Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Portculis, -e(i)s, n. Also: portcull-, porcull-, -cuil- and -ys, -ice, -yce; -ies; -ace, -ais; Perculier. [ME and e.m.E. port colice (c 1330), portecules (a 1400), portcoles, -colis(se, -colece, poort colyce (Prompt. Parv.), also porcules (14th c.), purcoloys, percullis, -collois (all 16th c.), par-cullis (1607); etc.; OF porte coleice (c 1200 in Hatz.-Darm.) lit. sliding door or gate f. porte Port n.² and col(e)ïce, couleïce (mod. F. coulisse), fem. of OF coleïs adj. (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.) flowing, sliding, L. type *cōlātīcius, f. L. cōlāt-us p.p. of cōlāre strain, filter, (Romanic) (F. couler) flow. Cf. Portculȝeis.As in Eng., freq. written as two words.]

A portcullis. Also attrib. and fig.In plur., also without inflection.sing.(a) c1420 Wynt. viii 5715.
Than a staff tuk Wate off Curry, And set wndyr the portculys [C. portculyce, W. port culis], That cum downe mycht it on na wys Ib. 4948. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 537.
And throw that brander lyke till a port-culis His [sc. Bucephalus'] mett was put intill him Ib. 585.
[He] sone ane closer gart for him controue With port-culis turnand with ane gin c1475 Wall. ix 506.
A cruell portar … Powit out a pyn, the portculys [1570 port culȝeis] leit fall 1504 Treas. Acc. II 277.
For … irne bocht to the gret portculis in Strivelin a1578 Pitsc. I 336/12.
And ane greit portculis of trie falland doune the maner of ane barrace witht ane greit draw brege 1637 Monro Exped. ii 215.
Portcullies(b) c1475 Wall. i 90.
Corspatryk … Leit breggis doun, and portcules thai drew; Set wp ȝettis syne [etc.] 1535 Stewart 59742.
Portculeis a1578 Pitsc. I 325/19.
The captane … syne gart steik the ȝettis and drew downe the portculeis a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 143.
And the haill towre of the portculeis(c) 1587 Carmichael Etym. 45.
Cataracta, a dam, or porcuiles 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Cataracta, a porculles, a linplur. 1491 Acts II 270/1.
Ad edificandum … castrum … cum vectibus ferreis propugnaculis portculicis [etc.] 1499–1500 Reg. Privy S. I 64/1.
To big a towr … with power to mak thairapon … irne yettis, machicolin, bataling, portculacis, fows, etc.? uninfl. plur. 1500 Coll. Aberd. & B. 318.
And thairuppoun to mak bertasing … irne yettis portculais draubriggis fowssis 1511–12 Reg. Privy S. I 358/2.
To erect … his … fortalice of Carnok, with irn ȝettis, barmkin, portculis, battaling, [etc.] a1540 Freiris Berw. 14 (B).
The portcules [M. -is] most subtelly to fall, Quhen that thame list to draw thame vpoun hichtattrib. 1622–3 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 151.
For ane sneck … to the laich turnepyk yet that leadis to the portcules hallfig. 1605 Acts Sederunt i 60.
That place of session and judicatory in that our kingdome … representing our royall estate and auctoritie and being the very porculace of our obedience within our realme [etc.]