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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.

Ven(n)el(l, -al(l, n. Also: wen(n)el(l, -al(l, venale, -ail, -eale, el(l)e, vennale, -iall, -eyll, wenail, -iall, vinel(l, winell, winnaill, vyn(n)ell, wynell, vaniale. [e.m.E. vennel (1562), vennell (1641), OF venele, venelle, vanelle, med. L. venella, dimin. of L. vēna.] A, chiefly narrow, lane or thoroughfare in a town or city. Freq. commoun vennell, see Commoun adj. l c for further examples. b. attrib. and comb. c1300 Reg. Episc. Glasg. I 216.
[Inter terram Malcolmi dicti Scoti … et venellum sive viam que est dictorum fratrum 1365 Reg. Great S. 60/1.
Simone de venella 1422 Cop. St. A. 99.
Inter terram Willelmi de Forsytht ex porte orientali, ex porte una, et communem venellam que ducit ad castrum ex porte occidentali, ex porte altera 1531–2 Reg. Dunferm. 382.
iv tenementis et petia terre in venella ecclesie in burgo de Kirkcaldy 1535–6 Selkirk B. Ct. MS 205 (19 Jan.).
In vna venella vocata Kyrk Wynd 1586 Retours II Inq. Spec. Ayr (741).]
In venella vocata Foul Vennell in burgo de Air(1) 1433 Aberd. B. Rec. I 390.
Touchand the takyng doun of the hous … aboue your venale, because of passage 1470 Prestwick B. Rec. 9.
A rode of land liand next the venale, apoun the sid of the kirkland of Prestwik 1477 Aberd. B. Rec. I 36.
That the alderman, and a certaine of the consale … pas through the toune to see the venalis that are closit, and that thai ger thaim be red and oppinnyt as thai think expedient 1573 Reg. Privy C. II 278.
The haill venallis of the said toun, except the brig, ar owerblawin [sc. with sand] 16… Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 17.
The back venall which is steep declining to the southeast(b) 1450 Ayr B. Ct. 20 Dec.
Venele 1471 Yester Wr. 71.
The venelle called Leichwynd 1518 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 177.
That all … persouns … purge and clenge thair calsayes to myd channell … als weill on the Kowgaitt venellis as on the hie gaitt 1532 Dumfries B. Ct. 118a.
Wenell 1538 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 193.
With ane venell ascendand up uteucht the auld barros left in tyme of veir for eis of the toune and clossyne of that port, quhilk extendis to xiiii fut of breid 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 155.
Articles to be inquired be secret inquisition, and punished be the law … Gif ther be any venels stopped, or bigged vp, & be quhom(c) 1499 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 97.
xx^ti d. to the biging of the foull vennall 1532 Glasgow Prot. IV 55.
Wennall 1563–4 Perth B. Ct. 39 (3 March).
Lands liand in the maill vennall 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. (MC) 30.
Ordanis the sculehous wynd and all the wennallis to be … condampnit, and stekit wp 1575 Inverness Rec. I 242.
Quhar thai haif brokin downe the commoun dykis biggit be the commonis in the wennallis for awoding of the pest 1577 Glasgow B. Rec. (MC) 72.
The skynnaris wennal is sa hoikit that na persoun may pas 1583–4 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 82.
Ordanis the vennallis of this burch that ar ruinous to be repairit … be ilk nychtbour fornent him selffe 1623 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 295.
The houses in the vynd vennal quhilk pertenit to Harbert Gledstanis 1628 Irving Dumbartonsh. II 308.
To repair the manis in the kirk vennal and south vennal be causeying the same 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X 178.
The vennalls and closes within the said burgh shall not … be obstructed … with the … building of any foir stairs(d) 1490 Lanark B. Rec. 8.
Wennel 15… A. Home in Bell. Livy II 234/17.
The hastning of thair intended laboris made thame not to tak gret cair of directing of grete vennelis and streites 1562 Dumfries B. Ct. 161.
John Carrutheris in Friervennell 1564 Edinb. B. Rec. III 191.
The hie stretis and oppin vennellis 1578 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 65.
The … land … lyand betuix the wynd and vennell 1598 Exch. R. XXIII 492.
Communem viam vulgo lie passage et vennell de Eymouth 1634 Glasgow B. Rec. II 24.
That the haill fleschouris … stand with thair slaikis … vp the gait about the Stinking Vennell 1639 Aberd. B. Rec. III 146.
For the better defence of the towne … that the back gettis and vennellis be all closed 1654 Dumfries Kirk S. 19 Oct.
They were fund drinking in the house of Thomas Atkein in vennell vpon the Saboth 1674 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV 181.
The city [sc. Edinburgh] is still obnoxious and subject to the hazard of burning, … the … forepairt of the … houses … being built altogether with timber, and the vennells and closses being so thick and joyned together 1694 Glasgow B. Rec. IV 110.
Ane peice of wost ground at the foot of the old vennell(e) 1512 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 137.
All persouns dwelland within that close or vinell 1530 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 29.
And ony of ther swyne be fund on the hie gait or in vinellis out of houssis … it salbe lefull [etc.] 1541 Edinb. Guild Ct. 27 May.
Swa that the kingis streit of the said vinel be nocht nerrowit be him mar nor be his nychtbouris that hes biggit turnpikis of befor 1542 Aberd. B. Rec. I 181.
Vynell 1563 Edinb. B. Deeds 78.
Winell 1566 Edinb. B. Deeds 221.
The vynnell callit Hakkerstounis wynd 15… Aberd. B. Rec. MS XVII (Jam. s.v. Wynell.).
Wynell 1605 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 17.
To clenge the hie gait and publict vinellis from myddings and staynes(f) 1542 Prot. Bk. J. Cristisone 79.
Vaniale 1664 Cramond Cullen Ann. 49.
It is statute that the weniall betuixt Croscroft and Palȝeards Croft be keeped open for the use of the inhabitants(2) 14.. Acts I 337/2.
Off the poyntis that aw to be inquerit be the gret assys … Gif ony comone wenal be stopyt and be quham 1435 Laing Chart. 30.
Vennel 1439 Edinb. Chart. 64.
The comon venale callit Sanct Leonardis wynde 1487 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 1.
Wennel 1491 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart. 62.
Wennell 1506 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 348.
Vennale 1514 Wigtown B. Ct. 32a.
Ane tenment lyand in the common venall of Wigtoun 1531 Glasgow Prot. IV 37.
Vennell 1531 Glasgow Prot. IV 43.
The common wennel of the Gray Freris 1548 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 143.
All persouns haiffand middings mwk and fuilyie in the Hie gaitt, Kowgait, or commoun venellis 1567 Inverness Rec. I 157.
That wrangusle and aganis the law he dammys the commond wennall that na man may pas … trocht the samyn for dube and myre to thair kneis 1572 Prot. Bk. A. Lawson 17b.
Quhilk tenement of land lyis … betuix the commoun vinellis on the west … and the commoun Kingis streit on the north c1575 Balfour Pract. 587.
Gif ony commoun vennel … havand passage to water, or to commoun pasture, is stoppit within the burgh; and be quhom the samin is stoppit 1583–4 Perth Kirk S. in Spottiswoode Misc. II 247.
Walter Bog … being accused of cursing and biting of his mother-in-law … ordained … to crave pardon of his mother-in-law … in the common vennell, where he committed the offence 1665 Glasgow B. Rec. III 65.
The deane of gild [etc.] … to speik the man who occupyes the rig … if he will quat his tak therof; and if the toune mak it ane commoune vennell to consider how the nighburis sall be made fensible 1679 Banff Ann. I 159.
The magistrats and counsell be way of excambion … dispensed with the common venniall that belonged to the toune which wes the former merch and road way to the said loches(b) 1432 Ayr B. Ct. 27.
Wenail 1503 Peebles Gleanings 134.
The land and tenement of Jhone Hwschar, liand … betuix the land of George Young on the south pairt and the comone venail strekand to Peblis watter on the north pairt(c) 1538 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 111.
The commoun veneale contenand sax elnes of breid betuix thair said land and the tenement of James Dicky(d) 1542 Aberd. B. Rec. I 181.
Venneyllb. attrib. 1507 Prestwick B. Rec. 40.
Cristine Red pleyt vpon the winnaill dyk … for faut of the vphaldyng of it scho was scathit iij f. of rycomb. 1436–7 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 5.
Thir are the names of the men that ar ordanit to see the venell makin of the towne 1561 Dumfries B. Ct. 22b.
The caus … anents the pursvte of ane tenement in the frier venell heid 1654 Dumfries Kirk S. 7 Dec.
Jonet Massoune in vennellfoot dilate of cursing and sweiring