane gyrecarling ane graceles clatterar Leidsterne to lie and a greit slop of seill a1568 Bannatyne MS 220a/65.
Adew my seill and confort of my spreit a1568 Wedderburn Bannatyne MS 242a/220.
Wemen till ws is succour sence & seill a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS 342/7.
Than sall sorrow sit vpone seill a1585 Maitland Maitland Quarto MS 48/39.
Quhat euer cummis seill or sorrow 1580 Hume Promine 161.
Swa of all seill but sorrow was ȝe sure 1583 Sempill Warning xiv 2 (see S(c)hep(e n. 2).(c) a1500 Golagros and Gawane 267.
Sal neuer myne hart be in saill na in likingproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 757.
Seill comes not while sorrow be gone a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 234.
Better good saill [1641 goodseal] nor good aill a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1022.
Lang or a gude wyf mone hir seill, bot a gud yeman may ful weill(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xl 1117.
Lord, sa haf I sele, In Galouay we haf don rycht wele a1400 Legends of the Saints xlv 68.
Sa haf I seele! ?1438 Alex. ii 5645, etc.
Said Floridas, ‘Sa haue I seill Thow hes spoken richt wonder weill’ c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v 675.
Als God me saiff in saille [: faill] c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix 237.
Quhat is thi naym? tell me; so haiff thou seill! 1513 Doug. v i 46.
Seyll a1568 Bannatyne MS 141b/48.
I sall ȝow cuver quhen that ȝe clyng So haif I seill 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 2606.
Ȝour sermone hes sentence sa haue I seill [pr. feill] 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 9601.
Sa mot my saull haue seill 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 7425, etc.(3) a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 311.
Better tua seils nor ane sorrow(4) a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 794.
Quha Thé so hie hes [tane] fro me, my sell [: kneill]?
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"Sele n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/sele_n_1>
