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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

INTIL, prep., v. Also intill, -tell; intul(l) (ne., m.Sc.); itil(l) (Sh.). Sometimes written as two words. Cf. Atil(l), Intae, prep. Now less common than Intae in m. and s.Sc. [Sc. ′ɪntɪl, ɪn′tɪl; ne. and m.Sc. + ′-tʌl, Sh. ə′tɪl]

I. prep. 1. Of motion: into. Gen.Sc.Sc. a.1763 Child Waters in Child Ballads No. 63 B. xxviii.:
She's taen the hay under her arm The corn intill her han.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 14:
An awful hole was dung intill his brow.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xv.:
Monkbarns had threepit on them to gang in till't to see the wark o' the monks.Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales II. 194:
To learn him mair sense than to gang intill an open well-ee.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie xc.:
Willy . . . is gaun intill Glasgow to learn to be a minister.Gall. 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 100:
They didna need tae pit a ha'penny intill the plate athoot they likit.Ags. 1934 H. B. Cruickshank Noran Water 13:
Gang intil the caller air.Bwk. 1947 W. L. Ferguson Makar's Medley 36:
I loup't intil the gig and lookit.Gsw. 1991 James Alex McCash in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 14:
Vital, brent-new, wind buff'd intill the
cauldrife, hyperboreal licht;
Sterling-midwived by the ferme-yaird's scaudin,
self-assignit muezzin, Sc. 1991 T. S. Law in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 32:
alang the stoorie desert pad,
and his scadda raxin slawlie and siccarlie,
cawed attoore the groo pad
ower a binsh o broon lavastane,
intil the thorn buss. Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 59:
It wouldna take much imagination or drink to turn one o them into a ghost, squatting there like a puddock watching a fleag. Slurp would go the giant tongue and doon, doon intil the wraith's wizzan wi ye. w.Lth. 2000 Davie Kerr A Puckle Poems 85:
... Edward himsel, when at the Quiere, bade
Wallace betrayed intil his hand. Uls. 2002 Belfast Telegraph 8 Mar:
And a few volts of electricity won't do thet man any horm. Might put a bit of life intil him. Re-chorge his pacemaker or something. Uls. 2003 Belfast News Letter (22 Nov) 40, 41:
A wudnae pit oor doag intil a tent thae nichts bit thae German bhoys wur weel content. ne.Sc. 2004 Press and Journal (28 Jun) 12:
I wis lookin forrit tae gyan tae the gran settin o Drumtochty on Setterday, takkin ower as commentator fae Jimmy McGregor, fa's decidit tae ca it a day noo he's intil his auchties.

Phr.: intil(l)'t, into the bargain, in addition. Gen.(exc. I.)Sc.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 182:
“A per o whings intil't” ['t = boots bought].

2. Of rest: in, within, inside, forming a part or ingredient of (Fif. 1873 D.S.C.S. 209). Gen.Sc., obsol.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 46:
Whan he came in, wha's sitting their [sic] but Jean, . . . Nae jot intil her hand, but greeting sair.Sc. c.1770 Herd's MSS. (Hecht 1904) 181:
She has a tongue intill her head to gie a mettle answer.Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 45:
'Twas in a lanely auld thack'd cot, Intull a moorlan' glen.Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds i.:
Neither a doctor nor a doze o' physic would keep him intil his room.Ags. 1869 R. Leighton Poems 305:
The Mate cam' up the cabin stair, Wi' his head intil ane clout.Sc. 1874 A. Hislop Sc. Anecdotes 234:
“Yes, certainly, I know,” urged the inquirer; “but what is intil't — intil't?” “Man,” yelled the Highlander, brandishing his big ladle, “am I no tellin' ye what's intil't. There's mutton intil't, and —.”Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 90:
Shü's smilin, noo, itill her sleep.m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood iii.:
I wouldna say just what's intil the pie.Edb. 1991 J. K. Annand in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 19:
There grew intil my gairden
A tree o the rosemarie. em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 69:
' ... discovers the auld wife's son John tae hae made a second doll oot o clay, and when they gang tae the cottage they find it where she tellt them tae look, ablow the bolster in his bed, wi three preens intil it. ... '

Phr.: to be intil (somebody), of a pointed or trenchant remark: to be “one” (for someone), to be a hit, dig, thrust (at someone) (Abd., Ags., Slg., m.Lth., Bwk., Kcb. 1958). Cf. Intae, 2. (4) (b).Bnff. 1887 G. G. Green Gordonhaven xiii.:
Well done, Godsman. That's intil him. Hit him again.Ayr. 1889 H. Johnston Glenbuckie vii.:
And what said she to that, noo? That was intil her.

3. Phr.: intil anesel, under one's breath, without uttering (the words). Gen.Sc. Cf. In, II. 4., Intae, 2. (1).Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail xix.:
As ye're no used wi' making exercise, it may be as weel for us at the beginning to read a chapter intil oursels.

II. v. To enter (Cai., Abd., Ags., m.Lth. 1958). Orig. from the prep. use with ellipsis of a verb of motion.Ags. 1952 Forfar Dispatch (30 Oct.):
Tae while awa that half-oor I intils a cafe and swallaws a cup o' tea.