Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1793-1818, 1879-1925
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‡EASTLE, adv., adj., n. Also easel, eassil, eastilt, eissel, easle (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 193), eassel (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.2). [is(t)l, eisl, ′isəlt]
1. adv. Towards the east, eastwards (Lth. 1808 Jam., eastilt).Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. i.:
Ow, man! ye should hae hadden easel to Kippletringan.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 120:
It lies eassel o' Kelsae.
Hence used ellipt. with prep. force = to the east of (Rxb. 1825 Jam.2). Cf. similar use of East, adv.Peb. 1793 Carlop Green (ed. R. D. C. Brown 1832) i. 2:
Eastle the rocks, a canty Inn Gives lodging, beer, and bread.Rxb. 1912 Scotsman (31 Jan.):
I've just been easel the toon, and I am fair forfoughten.
2. adj. Easterly (Rxb. 1825 Jam.2, eassil).Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck I. 12:
He cam yont to stop the ewes aff the hogg-fence, the wind being eissel.
3. Combs.: (1) eassil-gate, at the east end of a street; (2) easel-ward, towards the east; (3) eassla-wassla, east and west (see 4. (2)).(1) Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. (1892) Note III on chap. xxvi.:
Dandie Eassil-gate, Dandie Wassil-gate . . . had their names from living eastward and westward in the street of the village.(2) Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary vii.:
Now, weize yoursel a wee easel-ward — a wee mair yet to that ither stane.(3) Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 16:
An another ribbon — verder-cled, rinnin eassla-wassla — telld the coorse o bonnie Teviot.
4. n. (1) The east; (2) the eastern district of Hawick (Rxb.5 1942, obs.). Also used attrib.(1) Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck I. 140:
I turned my neb the tither gate, an' I fand the air was gane to the eissel.(2) s.Sc. 1879 Murray D.S.C.S. 167:
We have also East-le and Wast-le, lying to the East and West respectively. The town of Hawick is divided by the northward-running Slitrig into two parts, known as Eastle-the-waitter and Wastle-the-waitter, commonly contracted into Eis'la-waitter and Was'la-waitter, or simply Eis'la and Was'la.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 120:
The eassla-waiter ba' players.
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"Eastle adv., adj., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/eastle>
