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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Level(l, -all, Lavell, n. Also: leavel(l. [ME. (1340) and e.m.E. level(l, lewel, e.m.E. leavell, OF. livel (13th c., later nivel, mod. F. niveau).]

1. A level, the builder's or other craftsman's instrument. Also fig.Be lyne and levall, see Line n. 1 b (2). 1591 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 440.
Fisch lyne to be ane lyne to ane maissoune and to be stringis to the levellis 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I. 243 b.
Ane litle daill to be ane levell viij s.fig. 1618 Annandale Corr. 278.
He whois growndis hath sildowm bein settillid by imagenarey contemplatiowns, nathir yit hath had his actiowns limettid by othir menis lavell, bot who by the practicall effectis of his awin personall actiowns [etc.]

2. In lavell to, in the same horizontal plane as, level with. 1529 Dundee B. Laws 546.
The stane dyke … to be biggit … ewyn vp north in lavell to the hed dyk and the flaggis

3. A water-level or drainage-level in mining, a mine driven from the surface to carry off water from workings above it. 1531 Reg. Dunferm. 362.
The … abbot of Newbotill and convent … sall caus drive thair coill of Preston Grange … in siclyk maner as thay have drevin thair awin coill to this tyme and with siclyke lavell, and sall caus the watter to have passage fra the bak of the coill callit the coill damys Ib.
Thai sall oppin the conductis thairof [coal dams] anis in sik maner as the lavell seruis to the drivin of thair awine coill … that the watter may haue anis passage to the sey vnder erd Ib. 363.
For the drivyn of the quhilk levell of the forsaid coill … my lord … sall … pay [etc.] 1606 Crawford Mining P. July.
To cause brek the ground cast draucht for levallis or watter gaitts 1607 Reg. Privy C. VII. 358.
To draw levallis, watergangis, sinkis, conductis, shaftis and uthiris necessaris for the same [mines] 1646 J. Hope Diary (1958) 172.
The earth worke hes no levell bot the water is drawen from it be watermilne pumpes 1668 Salmon Borrowstounness 68.
Ane levell and water passage throw the lands of Grange frae Munsholl coall to the sea Ib. 69.
[He] did att his owne hand stop & dame up the said levell & water course Ib. 70.
To make and keep open the said levell to the effect that the said compleaner may have the use and benefite thereof for draining of his saids coallworks 1679 Fawside Coal Compt 38.
Item for redeing the levell 03, 04, 0 1683 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 200.
A tenth part of what comes above ground [shall] be given to any person who draws a levell ten fathoms under the work if it bee so subject to water that it needs one 1685 Sinclair Satan's Invisible World xxxv.
A large discourse anent coal … dipps, risings and streeks of coal, levels, running of mines [etc.] Id. Hydrostaticks 199.
The water … being withdrawn with subterraneous gutters (commonly called levels) that are … wrought underground, sometimes a very long way, for drying of the mines Ib. 285.
These coals which are dried by the free level (for so they term the level that runs unforced) Ib. 297.

b. Attrib. with -heid, -head (Hede n.¹ 7 b), -head-roum and -roum.(1) 1670 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt.
Turning a gaitt to the levelheid 1671 Ib. Dec. 9.
For bearing red out of the leavel head 1678 Ib.
For wining a rowme out of the level head(2) 1672 Ib. April 13.
For bearing murmunt out of the leavell head roume(3) 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 5 b.
To John Flyming for working tuo weiks in the levell roum as the overseman did order 1672 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt June 6.
For sumpting Antone Merstones ground in the level roume 1673 Ib. June 28.
For making 3 scaffolds for keeping of raine of the workmen in the levell roume