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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ȝoll, Yoll, n. Also: ȝole, yole, ȝoill, yall, yoal(l, yoell, yooll, yeoll, yeill, ȝow. [17th c. Eng. yall, yale (both 1670), yaule (1684), yawl (1692) Cf. MLG jolle, Du. jol.] A yawl, a small boat, esp. as used for fishing or as a ferry. Cf. Joall n. Also attrib.(a) 1553–4 Dundee B. Ct. in Old Dundee II 321.
That the boats passing and repassing upon the ferry of Dundee pay [etc.] … Item John Barres yoll, whilk fures ane horse 22 d. 1584 Edinb. Test. XIV 56b.
Ane ȝoll price thairof ten pundis 1591 St. A. Test. II 198b.
Ane fische ȝoll 1641 Acts V (1817) 506/1.
[Herring fishers] venturing … with thair shipes quhairin they transport twa boatis or ȝolles as pendicles of the said schipis 1646 4th Rep. Hist. MSS 510/1.
Williame Broune's fraught … when he went over with the Earle of Crawford's silver plate that was at the brydell, at Bruntyleand to Leith, for a yoll in respect no ferrie boat went that day for contrarie wynd 1648 Aberd. B. Rec. III 86.
To buy ane yoll … for easeing the touns people and ferreing them over the water of Dee 1701 Cramond Kirk S. IV 8 Aug.
Delated … for sabbath breaking by takeing out a yoll from Cramond over to Dalgetty on sabbath afternoon 1673 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 25 Aug.
Thair shall be no passingers landit bot at the old hearbor or at the rid burne in ȝoles(b) 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 54.
They sent a small boat or yole to Ȝetland, desiring a ship to carrie them out, lest all the inhabitants of the isle should be famished(c) 1602 Conv. Burghs II 137.
That na man may tak away the shipis boitt fra the ship or ȝoill without licence of the skipper [etc.](d) 1668 Glasgow B. Rec. III 103.
Twentie dollouris … for ane yooll bought for the townes use for passing fra the Bromelaw to Newport Glasgow 1700 Foulis Acc. Bk. 281.
For a yooll back to the south ferrie to ourselves and servants [£1 9 s.](e) 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 23.
The fishers … who with small Norwey yoals [Descr. Zetland 9, yoells] (two or three men in each of them) adventure far in the sea a1646 Wedderburn Voc. (1709) 14.
Celox, a little shallop or yoal 1692 Misc. B. Rec. 84.
Ther is four ferrie boatts [at Kirkcaldy] … now become very unprofitable since Kinghorn hes built soe many small boatts, yoalls and great boatts(f) 1695 J. D. Marwick River Clyde (BRS) 143.
That all yeolls and small boats for passengers … for the putting out of or takeing in any goods belonging to freeman burgesses … shall pay three shilling Scots(g) 1608 Aberd. Council Lett. I 392.
Stent Roll … The boittis and yeillis of Futtie xiiii lib.(h) 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 78.
With their small fishing boats or yalls rowing them with two men, and sometimes four according to the largeness of the boat, they go to the main, about two or three leagues more or less, where the banks are, and there they lay their hooks and lines for ling and cod 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 78.
The natives … make use, for their fishing, of small boats, which they call yalls, about the bigness of Gravesend oars, and they take their ling and their cod with hooks and lines(i) 1600 Conv. Burghs II 81.
The brugh of Kinghorne … is now laitle hewele trublit and hurt be the skaffis, skeldrykis, and ȝowis of vnfre tounsattrib. 1606 Edinb. Test. XLI 307.
Ane littill ȝoill boit estimat to xl merkis