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 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sid(e)wal(l, n. Also: syd(e)-, syid-, seid-, seyd- and -uall, -waw. [North. ME sid-wall (1381), e.m.E. syde-wall (1535).]

1. One of the main walls of a structure. Also in fig. context. 1462 Montrose Baillie Ct. fol. 18b.
To mak fowr rude off wall four fut thyk off the syde wall a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 249.
Apone that riche river … The side-wallis war set, sad to the see 1490 Acta Conc. I 142/1.
Casting doune of the sidwall of the hous of the said Androwis 1513 Doug. ii viii 10.
Vp to the syd wallys mony leddyr sett is 1520 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 174.
The said dene … sall big furtht his land … als hie as he ples and Villiem Cristisone sal rest in the sydwal of pane and first and ane sufficient rest to his ribbis in the sydwal 1542 Soc. Ant. III 162.
Within the sidwallis of the said stepill, quhilk sidwallis salbe of vj futis of heich abone the queir thak 1542 Soc. Ant. III 163.
The watter tabill of the sidwallis of the said kirk 1543 Edinb. Guild Ct. 20 Sept.
That he use the halff of the said Patriks sid wall for his gavill inasfar as is fornent the boundis of his said tufall quhill he cum to the sclats 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II 195.
The choppis biggit on the hie gait outwith the sydwallis of the foirlandis of this burgh 1555–6 Edinb. Guild Ct. 14 Feb.
That the said licence & tollerance … mak na preparatyve to the said James to haif ony ma windois in his sydwall 1556 Prot. Bk. J. Robeson 175a.
To leif tuskis stanis in the sad sid wall 1572 Inverness Rec. I 216.
The said Alexander aucht and suld haif the drope of the syd wall of his house libellit, callit the eaise drope 1643 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII 25. 1657 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 58.
To caus tak doun the gavillis and sydwalls of the lipperhous 1699 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 823.
Ane sufficient goeing corne millne … with sufficient stone syde walls and two gavells of stone as high as the syde walls(b) 1607 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 333.
That nane big outward thair syid wallis or gavellis on the hie streittis(c) 1644 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 61.
For biging of the seyduall of the Blakhall stebillfig. 1672 M. Bruce Rattling Dry Bones 24.
A moving to the building of a good sydwall upon that good foundation

b. With qualifier indicating the location of the wall. 1497 Douglas Chart. 166.
Sa fer as the breid of the altar extendis to the vest sydwaw 1540 Edinb. Guild Ct. 11 Sept.
Ordanis him be ressoun of nychbourheid big up the waist maid betuix his gavil sid wall and the uyther sid wall 1553 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXXIII 46.
Hurdit money fund in the ground of the chore-sydwall of the parroche kirk of Kynnef 1556 Prot. Bk. J. Robeson 144.
We partisaris … condempnand ane bowell in the bak sidwall of the south bak land 1560 Edinb. B. Rec. III 66. 1576 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 52.
Four lang stanis tobe ane gutter to the bak seidwall of Mr. James Lowsones house 1596 Glasgow Chart. II 569.
His back sidwall gadderis myddinges of fulȝe thairon and maks ane commone jaxis thairof 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X 200.
The Councill … thinks fitt for makeing the wholl buildings as to the foir sydwalls or fronts thereof

2. quasi-adv. Side-wall heich (high), built to the height of a side-wall, or with the (side) walls completed. 1586 Glasgow Prot. IX 106.
[A tenement … built] syde wall heich c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. fol. 70.
The new great gate of the Colledge … was built; and a wall drawen about the new lower court, syde-wall high 1652 Argyll Synod II 4.
If the kirke be not at least syd wall high and the manse in way of boulding against the nixt synod that then the said paroch shall loose the benefite of the said Mr. Neill

3. attrib. and comb.Syd wall hycht = quasi-adv. (cf. 2 above). 1462 Peebles B. Rec. I 147.
At ilke man haf his dykkis mad … sowfychand bath for front and hede rowm and sydwawdyk 1640 Elgin Rec. II 237.
The syd wall dask neirest the north door — 1569–70 Crail B. Ct. 25 Jan.
Quhan the said penteis is syd wall hycht he sall vpoun his awin grownd byg the gawill thairof wpoun treis 1611 Macgibbon & Ross V 7.
Ane hundrethe merkis at sydewall heicht quhen the walls are lawellit