Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1725, 1790-1813, 1896-1929, 1998
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MERL, n. Also merle. The blackbird, Turdus merula (Dmf. 1910 H. S. Gladstone Birds Dmf. 5; ‡Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Uls. 1953 Traynor). Only liter.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. ii. iv.:
Thy Words excel the maist delightfu' Notes, That warble through the Merl or Mavis' Throats.Ayr. 1790 Burns Lament of Mary ii.:
The merle, in his noontide bow'r, Makes woodland echoes ring.Slk. 1813 Hogg Queen's Wake 181:
And the merl and the maives forehooit their yung.Sc. 1896 A. Cheviot Proverbs 339:
The merle and the blackbird, the laverock and the lark, The goudy and the gowdspink, How many birds be that?Sc. 1920 A. Gray Songs from Heine 79:
And I bless the mavis and the merle That sing in the caller air.ne.Sc. 1929 M. W. Simpson Day's End 21:
Or the sunshine glint thro' the saft hill rain, An' the merle an' the mavis sing.Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 69:
The lee-lang day, a squalloch o spurgies, a yammer o yities, a caain o corbies an a craikin o capercailzie chimed in wi a cheepin o mavis, merle and blackie tae gledden the braes wi music.
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"Merl n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/merl_n>
