A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1400-1456, 1553-1554
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Cercle, Cerkill, -yll, -ell, n. ? Also: sarkle. [ME. cerkyll(e, cerkle, cercle, OF. cercle, L. circulus. See Cirkill n.] A circle. c1400 Troy-bk. I. 503.
A cercle that turnys im heven On some ane of the planetes seven c1420 Wynt. vi. 1423.
A cerkill was Sene apperand as off bras c1420 Ib. 1426.
That cerkyll than was rede abowte 1456 Hay II. 108/5.
The diverse movingis of the planetis … and schortnes of cercleis 1456 Ib. 113/32.
This is first the science of cercleis and roundellis 1554 Haddington Acc. MS.
For … allevin of the tolbutht spouttis & cerkellis mendinb. ? A (more or less) circular barrier or fence. 1553–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I 109.
For making of ane burd and treistis, and the sarkle about the uter nether tolbuyth quhar the justice sittis
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"Cercle n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/cercle_n>
