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

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

Telin(g, Teil(l)ing, vbl. n. Also: telyng, -and, teleyne, teillinge, tealling(e, tealinge, tealeing, teeling, telleing, tilling, tileing. [ME and e.m.E. tilunge (a1225), telienge, tellynge, tillyng (all Trevisa); Tele v.] The action of cultivating (land), also land (ley) teling. Also const. doun, up, away. Also attrib. with silver.(1) 1475 Peebles B. Rec. I 174.
For the telyng and the inhabityn that he made apon the Quhitauchis … the sayd Williame sal … assyth mak to the nychtburis 1488 Acta Aud. 117/2.
That the said William … has done wrang in the manuring teling & sawing of the saidis landis 1500 Exch. R. XI 460.
Thir thre statutis to be kepit in forest in wod, der, and teling, that is to say the wod and der punist be auld statutis and the corn eschete 1512 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 184.
The wranguus teling of a get 1523–4 Carnwath Baron Ct. (SHS) 8.
For the … telin of his land & takin away of the corn 1534 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 116.
The wrangus teleyne of tuay bollis of quhait 1548 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 359.
The allegit … teling and riving out of ane parte of the saydis lordis landis and sauing of cornis thairupoun 1567 Liber Dryburgh 402.
For expenssis maid in teling sawin harrowing wading schering and leding of the cornis a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 6231.
Quhone seid vantis than men of teling tyris 1587 Acts III 460/1.
Quhatsumeuer … persones cuttis and distroyis pleuch and pleuch geir in tyme of teling [Acts (1597) ii 98b, teeling] … salbe … punissit … to the deid 1611 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 57.
Payment of my acres teland this yeir(b) 1503–4 Acts (1597) i 97.
That na schireffe nor officiar distreinȝie or poynd ony thing belangand to the pleuch in time of teilling 1570 Lanark B. Rec. 50.
Fouir s. vj d. for teilling of half aker of the said James land 1584 Elgin Rec. I 174.
The earing and teiling of thre aickers … with his oxin and pleuch a1595 Descr. Isles 439.
Na labourers of the ground are permittit to steir furth of the cuntrie … , that the labour belonging to the teiling of the ground … may not be left undone 1603 Inverness Rec. II 7.
Teillinge 1605 Glasgow Merchants House 92.
Quhatsumevir personne … dois wrang to his nychtbor in … teilling or lowsing of martch stainis a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 239.
Possession by teilling, laboreing, and soweing, ought to be preferred to civill possession be uplifting of maills 1652 Peebles B. Rec. II 7.
Appoyntes Fryday … for teilling of Homildone, and ordeanes the burgessis and inhabitantes to have their pleuches and horssis readie to teil the same(c) 1667 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 198.
Ane peace of land quhich was overlong of tealling which the persewer teilled himselfe a1699 Skene Agric. MS (ed.) 67.
After the teallinge harrows it [sc. the land] and then mucks it verie weill a1699 Skene Agric. MS (ed.) 68.
Vheit neids not be sowne immediatlie efter the tealinge(d) 1678 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 14 Oct.
Item more dew be John McCom weawer in Cloescroft £6 Scots money for telleing(e) 1675 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 51.
A roode and ane halfe of tilling ane rigge of sheiring [etc.] 1683 Fountainhall Decis. I 224.
Her tilling and riveing out the march-balk(2) 1660 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 279.
[5 li.] for ley teilling 1660 Stitchill Baron Ct. 20.
4 libs. … for land teilling 1661 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 346.
The remaine of land tealeing that yeire 1667 Corshill Baron Ct. 73.
Tileing 1674 Cunningham Diary 27.
A yoaking of land tilling 1678 Corshill Baron Ct. 147.
Three rood bait nyn fall of land tileing 1683 Fawside Coal Compt 103.
To Whythill men at the land tilling [16 s.](3) 1574 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 8.
The offence commitit … in teilling doun of ane part of the commoun lands 1600 Stirling B. Rec. I 94.
In teilling down … of the peice land … besyd the Winschelhauch 1607 Yester Wr. 284.
For teiling up of his growin corne of quheit and peis 1682 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 124.
For … teilling away William Henries sowne beir land from end to end of a rige 1693 Fountainhall Decis. I 579.
In tilling up a high-way(4) attrib. 1552 (1586) Reg. Great S. 375/1.
Lie teling-silver 16 den., pro Monkcastell inferiore 6 lib. 8 sol. 4 den. … in teling-silver 10 sol., pro Auchinkist 40 sol., in autumno 4 sol.

b. The symbolic ploughing which was part of the process of establishing a person in possession of land. 1638 Sc. Ant. I 28.
Quhilk William Walwood … be vertue of the said precept … enterit the said Jhon Maij in … be teeling and earing with the said Jhon May his own pleuch & guds of ane litle quantatie … of the forsaid lands