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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Met(t)al(l, Met(t)ale, Met(t)el(l, n. Also: -alle, -aille, -ill, -le; mat(t)el(l. [ME. metal (1297), -el(l, -ail, matel (14th c.), e.m.E. met(t)all, mettle, OF. metal, metail, L. metallum mine, quarry, substance obtained by mining, metal.]

1. Metal, metallic substance, collectively or unspecifically.(a) c1420 Wynt. i. 250.
Twbalkayin delytyt haile Be oysyde craft to wyrk mettalle [E. metall, W. mettaill], Irne and stele, lede and tyn Ib. iv. 1897.
That metalle [C. metal] mad sa pure and fyne Off Corynt had the tytill syne Ib. vii. 2082.
All the chalyce prysyd syne Off gold or silvyre mettall [C. metale] fyne Ib. ii. 1078. 1508 Treas. Acc. IV. 134.
To the pottar … that makis the taist to melt the metall in 1512 Ib. 284.
For thre skoir auchtein stane sex pund bras and metall wrocht in pulleis for the Kingis schippis 1513 Doug. viii. vii. 167. 1532 Treas. Acc. VI. 158.
For walking of the mettall ane nycht … xij d. 1598 Acts IV. 176/1. 1644 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 16.
Ane thousand weycht of the best sort of metal that keips fyre best 1674 Inverness Rec. II. 259.
To be exchanged with ane wthr bell of alse good weicht and mettall as the towns bell(b) 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 54.
To Johnne of Pennicuke … passand to Hadingtoune for metale to the gunne 1489 Acts II. 221/1. 1567 Ib. III. 43/1.
Craftismen of the pewderar craft … quhilkis makis and sellis corrupt mettale 1639 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I. lx.
Metale(c) 1512–13 Treas. Acc. IV. 508.
ij dusan of firryn sperris … to steir the mettell with 1535 Acts II. 346/1. 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII. 126.
Upoune the … clengeing of the sink and rynnyng of the mettell c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2415.
Thay maid ane molten calf of fyne mettell Arundel MS. 288/292.
As gold … is maist precius abone all vthir mettell 1558 Treas. Acc. X. 438.
Ane pund wecht of tyn to dulce the mettell to the said gros culvering 1562-3 Winȝet I. 75/7.
I am maid lyke soundand metell or ane tincland cimbal 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
All kynd of mettell(d) a1538 Abell 8 a.
The gold the mettill and precious threis at wes in it(e) 1658 Elgin Rec. I. 305.
Matellers of all sortes such as pewterars, brasiers, tinckers or vthers workers of mattell

b. As the material of weapons and armour, coins, musical instruments.(1) a1500 Rauf C. 827.
Thus ather vther can assaill With swordis of mettaill c1475 Wall. v. 190.
His suerd he drew of nobill mettall keyne 1513 Doug. vii. viii. 113.
Of drawyn swerdis … The brycht mettale 1535 Stewart 33225.
With brandis bricht quhilk war of mettell fine 1558-66 Knox I. 146.
And assayis quhilk of the croces war fynast mettall, which staf was strongast [etc.](2) 1485 Acts II. 174/2.
Mettale 1500 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 633.
In gude and fyne golde vsuale monie of Scotland and lakker metale 1517 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 101.
That all plakkis … be takin out throwch this realm without ony deference nochtwithstanding ony cullour or matell thai be of 1551 Hamilton Cat. 98.
All thai that strykis cownye of unlauchful mettall 1573 Reg. Privy C. II. 318.
Furnessing of silver, layit mettell or utheris to the furthsetting of the adulterat … cunye 1650 Kirkcaldy Presb. 359.
Alexander Moncrief had rounged his coyne and mixed his mettell(3) 15.. Clar. ii. 1637.
The mirrie trumpits … The sound out throw the silver mettel thrangc. quasi-adj. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 426.
Thair was bot ane god anerlie Quhilk spirituall was, nother mettell stane nor tre 1538 Treas. Acc. VII. 25.
Gevin to Gawine Hammiltoun for twa gunnis of matell fund … xl cronis

d. plur. Metals: metallic substance, collectively; also, (various) members of the class of metals. 1456 Hay I. 283/10.
All metallis all low and lychtnes that lemys and gevis sycht to the eyne Ib. 290/7.
Croune of the nobilast of all metallis c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 79.
I maid hurdis of gold and tresore … , with jowellis of al fynest mettallis of all fassons, plesand with precious stanis 1516 Reg. Privy S. I. 417/1.
To put … xxiiii werkmen … in the mynd of ure of gold, silver, lede and all utheris metallis in Crawfurd Mure 1549 Compl. 145/29.
Coppir, bras, and yrn, and vthir mettellis 1591 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 46.
Haifing ane … knawlege of the fynnes of the mettillis 1592 Acts III. 556/2.
The haill mater of the mettallis and minerallis Ib. 559/1.
To caus melt and fyne the vris of mettallis

e. Either of the two heraldic tinctures or and argent. c1450-2 Howlat 420.
Off metallis [B. mettelis] and colouris in tentfull atyr 1456 Hay I. 283/7.
And suppos sum ignoraunt men wald say gold is metall and na coloure, that makis nocht 1494 Loutfut MS. 10 b.
And here eftir salbe put first ii coulouris quhilkis ar callit metallis Ib.
In the quhilkis thair is twa metallis & v colouris Ib. 11 b.
In armorie suld nocht be put metall on metall na colour apon colour

2. Applied to metallic ore, in the mine or before refinement. sing. and plur.Also attrib. with -place, -mine.sing. a1500 Colk. Sow iii. 114.
Sen goid, siluer, mettell and alkyn vre Fynit be folkis, vanisis 1490 Irland Mir. I. 58/18.
This element of erd … has within jt … all kynd … of metall, stanys, colis 1515 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 38.
The gold and matel that is wyn tharintill 1528 Lynd. Dreme 370. 1592 Acts III. 556/2.
Ony myne or seme of mettaill 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I. 104 b.
Sax great cuddeis that caryis the mettell betuix driftisattrib. 1562-3 Winȝet II. 22/2.
The presonis, pittis and mettal places fillit ful of the sanctis of God 1590 Welwod 77.
To send him skurgit to … perpetuall labour as to metall mines and galiounsplur. 1531 Bell. Boece I. 251.
To win mettellis, querrellis and to mak tild 1554 Treas. Acc. X. 232.
To … serch … the coilheuchis of Linlithqw for coill and mettales 1592 Acts III. 556/2.
That … thair salbe ane ordinar officiar appointit … for the owersicht … of the mettallis … to be callit m^r of the mettallis and minerallis 1596 Dalr. I. 56/27.
Mettelis Ib. II. 248/1.
Mettellis 1609 Acts IV. 408/2.
Wlkis mycht be reserved … upoun moir choise and proffitable mettaillis 1672 Sinclair Hydrostaticks 260.
Metalls

3. a. Clay or the like, for manufacture into pottery. 1549 Compl. 19/19.
Ane pottar vil mak of ane masse of mettal diuerse pottis of defferent fassons 16.. Symson's Descr. Galloway (1823) 137.
Under that [ash] there was an inch thick of a scurff like mug mettall

b. The raw material of glass manufacture. 1688 Acc. of Glasshouse in North Leith in Dunbar Social Life II. 129.
For the metle of 2880 peice of chapine botles

4. fig. a. The ‘stuff’ of a person or persons, what he ‘is made of’ or is worth.With reference to character or quality, or to spirit, courage, or ‘mettle’.Bell mettall, ? = good for or apt to noise or bragging but of little other worth or effectiveness. a1538 Abell 84 a.
Wirginite is a geme at ay it schenis brychtest in maist precius mettell that is in thaim at is heest in dignite 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 58.
Quhen scho saw in hir husband not mettell aneuch to troubil the estait, scho pykit out ane man a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 1598.
Ye ar all bell mettall

b. In other fig. contexts. 1621 Crim. Trials III. 507.
Expecting your majesties … favorable constructioun of our proceidingis, wischeing thay may prove good mettall when thay come to the tryall of the trew tuitchestone 1643 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 358.
Though a fire be kindled in the land, yet it is not to consume any of the mettal