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

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

Stile, Styl(e, Styll(e, n. Also: styill, steill, staill. Pl. also stillis. [ME and e.m.E. stighele (1304, place-name), stile (a1352), style (Malory), stele (1536), steele (1601), OE stiᵹel.] A means of access to a walled or fenced area, freq. a churchyard; an arrangement of steps over or passageway through a wall by which people might pass but animals be excluded; a doorway in a wall designed for the use of pedestrians. 1540 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 121.]
[Item quod cymiterium ex parte australi a palatio domini in quantum non construitur vsque ad stilum publicum construatur(1) c1420 Wynt. v 3666.
As Teodosius … tuk hys way Towarte the kyrk: … Saynt Ambros wyth-owte the style [c., W. stile] Hym met 1509 Reg. Great S. 725/2.
Cum pontibus lapidiis seu ligneis le fald-yettis et le stilis et cum communi transitu infra dict[as] terras 1536–7 Stirling Chart. 77.
Donarunt … illam suam communem terram vastam … apud chorum prefate sue ecclesie ex parte boreali eiusdem chori inter le stile passagii ducentis ad boreale hostium memorati chori [etc.] 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. II 42.
For clenging of the styllis at the eist end and west end of the kirkyaird under the irne flailks 1573 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 384 (see (2) below). 1583 Reg. Privy C. III 603.
That he sall big … ane sufficient dyke … reservand onlie in the said dyke ane stile to him and his servandis to bring ower watter and wesche thair clathis at the well within the same dyke 1587 Aberd. B. Rec. II 60.
That nane … beggaris … to sitt … asking almous within the kirk nor kirk yard bot to sitt without the stylis 1597 Acts IV 131/1.
That all parochineris … build and repair the kirkȝard dyikis of thair awin paroche kirk … to the heiche of twa ellis and to mak sufficient stillis and enteres in the saidis dyikis to pas to the kirk and kirkȝard 1597 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 337.
Hes settin in tak … to Thomas Haw … the girs of thair freir kirkyaird … for the quhilk he … sall big and vphauld the dyk thairof sufficientlie withe ane style for ische and entrie, quhilk style sall haif ane dur to be patent all the day and [pr. at] lockit at ewin 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. V 288.
That the entres of the passage besyde the Seynis ledand to Sanct Jeillie Grange in tyme of cornis growand aucht to be with ane style … for futemen allanerlie 1661 Dalyell Darker Superst. 36.
[Christian Porteous] coming over the style, her kitt negligently fell off her heid [on another](b) 1559 (1583) Reg. Great S. 170/2.
Syne passand south to the west dyik to the kirk-styill, and fra the said style passand southwest the rod at gais fra the said styill to [etc.] 1576 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 385.
For ane corbell boicht … to the styill forgains the Hospetall(c) 1622 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 144.
For casting of the styll of the castell bank 1632 S. Leith Rec. 22.
Ordained to attend the table heads … to carrie the bread … to carrie wyne … to stand at the stylls and gather the tickets 1634 Dundonald Par. Rec. 386.
The eist corner of the churchyaird whair some tyme was ane stylle for entrie to the churchyaird 1646 Falkirk Baron Ct. (7 April).
And the said James Lamb to mak the passage at his awne doore ane sufficient stylle thairvpone for holding furth of guidis(2) 1573 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 384.
For the dichting of the styill aforganis the hospitall … Item to the caseymaker for the mending of the casey afoir Sanct Barbara styill 1593 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 463.
Nocht repairing of thair kirk nor keiping of thair buriall … throw the nocht bigging of the north style 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III 74.
That the east style leading to the churchyard of the said kirk sall be closed and built up with stone and lyme for restrayning of the passage of people throw the said kirkyaird 1629 Banff Ann. II 250.
The east styill of the kirkyaird 1644 Robertson Cullen Ch. Ann. 73.
For bigging the northeast style of the kirkyard with sufficient masone work, four stepps on either side and ane croune steppe 1660 Dunkeld Presb. II 406.
The gathering the offerings att the kirk styles: Donald M'Cay and Andro Gow att the west styll, Thomas Reid and William Red att the east styll 1661 Reg. Great S. 19/1.
Going downe ane march balk betwixt Ernslaw and Swyntownmylne style till you come to the old trouch of Leit 1684 Decis. Lords F. 55.
The dwelling house was not particularly designed, the rebels stile and dwelling house being all one(b) 1602 Monkland Baron Ct. 5.
That no peittis be cassin … a eistall the wostell end of the lang steill of that syid

b. Kirk stile, church styll, etc., church yeard styl, further examples of Kirk-stile n., Kirkȝard-stile n. Also ellipt.(1) 1541 Treas. Acc. VII 495.
For baring of certane grete treis of esche … to the west kirk stile 1559 (1583) Reg. Great S. 170/2 (see (1) (b) above). 1569 St. A. Kirk S. 326.
Dauid Durie … allegis that the superintendent admittit hym to be redar be word at the kirk style of Monimeal 1571–2 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII 63.
To Johne Stevinstoun for … makin of the … windois of the scule and dichtin four ribbis [v.r. ribbets] to the kirk style 1592 Irons Leith II 10.
Everie sheep he beit in the kirkyard suld pay ix merkis, and everie nye that carried thame betuix the Coitfield and the kirk style he suld pay v merks 1653 Lamont Diary 55.
Money for the poore that day was gathered both att the church steill and church dore 1667 Edinb. Test. LXXIII 136b.
My laigh buith lyand in the buith rae of Edinburgh neir the church styll 1676 Edgar Old Church Life 52.
[34 s. for sand and 14 s. 4 d. for] filling up the Kirk stile with earth and reding a sink 1658–1700 Greyfriars Interments 23.
Merchant; opposite the kirk steillellipt. 1561 (1610) Dundee Kirkmaister's Acc. 10 Jan.
That the kirk dyk & styles be put wp againe(2) 1694 Logie Par. Hist. I 320.
To Andrew Drummond quarier for stones to build the pend of the church yeard styl and the louping on stone

c. The Stinkand (Stinking) Style, a means of access to St. Giles Church, in Edinburgh, passing into the alley or passageway through the luckenbooths (Lukkin-buthis n. pl.).Cf. also 1667 quot. in b above. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 201/15.
Ȝour stinkand staill [pr. scull; STS styll] that standis dirk, Haldis the lycht fra ȝour parroche kirk c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxii 38.
Tailyouris, soutteris, and craftis vyll, The fairest of ȝour streitis dois fyll; And merchandis at the stinkand styll Ar hamperit in ane hony came 1519 Haddington Corr. 246.
[The land and tenement lying in the wynd called Cant's Close within the burgh of Edinburgh on the north side of the High Street] fornent the entre of Sanct Gelis Kirk, callit the stynkand stile 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 307.
Thir ar the names of the houssis that wer castin doun for inlaik of fyre: … Andro Henrysone anent the Stinking style 1639 Misc. Spald. C. II 234.
The day of the parlament the grait foirdoor of the tolbuith vas opned … then the Erl of Eroll … did place his gaird from vithout the entrie of the Stinking Styll vnto the top of the Braid Stairs vithin the tolbuith 1667 Edinb. Test. LXXIII 136b.
My laigh buith lyand in the buith rae of Edinburgh neir the church styll called the skinking style