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 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Gavill, Gavell, n. Also: gavil, -yl(l; gawil, -ill(e, gawyll, -wyle; gavile, -yle; gavel, gawel(l, -wele; gavaill, -all; gaivile, -ell, gayvell; gevill, -el, geivel, geyvel, -ill. [Northern ME. gavill, -yll, -ell, gavel (1374), ON. gafl.]

1. A gable of a building or part of one.(a) 1387 Edinb. Chart. 35.
With a durre als gude maner as the durre standand in the west gavyl 1443 Reg. Cambuskenneth 126.
The stane gavill … at the west nuke of that foirhous 1497 Dunferm. B. Rec. 77.
Til opin the burn at the vest gavil of the tolbuth 1519 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II. 352.
The towne … ordanit the masteris of kirk-werk to … mak a fair wyndo in that gavill of thair croce kirk 1550 Annals Banff I. 31.
The gauyll of the porche duyr 1575 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 38.
To tak doun the west gavill of the towre of the auld tolbuith 1600 Ib. V. 268.
To demoleische sa mekill of his yaird dyk as is biggit outwith his gavill 1631 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 2.
To mak ane skaffell … abone the yett on the west gavill of the Metrapolitane Kirk 1645 S. Leith Rec. 63.
His gavill and chymney lumbs was ruinous(b) c1420 Wynt. vii. 3368.
The northsyd … And that west gawill … In till hys tyme all gert he ma 1476 Peebles B. Rec. 177.
All and hall the gawyll that standis betwix the said landis 1497 Douglas Chart. 165.
To byg ane altare … betuixt Sanct Ninianis altar and the north gawyll of the said iill 1556 Reg. Cupar A. II. 262.
Thai sall big and rais the vallis of … the chalmer, puttand ane stane gawill with ane chymnay in it 1583 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 177.
For bering of the twa greit standart ladderis … to the eist gawill of the kirk c 1600 Misc. Spald. C. II. 33.
The gawill of the paris kyrk, callit the waist gawill, was compleitt the yeir of God 1541 yeir 1694 Elgin Rec. II. 409.
Ane bell hous on the top of the north gawill [of the Grammar School](c) 1425 Soc. Ant. II. 387.
William of Galway sal byg a gauyle betwix hym and the said Nicole c 1456 Edinb. B. Rec. MS. 2.
Licence … to bruke and jois ane wyndow … in the gavile of the said lordis land 1489 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 322.
De terra Roberti Buchane … nuncupata le Raynaldis gawyle 1558 Glasgow Prot. II. 58.
It sall nocht be lefull … to haif nayne maner of esyamentis in the saidis gavile, nowlder bowall nor chymnay(d) 1548 Prot. Bk. C. Craig 14.
Patrik Blak … settis to Johne Dalgles … his collaterall tak of the gavellis … quhilk the said Patrik occupiis 1581 Lanark B. Rec. 82.
To gar the causchoneris cast with lyme the tolbuith and gavell 1627 Bamff Chart. 210.
Passand north thairfra … to the west nwik of the south gavell of the corne barne 1639 Aberd. Univ. Rec. 415.
The southe window in the gawell to be made fairer 1676 Lanark Presb. 111.
The west gavel of the church … is slidden, and ane rift in it 1694 Elgin Rec. II. 409.
Ane chimney in the south gavell in the uper storie(e) 1562 Dundee B. Laws 29.
It is statut … that na nighbour … presum to strick furth of his side wall or gavaill … any round oyse 1582 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 148.
For nallis to naill the pilleris of the gavaill of the place of repentance(f) 1583 Chapel Royal p. lxxxvii.
Thane the gayvellis of the said Cheppell … mane be reassit to ane greit heicht 1639 Rep. Hist. MSS., Var. Coll. V. 143.
In length from the degree on the west to the gaivile of the quier on the east 1681 Elgin Rec. II. 311.
Ane sone dyall vpon the south gaivell of the old church(g) 1584 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II. 387.
For painten of the orlag on the gevill of the veddin kirk dur 1597 Ib. 396.
The barres of the suthest gevill vindok in the queir 1643 Strathbogie Presb. 36.
To plenis the southsyde of the quire, from the quire door to the east gevill 1680 Echt-Forbes Chart. 146.
An house … with side walls … aud stone gevels to the tope 1684 Glamis Bk. Rec. 39.
After I had … erected two new litle geivels on the syd wall

b. With preceding term, as castel, kirk, etc. 1488 Lanark B. Rec. 3.
To the mason … to the kirk gawill 1492 Blackfriars Perth 62.
Extra lie Castelgavil brig dicti burgi 1503 Lanark B. Rec. 14.
For lym to the tolbuth gavill 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 206.
Hospicium Joannis Merschell cum quatuor bothis sub gradu eiusdem in ly castell gawelle 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 261.
To ane wrycht for doune taking of the myln gawill 1559 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 36.
In cais the samyn [shops] wer biggit to the kirk gavill with tymer 1603 Lanark B. Rec. 113.
The gait that passis fra … John Haisteis chalmer gavill nuike 1604 Elgin Rec. II. 125.
Alexander Cumyng apprehendit at his awin buith gawill

c. Attrib. with band, chalmer, chimney, dure, wall, windo(k. 1545 Aberd. B. Rec. (J).
He bowaland the said gawill wall on bayth the sidis 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 220.
He had … aduertist tham that the eist gavill windok … was abill to fall downe 1563–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 469.
vj greitt garrownis to be interdaillis and gavill bands to the stairs 1565 Glasgow Prot. III. 66.
Closand the gavill dure upone the stairheid 1584 Edinb. Test. XIII. 147 b.
The mekill buird bed quhilk is in the gavill chalmer 1633 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 61.
To glass all the wyndoes of the Grayfrier kirk … except the southeast gavill windo 1645 Ib. IV. 47.
The gawell doore with ane yron slot 1646 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 491.
In a high dolium ane geyvill chimney 1662 Melrose R. Rec. II. 34.
That … David Broun sould remove ane gavell wall of his

2. The corresponding part of a similar structure or object. 1532 Treas. Acc. VI. 74.
Fyne canves to be ane pailȝeoune … ; to lyne the gavill of the samyn c 1540 Reg. Morton I. 6.
Ane of the saidis kistis … with crampattis of irne about the anglaris, gawillis and newkis of the samyne 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX. 30 b.
Tua tymmer kist gavellis 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. 57.
Ane schipe quhilk dreiwe about the bankis … with twa drewin cagis quhairof the ane of them wantit the gawell ?1549 Monro W. Isles 9.
Three tombs of stanes formit like little chapells, with ane braid gray quhin stane in the gavill of ilk ane of the tombs Ib. 32. 1630 Kirkcaldy Presb. 17.
That the seatts … salbe chaunged [with] thair gavells to the kirk wall 1656 Ayr Charters 197.
All the foirfrontis and gavellis [of the pews to be] of wanscott

b. The apex of the front or back of a mitre. 1464 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 164.
In le gawele a parte dextra … vij litil saphiris Ib.
In le gawille in senistra parte … vij litill saphiris