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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Kettil(l, n. Also: kettel(l, -le; ketill, -le; keetle; kaittill, kaitle. [ME. ketel (a 1300), -il, OE. (Anglian) cętel (West-Saxon ciętel), ON. ketill. Cf. Cattill. ] 1. A kettle; a boiling-pot or cauldron.Sometimes as a collective plur. without inflection.sing. (a) 14.. Acts I. 44/2.
Of thyngis pertenand to the burges ayre, … a caldrone, a ketill [L. cacabum] 1498–9 Acta Conc. II. 297.
A brasin kettil, the price iij li. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 291.
For ane coppir ketill … to pik the takle in of the schippis 1586 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 263.
Ane litill kettill of copper … quhilk he spilt in battering of it oure mekle, and maid it feble 1597 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 186.
Ane mett kettil, ane wly kettill 1600 Treas. Acc. MS. 61.
Ane kettill to mak the dog breid 1653 Soc. Ant. XXIII. 302.
In the bruehouse … one tinn cisterne, one old iron ketle wanting the boule(b) 1593 Brechin Test. I. 111 b.
Ane meikle pot and ane kaittillplur. (a) 1529 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 5.
[Guilty brewsters] to bring thar caldrone or kettellis to the cros and ding thame throw with ane puncione 1586 Edinb. Test. XVI. 365 b.
Tua stane … wecht of bowit kettillis at viij s. the pund wecht 1681 Blackness Customs MS. 20 b.
Four hundretht and fyftie pund of dry warre kettells(b) 1613 Dundee Shipping L. 238.
The schip … laidnit with iron & copper kaitliscoll. 1613 Conv. Burghs II. 396.
For … caryeing of ilk grit creill of pan or kettill 1616 Dundee Shipping L. 274.
To William Alex^r halff ship pund kettill Ib. 276.
To Robert Clayhills 2 centiner copper kettel

b. Attrib. in ketyl-crok (Cruke n. 2); comb. with -caldrone and -pan, and in (the nick-name) Kettilhed.Also Kettill-drum, Kettill-fisch, Kettill-hat and Kettilmakare.(1) 1499 Reg. Episc. Morav. 367.
In coquina … unam tripodem vel cathenam que dicitur ketylcrok(2) 1628 Dumfries Test. I a. 180.
Ane auld kettill caldrone worthe xx lib. 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII. 28 b.
Ane kettill caldrone estimat to xxiiij lib.(3) 1596 Ib. XXIX. 320 b.
Ane litell kettill pan price iij li. 1646 Ib. LXII. 127 b.
Thrie panes and ane littill kettill pane(4) 1456 Exch. R. VI. 129.
Pro aresta et capcione cujusdam falsi monetarii vocati Kettilhed

2. A Tweed-side picnic, specially featuring newly caught salmon boiled on the spot.Common also in the later dial. (of Tweed-side) and also as kettle of fish, of salmon. 1670 Lauder Jrnl. 202.
Their is great salmond fisching on Tueid … We was at a kettle on the water syde

3. transf. ? A hollow or basin in the sea (in or near a port). 1676 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 206.
It is statut … that na persone … cast out any ballast betwixt the new and old hearbor, nor in the kettell foiranent the samen