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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.

Vail, Vale, n. Also: vaile, vaill, wail(l)(e, vayll, wayll, wale, veall, wele, valȝe. [Late ME vayle (c1430), vaile (1550), vale (1592), veil(e (1618); Avail n.]

1. Of a legal process, etc.: Of (na, nane) vale, having (no) validity, with(out) standing or authority. Also const. on.(1) 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 39.
Gif it betyde nocht al thre the arbitouris to concorde in … the dome … the dome of twa sulde stand & be of vale 1457 Ayr B. Ct. 9 May.
John Multrer fand a borch & counter borch that the clame of xiiii s. that he clamit John of Dregarn is of vale & that the borch & counterborch is of na vale 1466 Acta Aud. 3/1.
The lordis decretis … that the excepcion proponit … is of na vale 1466 Acta Aud. 3/2.
The letter … thai decerne of na vale becaus the gifar tharof is deide 1480–1 Peebles Chart. 28.
Decernis the said … determinatioun and retour gevin thairuppoun of na vale force nor effect(b) 1463 Wemyss Chart. 83.
Na remeid off law, ciuil na canone, … tilbe of waill 1475 3rd Rep. Hist. MSS 418/1.
Vayll … wayll 1488 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 5.
Dauy Litster fand a borcht … that the bref of inquisicione … aucht to proced be caus the said breff wes lauchtfully proclamyt … than … Henre Spittel … recontirit the said borcht that it aucht nocht to pas alegand that the party wes beyond the se and that thar aw na bref to pas on his … heritagis qwhil his haym cumyn … the court wardit and fand the borcht o wail and the recontir of na wail 1495 Acta Conc. I 402/2.
The said tak to be expirit desert & one nain of wail force nor effect 1500 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 633.
All euidentis … vtirly to be adnullit, expirit, and of na vail 1527 Carnwath Baron Ct. (SHS) 58.
All composicionis salbe gyffin in vrit falȝeing thairof the complane salbe of na vaill nor haif audiens in court 1530 Carnwath Baron Ct. (SHS) 111.
Certane preiffis the quhilk vas fund of nane vaill be that interloquitur of the court becaus thai com untechit or summond lawfully(c) 1488 Acta Conc. I 93/2.
That the said concord wes of na wele force nore effect(d) 1537 Boyd Fam. P. No. 13 (28 March).
No remeid of law … to be of fors valȝe or effect(2) 1527 Carnwath Baron Ct. (SHS) 81.
Plantis … salbe gyffin in vrit or ellis it salbe on na waill

2. The monetary value of a (chiefly material) thing, possession, right, etc. Also pl. b. Const. to the vale of. 1424 Acts II 4/2.
That all the landis of the kinrik be taxt eftir as thai ar of vale now 1452 Melville Chart. 35.
The vaile of the saide mariagis, the quhilk he clamyt 1462–3 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V i 473 (24 Feb.).
Gif it failȝeis at Will Modan can nocht bring in his hand a man to suer … quhat at the sponys war of wail it sal be giffin to the said Thom Ramson … to suer quhat at thai war worth 1471 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II 223.
Gif thai oxin be of mare vale he to restore again the remanent 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 183.
Tha sal … tak thar feuale, vndyrlyand al chargis … efter the quantite and the wale as tha chargis a1500 Bernardus 278.
Gefe it happyinis thé to sel Thyne heritage … Wyth mychti men se that thow haf na dale, Thoth thai promyt thé twis for it the wale c1475 Wall. i 167.
The byschoprykis, that war of gretast waile, Thai tuk in hand 1493 Maxwell Mem. I 204.
The saidis hundreth pundis … the quhilk swme extendis to the waille of the saide landis 1497 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 77.
vj bollis of ald malt … or the vale tharof 1532 Linlithgow B. Ct. 15 June.
The balȝeis assignis James Robeson … to preue the vale of the coit 1565 Old Dundee I 76.
Ony person breking the glass woundoks, or ony bairns … the parents of the bairns sall … pay … the vaill of the skayth 1608 M. Napier Mem. J. Napier 319.
To … desyre him to tak a sume of monie for his airship; quhilk he refuset, aledging he knew not the waill of it 1627 Orkney Rentals ii 90.
They pay ane yeirlie girsum … to the wttermost waile, and ar nott abill to pay anie morepl. c1550 Edinb. Univ. MS No. 553.
In waillis ane enterit for vii crounsb. 14.. Quon. Attach. c. 48.
You hade art & part of the feloun reff of sic a thing … to the vale of sa mekle 1472 Reg. Cupar A. I 162.
The priuilege … of the mure … to the vale of xxvj summys of catale 1486 Reg. Cupar A. I 239.
Gyve tha be cartis to the vail and quantite of vanys 1531–2 Wigtown B. Ct. 258a.
Fore the wrangus intromettyng vith his feys to the wayll of iii crounis

3. a. The (spiritual or moral) value or worth of a person or thing. b. The value (of a person) in terms of strength, ability or physical power, esp. of fighting men; valour; ability or skill more generally. Also, rarely, applied to a woman.a. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1920.
Gudis temporall Quhilk as the calf ar tume without substance, Lytill of vaill 1535 Stewart 3309.
The nature is of God … to … lufe all thing ay efter the awin vaill 1567 G. Ball. 74.
Or than my Goddis name manesweir And set Him at full lytill vaill 1598 Melvill Propine 81.
Now though that Ethnikis … set Him at little veallb. c1475 Wall. iii 77.
[He] Left thaim to cum with pouer of gret waille c1475 Wall. iii 307.
Perseys war trew, and ay off full gret waill, Sobyr in pes and cruell in battaill c1475 Wall. vii 493.
Few folk off waill was lewyt … In the castell c1475 Wall. (1570) ix 835.
That thay micht weill in fra the barreris pas And se thair vaill [STS And so weill graithit] on ather syde about Syne cum agane quhen thai saw thair was dout c1475 Wall. x 824.
Her is men aff mar waill To saill thi schip, tharfor in holl thow ga 1535 Stewart 12455.
The spulȝe … To euerie man than as he wes of vaill 1535 Stewart 24209.
The Britis war bot of sa litill vaill 1535 Stewart 45752.
Gude Jeane of Scotland … Departit hes out of this present lyfe, In hir ȝouthheid quhen scho wes of most vaill a1585 Maitl. Q. 161/44.
Wald michtie Joue grant me the hap With ȝow to haue ȝour Brutus pairt And metamorphosing our schap My sex intill his vaill convert No Brutus then sould caus ws smart As we doe now vnhappie wemen a1603 Anc. Prophecies 4.
Yet shall a man of more vaile mar him 1641 Aberd. B. Rec. III 273.
Sara Fowler … wes convict … for saying thair wes no carle that threw about a key of a booth door in Aberdeen bot micht haue gewin hir waill

4. Advantage, benefit, usefulness (in a situation). c1475 Wall. v 274.
He saw na waill no langar thar to byd c1475 Wall. vi 715.
Thai trowit that bog mycht mak thaim litill waill c1475 Wall. viii 89.
Ner Enerweik chesyt a feild at waill c1475 Wall. xi 866.
Ȝett drew all the Scottis … To the fechtaris; quhen Sotheroun saw na waill