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

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

Skill, n. Also: skil(e, sckil, skyl, skyll(e, sceill, skell, skeill. [ME skil (c1175), skill (Orm), sckil (Cursor M.), skyl(l)e (14th c.) also skele (a1200), ON skil distinction, discernment, knowledge.]

1. Reason as an inherent faculty of the mind; the power to reason or discriminate. a1400 Leg. S. xxiii 12.
Sich treuth has na med That kyndly sckil profit [sc. prove it] of ned c1420 Ratis R. 1763.
For he disspendyt his resone In wycis agan kindly skill 14… Edinb. Univ. MS La.ii.318.
Thar foule lust to fulfil As dois a best that has no skil

b. Discrimination, discretion (in relation to a particular situation or set of circumstances). 1375 Barb. xii 260.
Me think it suld accord to skill To set stoutnes agayne felony 1375 Barb. xvi 325.
Couth he haf gouernyt him throw skill a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 650.
Tyme is to hald men stil, & tyme als to spek with skyl c1420 Wynt. viii 4285.
Chyldyr, that na kyndly skyll Had to deme betwyx gud and iwyll a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1325.
Sa that the cause may be kend and knawin throw skill

c. Discernment, insight. ?1438 Alex. ii 2428.
Ȝe ar to trow And als ȝour skill is to allow 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix 255.
Alace, my joyis, ȝe had bot lytill skill That trowit that Ingland wald haue tareit heir a1605 Montg. Sonn. xlvii 2.
Lytill dog, … If thou had skill thy happynes to spy That secreit in my ladyis armis may ly 1611 Melvill in Fugitive Poetry II ii 2/2.
Sum thinks that all at last will yet go weill And some to worse, that are of better skeill 1672 M. Bruce Rattling Dry Bones 32.
I think there is more parling with sin nor there is fighting against it. But and ever that make a good broust for a Christian, I have lost my skill

2. That which is reasonable, proper or just.Variously const.: e.g. in predicative use (with or without verb), with preceding adj. grete or litill, and to do something.(1) 1375 Barb. i 214.
Thai dempt thaim efter thar will, Takand na kep to rycht na skill c1400 Troy-bk. i 102.
And the fare gyftes … We haf ressauit in the maner As skill wald thai ressauit were [L. dona … recepimus sicut decet] c1420 Ratis R. 452.
Sobyr mesing of irous wyll In wrethfull tyme to do bot skill a1500 K. Hart 480.
Thy warisoun suld be small but skill(2) ?1438 Alex. i 3154.
He that negaitis do na will He sall repent him as is skill c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 784.
Madame, that is bot skill, To thair counsall hartlie applie I will(3) ?1438 Alex. ii 3074.
Len vs of ȝouris quhat ȝe think skill ?1438 Alex. ii 3840.
[The Baudrain to Fesonas] Dam, that I heir, … Madame, ȝe haist ȝow mair than skill a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 147 (see (4) below). a1500 Seven S. 1556.
And gart hir bleid aganis hire will A mesour mekle maire na skill(4) 1375 Barb. ix 751 (C).
It is gret skill at men chasty Thi prowd vourdis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 147.
To mak you lord of your avne me think it grete skill a1500 Rauf C. 57.
‘Mary, God forbid,’ said the king, ‘that war bot lytill skill’ a1568 Bann. MS 248b/31.
It war grit skill my dolour anis suld dill(5) a1400 Leg. S. i 735.
[They] laid it in grawe, as was skill To do sa worthy relyk till

b. In various prepositional phrases: In accordance with what is right; by right; in justice. Also with preceding adj.(1) 1375 Barb. viii 436.
Me think men suld him love with [C. of, 1571 be] skill a1400 Leg. S. iii 102.
Wikit women … thu arte maryt agane skill a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 920.
Fore dedis il That thai did aganis skil c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2039.
Me think that thai suld of skill Desyre the gud ere than the ill c1420 Wynt. viii 1240.
The crown he suld hawe … As till hym fell off lauch and skylle ?a1450 Florimond 193.
Thow art eldest, and I with skill Suld alwayis obey thé till 1460 Hay Alex. 403.
Ȝit thocht he it was ill It for to wse, in resoun and in skill a1500 Henr. Abbay Walk 28.
Na man sowld thé repreif by skill c1475 Wall. viii 643.
To fend the rewm it is my dett be skill(2) 1375 Barb. vii 362 (C).
Swa discumfit that, be gud skill He suld nouthir haff hert no will [etc.] c1475 Wall. vi 893.
This is a lord, … To salus him ye may be propyr skill

3. (A) cause, reason.(1) 1375 Barb. iv 353 (C).
To ly heir mair war litill skill c1400 Troy-bk. i 152.
But skill And ek but cause, that I may se c1420 Wynt. v 1034.
[Deeds] Done by the lauche for-owtyn skylle a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1295.
I sal be reddy at your will, In alkin resoune and skill(2) a1400 Leg. S. iii 389.
It ferlis me, That sa wise a man … Suld folow hym throu ony skill, That … Tholit hym in the croice be done a1400 Leg. S. v 103.
He … scheu hym be skillis thre, That his lar suld condampynt be c1420 Wynt. iii 199.
Sampsone … Hym excusyde be that skylle That [etc.] c1420 Wynt. iv 167.
And twa [consuls] was ordanyd for this skyll That [etc.] c1420 Wynt. vii 1528.
‘Qwhy art thow, dere lord, sa still?’ ‘For me my lyff schawys thé the skyll [L. Pro me loquitur mea vita]' a1500 K. Hart 405.
Suppois it be no skill a1570-86 Maitl. F. 362/92.
Sen that I neuer did ȝow ill It wer no skill ȝe did me skaith

b. An argument advanced in support of one's case. c. Passing into: Advice.b. a1400 Leg. S. v 183.
And the fyrste skil to preve it He tuk vt of haly vryte c1420 Wynt. viii 5229.
A skyll Thai schawyt till enfors thare till, And sayd [etc.]c. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 608.
That is skil, That I gyf thé for thi prophit

4. A wise or sensible act. 15.. Dunb. App. ii 63.
Wyismen said, he did nane skill

5. In the phrase can skill: To have knowledge (of a particular subject).Appar. f. ON kunna skil. Cf. Can v. 3.There is some semantic overlap between this sense and senses 6 and 7. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2824 (Bann.).
Gife I can any skeill of fysnomy, Thow hes sum pairte of frawd

6. Practical knowledge and ability, expertise; talent. Also (once) personified. Also const. infin.(1) a1500 Seven S. 398.
Heir my tale and gif gud skill Fra deid mak his deliuerance, Freth him [etc.] a1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvi 19.
Gett men of skill To stop hir hoilis laich in the howis a1585 Polwart Flyt. 747 (T).
Thy pikkillit, puir paremeonis, but skill, Pykit from Irisch Italianis, ar to blame c1590 J. Stewart 48/19.
So indevoir I vith my sklender skill For to do better than my breath may blaw a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 841 (W).
Skill … knawis … recepts to for thy releife; All medicines he maks 1600-1610 Melvill 456.
Gif these comoun men sould be changable, they could nather lern skill, nor prosecut things 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 8.
Sen I with pen … So willingly hes servde you, though my skill be small 1581-1623 James VIPoems I 195/762.
My layke of skill Quhich lettit me to imitat his harde & loftie uerse 1637 Dysart Rec. 73.
The aill to be tasted be men of skil a1649 Drummond II 133/13.
Many a Typhis in adventures lost By new found skill shall many mayden coast … find out 1652 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III 74.
You sall … execut the office of [blank] within the respective shirreffdomes … according to the best of yor skill knowledge and power 1670 Creswell Royal Coll. Surgeons Edinb. 113.
Therefore for conservation of the healthes and lyves of his majesties leidges and for the greater encouragement and increase of their skill 1687 Rothesay Par. Rec. 70.
To call the midwife and other women of skill to try Elizabeth Ramsay her body whether she might have any symptomes … of a late birth 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1964) 420.
The skil against a swoln milt, to asswage it's wrath, against the sharp milt [etc.](b) 1590 Bruces of Airth App. xcviii.
To hasar thair majesties to the skile of ony heir quha [pr. quhu] are not weill acquent with our coist and watters(2) c1420 Ratis R. 30.
[God] … gewys to mankynd wyt & skill Fore to depart the gud fra ill a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 26/61.
God send our burgesis wit and skeill For to set furth the commoun weill 1596 Dalr. II 248/1.
Quhen sum Dutche men had skill … to knawe goldmyndes fra mettellis of vtheris myndes 1623 Perth Kirk S. MS 15 May.
The said Margaret being askit gif scho hed onye skeill to restoir milk to kye that hed gone ȝeld, scho anserit scho hed none 1626 Fraserburgh Kirk S. II 2 Aug.
Scho … desyrit hir to caus sum woman that hade skill sie the bairne

b. Const. in (a particular art or science). 15.. Clar. i 549.
I in leichcraft have sum skeill and kuning 1591 Warrender P. (SHS) II 159.
Besyds the using of his skill in haling of sores & wounds 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 199/10.
His skill in menstrally 1622 Crim. Trials III 511.
Margaret Wallace geving out hir selff to haif skill in the cure of the said seiknes a1691 Kingston Contin. Ho. Seytoun 63.
[He] had great skill in … herauldrie 1700 J. M. Beale Fife Schools 226.
[A schoolmaster] who had … skill in arithmetick

c. specif. Expertise in witchcraft, esp. in healing by illicit or supernatural means. 1588 St. A. Kirk S. 621.
The said Agnes being inquirit … if sche hes skeill and knawlege of herbis 1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 232.
Convict that sche lernit hir skill and prayer fra hir fader 1597 Crim. Trials II 26.
Cristian desyrit hir to gif her selff furth for a wyise wyffe and a woman of skill 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (STS) 13/21.
According to the skil and art of the magician 1597–8 Misc. Spald. C. I 177.
Quhat skill so ever scho hes, scho hed it of hir mother 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 15.
Professing hir self to ryd with the fair folk and to haif skill 1623 Crim. Trials II 537.
Being askit gif scho hed onye skeill of cureing men, wemen or bairneis that war diseisit 1616 Misc. Maitl. C. II 188.
So she remembring that Allane had skill she said to the young woman that he wald help hir [sc. to induce an abortion] 1616 Rogers Social Life III 302.
‘For’ said sche ‘Ye have als guid skill as I’ 1618 Trial Isobel Inch 9.
By quhat meane he profest himself to have skyll of thingis to cum 1622 Crim. Trials III 509.
Scho, to manifest hir skill for his help, tuik him be the schaikill-bane [etc.] 1660 S. Ronaldshay 31.
John Budge … maid use of Kathareen Mansone her skill and cures

7. Knowledge or understanding (of something). a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 39/71.
Off sic iustice I haue na skeill [Maitl. Q. 18/71 sceill] Quhair rewle and ordour is away 1598 Conv. Burghs II 31.
Persouns quha haid litill skeill or experience of thair effairis 1600-1610 Melvill 456.
They might gett mair skill of the wit and lawes of men, and les of the wesdome and buik of God 1658 R. Moray Lett. fol. 227 (21 March).
‘Nay, my bairn,’ said he, ‘You have litle skill of Scots coyne’ 1664 W. Guthrey Sermon 37.
God hath wayes of making out his covenant that we have no skill of 1685-8 Renwick Serm. 23.
We have no skill of people's closing with Christ, who will not close with these