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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Utensil(l, -sile, -sel(l, -sele, n. Also: utencill, -ce(i)ll, -seill, -cile, -sall, -sale, uttenteall, uttinceill, utincell, uttecell, uticill, -cile, -sele, -cel, wticell, outenseill, -cell, outincel(l. [Late ME and e.m.E. vtensyl (1411), vtensille (1542), vtensil (1604), OF utensile (14th c.), L. ūtēnsilis adj. fit for use, useful.] Household vessels or implements, utensils. Freq. in collocation with Domicile n.¹, q.v. for further examples. Chiefly or only coll. and pl. Also attrib. b. pl. Implements used in the minting of coins. c. Vessels used in church services. 1266 Exch. R. I 3.]
[In reparacione domorum et utencilium apud Sconamcoll. a1400 Leg. S. xlvi 170.
In it [sc. the prison] for to kepe vmquhile Of the kechine ves vtensel [L. coquinæ utensilia] 1428 Liber Aberbr. II 58.
The said abbot sal haf ostillary … with swilk vtensele as the said John Vernour vsis for al the tym of the said abbotis lyffyng as he repayris at consalis and assembilleis 1471 Acta Aud. 14/1.
Vtensile 1480 Acta Conc. I 54/2.
Vtisele 1490 Acta Conc. I 148/2.
Vtensill 1492–3 Acta Conc. I 265/1.
Certane gudis vtensale & domicill 1498 Acta Conc. II 226.
Utencile 1535 Stewart 49775.
Rycht mony come him till … With wyffe and barne, and all thair vtencell, As tha in Scotland euir mair sould duell 1592 Wemyss Chart. 308.
[His whole] wticell and domicell … vttecell and domicell 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 134b.
His heire sall haue to his house this vtensell or insicht (plenissing) that is, the best burde … ane burde-claith, [etc.] 1627 Brechin Test. 6 Aug.
Vttenteall 1628 Soc. Ant. XXIII 267.
Vtenceill 1683 Melville Chart. 181.
Vticillpl. 1424 Acts II 4/1.
Bot … thai sall nocht pay drawyne oxin riddyne hors and vtensillis of hous allanerly outtane 14.. Acts I 360/2 (see Utensilly adj.).
Vtensellys 1567 Edinb. Test. I 1.
Vtensilis and domicilis by the airschip estimat 1596 Montgomery Mem. 233.
Utenceillis 1609 Wemyss of Bogie MSS.
Utenseills 1627 Melville Chart. 161.
Vttinceillis 1627 Paterson Ayr & Wigton III 258.
Utencills 1629 Dumfries Test. Ia 191b.
The vtincellis & domiceillis of the hous being disponit … be the said vmqhill Barbara Bartoune vpon hir deid bed 1653 Soc. Ant. XXIII 307.
Ane accompt … of my lord's vtincells … is eyther quyt lost or so imbazeled, that ere long, it will not be worth the nameing(b) 1665 Grant Chart. 351.
Vticels 1670 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Kirkudbr. Sheriff Ct.) 18 Aug.
Quhat frie guids … it sall hapin her to have the tyme of her decease uticiles and domiciles that the saids executores sall equallie devyd the samyn(c) 1675 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 30 June.
Outencells 1685 Old Ross-shire I 169.
Outincellsattrib. 1549 Compl. 145/30.
Coppir, bras and yrn … var meltit to mak vtensel veschel necessair to serue ane houshaldb. 1690 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 219.
[To] delyver … to … William Denholme … Master of the Mint the haill outincelis matterialls and other instruments in the minthouse belonging thertoc. 1674 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 304.
The minister shall be further interrogat … iff ther be requirit outenseills and furniture for administratione of the sacraments 1691 Falkirk Par. Rec. II 13.
Anent the registers and utensalls of Falkirk 1701 Dunkeld Presb. II 323.
Anent kirk utenciles [he] answered they had thrie silver cups, but wanted a mortcloath and basone