A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1567
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Fele, Feil(l, adj. Also: feile, feille, feyle, feylle; fell. [ME. feill(e, feel(e, fele, OE. fela. Used only in poetry.]
1. Many. a. In attributive use.(a) 1375 Barb. ii, 242.
Othir fele folk, forsye in fycht 1375 Ib. xi. 464.
Thai saw so fele browdyn baneris a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxi. 69.
Fele mychty men a1400 Ib. xli. 27.
Of fele vertuse … he clethis thame ?1438 Alex. i. 645.
In fele places haue we bene c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 232.
To the dede fele Sothroun ȝeit he dicht 1513 Doug. i. i. 83 (R).
Bot I … With ane pepill sa fele ȝeris wer sall ede(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii. 1294.
Feile folk that bundine ar with syne a1400 Ib. xxx. 653.
He gert feyle feyndis thare apere c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iii. 394.
Feile enemys has he slayne 1489 Brus ii. 221 (E).
Perth … wes wallyt all about With feile towris(c) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace x. 704.
Feill Scottis hors was drewyn into trawaill 1487 Brus xiii. 316 (C).
Thai with … swa feill speris on hym set c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 364.
He … thoght my favoris to fynd throgh his feill giftis 1513 Doug. ii. vii. 3.
To tell … Sa feil ded corsis as thar lyis slane 1513 Ib. iv. ix. 73.
Feill altaris stude about the fyre 1535 Stewart 21752.
Off … feill folk als out of Germania 1567 Satirical Poems iii. 183.
Feill deithis dartis dolorus
b. Without a noun.(a) 1375 Barb. vii. 12.
Thai ar fele aganis twa 1375 Ib. xiv. 486 (E).
Thai sall be sa fele, That ye sall na wis with thaim dele a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii. 195.
Thare come in hy Ful fele that herd hir mak sic care c1420 Wynt. viii. 3778.
He gert fele fall down till his fete c1420 Ib. 5766.
Othir fele off gret renowne c1450-2 Howlat 511.
Full ferly fele has he feld and slane in the flicht(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 72.
Thare feile he wiste, That had nocht hard of Cristis layre a1400 Ib. xl. 467.
Thane come feil thare-on to gowe c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 68.
Feille folowit him … To tak Wallace c1475 Ib. v. 585.
Feylle othyr was in the contre cald 1489 Brus ii. 228 (E).
He had feyle off full gret bounte 1489 Ib. 232.
Full feill that war douchty off deid 1513 Doug. i. xi. 32.
Apon Ascaneus feill awonderit was 1513 Ib. iv. Prol. 102.
Lust of wyne … feil hes slane
c. Const. of. 1375 Barb. i. 294.
He sa fele off harnys sched 1375 Ib. iii. 30.
Fele of thaim thar garthe fall a1400 Legends of the Saints xv. 168.
Fele of thame the trutht can ta ?1438 Alex. i. 124.
Of deid and woundit fele thair was c1450-2 Howlat 523.
Feile of the fals folk … Relevit in on thir twa 1513 Doug. ii. vii. 65.
We haue … ondone Feil of the Greks
2. Fele sys, fele syth, many times, often. (ME. fele sithe; cf. Sithe n. and Oftsys adv.)(a) 1375 Barb. iii. 652.
Fele sys … Thow art set in-till hard assay 1375 Ib. v. 178.
Feill sis confort scho the king a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxvi. 751.
He profit this fele cyse ?1438 Alex. i. 1920.
His gilt coupes … That he hes geuin to us fele syse c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 201.
Wallace … gaiff of his fell sys, To pour and rych 1513 Doug. ii. xii. 20.
Agane, feil sys, in vane I callit swa 1513 Ib. iii. viii. 67.
Horssis ar dressit for the bargane feil sys(b) 1375 Barb. iii. 470.
Full fele syth Thai had full gret defaut off mete 1375 Ib. ix. 737.
The king … thankit him tharof feill sith a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvi. 103.
He thankit God felsyth 1513 Doug. iii. i. 11.
Of the goddis by reuelacionys We war admonyst feil syth
3. Much, great. c1420 Ratis Raving 362.
Gif thow oucht tynis to be lell, Thow sal wyne efter thris so fell c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vii. 197.
In braid Brytane feill wengeance has beyne seyne c1475 Ib. 268.
Feill tempest is befall a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 773.
The wengeans of his innocens Is on me fallyn now full feile [: heile] 1513 Doug. ii. v. 64.
Efter feil slauchter of thi frendis 1513 Ib. vii. vi. 8.
This cruel monstre, … Infect with feil vennom 1535 Stewart 21183.
So feill slauchter … befoir wes semdill sene
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"Fele adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/fele_adj>
