A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375, 1438-1605
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Nichtingale, -gail(l, -gall, n. Also: nychtin-, nychttin-, nychtyn-, nightin-, nythin-, and -gal, -gell. [ME. niȝtingale (a 1250), nihtyn-, nyhtingale, ME. and e.m.E. nyghtin- etc., nightingale, alteration, with intruded n as in the later farthingale, of ME. nihtegale Nichtgale n.] A nightingale.Also transf. to a person.(1) 1375 Barb. v. 4.
Byrdis smale As thristill and the nychtingale [E. nychtyngale] ?1438 Alex. ii. Prol. 3. 1456 Hay II. 157/22.
And sum clere syngand as a nychtingale c1515 Asloan MS I. xv.
The disputacoun betuix the merle & the nychttingaie a1570-86 Dunb. Maitland Folio MS li. 33.
Nightingale [: but faill] 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 234. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 193. c1450-2 Howlat 713 (B).
Nythingalis 1587 Carmichael Etym. 6.
Nichtingale 1596 Dalr. I. 40/12. a1605 Montg. Sonn. li. 1.(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvi. 26.
This mirry gentill nychtingaill [: vaill, taill, travaill] c1500-c1512 Ib. 119.
Nychtingaill [: small, travale, awaill] c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6317. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 8388.
Ane nichtingail 1560 Ib. 8403.(c) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvi. 13.
A nychtingall with suggurit notis new 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 724.
The nobyll nychtingall [: funerall] 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 39/21. a1568 Bannatyne MS 229a/29.
Nythingall a 1570 Misc. Spald. C. II. xxviii. a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 2 (Wr.).
Nightingals c1600 Montg. Suppl. xii. 2.
And nychtingall in to the nycht(d) 15.. Clariodus v. 1610.
Fresch nightingells 1585 James VI Ess. 25.
Nightingell [: well](2) a1500 Henr. Fab. 498 (Bann.).
transf. Oure nychtingale [v.rr. nichtingaill, nichtingall] c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxv. 34.
Ave Maria … Haile, gentill nychtingale[: orientale, scale, battale, haile, travale](3) 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 752 (see Nice a. 7).
proverb Nyce is the nychtingale
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"Nichtingale n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/nichtingale>
