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

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

Tyrl(e)is, Trillis, Terleis, n. Also: tyrlys, tirleis(e, -eiss(e, -es(s, -esse, -ets, -ies, -is(s, -ise, -ice, -ize, -ire, tirleleisse, teirleis, turlies, tarlies, trylis, trileis, treilȝeis, traleis, traȝileys. [Late ME and e.m.E., freq. north., trelys (Prompt. Parv.), trelez (1498-9), traylles (c1500), treylsys (1531-2), trallace, trelies (both Coverdale), OF treliz, -is.] A lattice, grille or grating of wood or metal used as a partition or, esp. as a covering for a door or window aperture.(a) ?1438 Alex. ii 2122.
He lukit throw ane tyrlis [F. treillie] And saw … Mony ane tent and pauillioun 1460 Hay Alex. 607.
Tirlis 1532 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. v (Elphinstone v. Innes).
Ane … desk of fyr ane tyrleis and ane dur of the samyn 1549 Aberd. B. Rec. I 271.
Thomas Quhit was conuikit … for … ryving of his tirleise of his vyndok 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II 285.
Payit for ane tyrleis of irne to the portell of the counsal hous dure 1562–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II 181.
For xj fute of tyrlis for utouth the nether windok 1569 Crail B. Ct. 2 Aug.
Tyrlys 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Cancelli, tirleissis 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Hinc cratis ferres crates viminea, a tirleis [1617 tirlets] 1593 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 504a.
For ane tyrleis to Mr. … Watsouns hous with yrne clasps 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Cancelli, a tirleisse 1599–1600 Misc. Spald. C. V 72.
Tirliss 1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 97.
For 46 fute of tirlies to the abbay 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II 352.
Ane wyre tirleis whilk wes without the glasse 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 364.
For iii^c halff hundereth of takit schank for the tirleissis xiii s. iii d. 1640 Aberd. B. Rec. III 218.
The wyndoes … in the wairdhous … to be securit … be plet stansheounes and tirleiss of yron 1641 Hist. Carnegies 136.
Tirlice c1643 Rothes P. MS.
A great trie to haue beine the tirlises of the barrasse ȝett 1646 Reg. Soltre lxxx.
For glase windowes wyre tirleleisses a1658 Durham Clavis Cantici 132.
There are some windows that haue tirlesses or lattisses on them 1673 Stirling Common Good 85b.
Tirlessis 1678 Edinb. B. Rec. X 431.
For cullering ane littell tirles rid in the parliament hous(b) 1460 Hay Alex. 540.
Ane brander of iron befoir him [sc. Bucephalus] lokit fast And throw that brander, lyke till a port-culis, His mett was put intill him at a vice Be ane turnand gin throw hi[s] barier Thare durst na man cum till his trillis neir 1574 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 41a.
For taking out the pannallis of the said pres & in pittin of the trylis 1657 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 25 June.
The counsall … ordaines that peice trileis upon the top of the eist port … to be taken down … sa na cairts with broome and corne are stopped(c) 1542 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 575.
Ane portal dur, with ane pres off fyr, liddit with terleis. Ane bed off fyr [etc.](d) 1589 Glasgow B. Rec. I 148.
Ane … foir yett weill wallit and lokit, with … ane turlies upoun the northmost windo(e) a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 46.
He … cuttit a small hole of the blak cloth that coverit the traleis [1804 tarlies] whareby he might vissie with his hagbute(f) 1662 Glasgow Trades House 384.
For ane tirlize and ane brod to James Duncans land(g) 1695 Cramond Kirk S. IV 21 Oct.
For repareing the … windowes of the kirk, and tirlires

b. A trellis for supporting vines, etc. 1460 Hay Alex. 11199.
Betuix the pillaris treilȝeis of gold war thare With leiff and bereis, richt as thai growand wer 1460 Hay Alex. 13539 (see Tyrleist ppl. adj.).
Treilȝeis 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 100.
Ive levys … ourspred the barmkyn wall The blomyt hawthorn cled hys pykis all Furth of fresch burgionys the wyne grapis ȝyng Endlang the treilȝeis [Ruddim. traȝileys] dyd on twystis hyng

c. A grating over a drain or gutter or, once, a lamp. 1543 Edinb. Guild Ct. 16 Oct.
To mak ane terleis of irne to the rovm of the javor hole … sua that the watter alanerlie & na gros filtht void furth thairat 1595 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 566a.
Ane tyrleis off irne to the gutteris in the ministeris clois 1614 Stirling B. Rec. I 136.
To put ane cais and lid on the stane bowett … with ane plait and tirles of irone 1640–1 Dumbarton Common Gd. Acc. 120.
For ane grait or tirleis … to the mouth of the commoun sink

d. An enclosure. 1555–6 Edinb. Old Acc. II 54, 55.
vj jestis to be ane tirleis to the deid banis at the south kirk dur, and to mend the maissoun luge … for sawing of iiij jestis to be the tirleis [etc.] … to Hennislie to cast the deid banis in the west teirleis … for making of the holls in the kirk wall to the terleis … for leid to yeit it … to ane wrycht for making of the teirleis … for garroun nalis [etc.] … to the sarkin and ane bot irne to the terleis

e. attrib. and comb.attrib. 1537–8 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 226.
Ane bois lok to the tirles [pr. tirlos] yett of the stable xii s. 1629 M. Works Acc. MS XXI 39a.
10 cast of grit headit naill to the tirles ȝet in the nether gairdein 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 328.
Sevin tirles windowes conteining xxvi futtes 1639 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 396.
For a pair of corstaild bands to the tirleis gate in the abay close 1650 Marischal Coll. Rec. I 271.
The yll to be devydit from the church be ane tirles wall a1651 Calderwood II 511.
Bothwellhauche shott at him with a hacquebutt through a tirleis window 1664 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 213.
That no servant women sall enter within the tirlies or baras dores of the saids pewes 1687 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 308.
If any servant woman shall be found … to come within the barrows or tirlies dores 1692 Logie Par. Hist. I 320.
For puting a tirles yeat upon the church yeard styl … £5 9 s.comb. 1579 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 305.
Wille Blak tirles maker 1579 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 305.
For twa tirles making to the baikhous with thair bottis 1626 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 189.
To the tirleis maker … for xv fittis of tirleissis for the laiche voltis