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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Stul(e, Stole, Stuil(l, n. Also: stuile, stuyll, stwle, stwil(l, stwyll, stull(e, stoile, stoill, stoll(e, stoul(e, stoull, stowll, stool(e, stooll, steill. [ME and e.m.E. stol(le (both Layamon), stole (1387-8), stool (Prompt. Parv.), stowelle (1641), OE stól, ON stóll.]

1. A seat, specif. a throne, chair or stool. Also proverb., transf., attrib. Also in fig. context.Also of a specified sort. See also Buffat(e stule n., Chalmer stule (Chalmer n. 3), Dempster-stule n., Hurle-stule n., Kirk stule (Kirk n. 9 b), lame-stuil, for further examples.(1) 1375 Barb. ii 151.
The Bruce … raid to Scone, for to be set In kingis stole, and to be king 1577 Lorimer St. Cuthbert's 7.
That na persones sall be mareit … bot upoun the stoill befoir the desk conforme to the use of Edinburgh(b) a1400 Leg. S. xix 554.
The king gert that felloune fule Of irne mak a mekil stule a1400 Leg. S. l 1086.
This tyrand thane apon the morne … In stule of iugment hyme seit 1488–9 Prot. Bk. J. Young II 40.
The burd and trestis, a chyar, twa stulis a1500 K. Hart 950.
Beir him this stule and bid him now sit doun a1500 Coll. St. Salvator 162.
A faldyn stule of coruyn werk in the ouyr vestre 1513 Doug. Direct. 48.
Masteris of grammar sculys, Quhar ȝe syt techand on ȝour benkis and stulys 1530 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 42.
For thre braid drauchtis estland burd for burdis and stulis for tursing to the kingis grace to this raid 1537 Treas. Acc. VI 299.
To gilt the knoppis of the kingis gracis stule 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 90.
And making of four charis to the quenis grace, and ane stule 1550 Treas. Acc. IX 410.
Fyve elnis ane quartar Frenche grene to cover the formes and stules the day of the banket 1565 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 97.
10 trene stulis, 2 stulis of leddir a1570-86 Maitl. F. 38/47.
They had lang formes quhair we haue stulis 1640 Bk. Carlaverock II 502.
A turky stule and in [? for iij] rise worke stules and one ould caire with a cod nail'd on(c) 1571 St. A. Kirk S. 348.
Personis to be appointed be hym [sc. the superintendent] to occupie the stuil of praeching and prayeris during the said tyme 1529 Reg. Great S. 178/1.
A chiar price 3 s. 4 d., a stuill 2 s., a roundell 30 d. 1578 D. Murray Legal Practice in Ayr 34.
[Loans redeemed in church] upone ane stuill before the pulpitt a1585 Maitland in Maitl. Q. 3/42.
In kirk [thay] ar not content with stuillis … Bot caryis cuschingis lyik vaine fuillis 1598 Elgin Rec. II 69.
Nycht walking and guysing forbiddin; drawing of stuillis and raippis the tyme of frost and ise forbiddin 1603 Elgin Rec. II 110.
William Mylne, collector, to caus repair the stwillis to the Communion 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 16.
Cristopher in Funyeland for ane straik with ane stuile giffin to Androw Fleming is decernit to pay i merk silver 1613 Sc. Ant. I 73.
Sall furnish the said hous sufficientlie with beds, bedding, taibles, benks, stuiles, chyres, linning, [etc.](d) 14.. Acts I 44/2.
A benk, a furm, a stull 1501–2 Treas. Acc. II 34.
For vj elne quhit to covir ane stull in Strivelin to the king, xiij s. 1643 Ancram & Loth. Corr. I 153.
I haue giuen ordre to mack the … stulles and carpets of moucade(e) 1588 Thomson Hist. Dundee 270.
Removing of steillis, stockis, and movable settis and stanes, furth of the kirk(f) 1632 Edinb. Test. LVI 44b.
Fyve tymber stoullis 1657 Balfour Ann. II 116.
His chamber of presence, … fitted with clothes of estaitt, and with stoules and cusheons conforme(g) 1596 Lorimer St. Cuthbert's 7.
That the said Cristaine copeirit not to the marriage stool and that the said Johne had offerit him thairto 1619–20 Mar & Kellie MSS Suppl. 98.
And yet if thaye see that you two will sitt dowin togeether it maye be that thaye will sett the stooles to you 1644 Soc. Ant. IV 108.
The parliament lordes have sitten twice five weekes, Yet will not leave their stooles, knit up their breekesproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 256.
Betuix tuo stuilis the airs falis dounetransf. 1531 Bell. Boece I 200.
He was … eildit in sa miserabill servitude that Sapore maid ane stule of his bak to leip on his horsfig. a1500 Henr. Fab. 595.
Pryde thow is … poysonabill Quha fauoris thé, on force man haif ane fall Thy strenth is nocht, thy stule standis vnstabillattrib. 1518 Mill Mediæv. Plays 272.
The stule berer and the harnes v d. 1618 M. Works Acc. II 115.
For tua stuill heidis for stooles 1637 Johnston Diary I 265.
Ane outcrying quhat be the peoples murmuring, mourning, rayling, stoolcasting as the lyk was never seien(2) 1507 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 163.
A stuyll wytht ane bak 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 144.
Ane fourfutit stull 1561 Inv. Q. Mary clxii.
Chyris falding stuillis and laich stuillis 1569 Inverness Rec. I 180.
Ane litill stule 1598 Elgin Rec. II 63.
The elderis hes concludit … that all the fixit stuillis for the women be rasit and put furth out of the kirk 1610 Hist. Kinloss A. xi.
1 heche chare, and towe lawe stullis of greine welwit, freinged with gold 1610 Hist. Kinloss A. xi.
Towe chaires and 18 stulles, with thrie baket stulles of Irysche steiche 1612 Misc. Maitl. C. III 114.
Ane reid veluot poke, whilk wes layd vpon ane leach stule set before the Commissionars chyre 1619 Crim. Trials III 466.
The slauchter of … Alexander Tailȝeour … be throwing ane four-futtit stule at his breist

b. With reference to its being placed beside or on a grave. 1526 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. I 155.
And our collectour for the tyme sall ȝeirlie sett ane honest stuill apoun the said Jhonis sepultur decorit with ba[ldi]kin and arres 1537 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 414.
Stwyll

c. = Fut(e)stule n. Only fig. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. v 35.
That ye swere nocht for ony thing … Nor yit be erde; for it is the stule of his feet c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxii 44.
Till I put thin ennimyis a stule [W. stole, P. stool] of thi feet? 1567 G. Ball. 50.
And war the warld ten tymes sa wyde, … Unworthie it war, ȝit to Thé, Under Thy feit ane stule to be

2. An elevated seat where those found guilty of transgression were exposed to public humiliation. Also attrib. See also Cukstule, Penitent adj. 3 c., Repentance n. c, d for further examples. 1636 Brereton in P. H. Brown Early Trav. 144.]
[The stool of repentance … is a public and eminent seat erected towards the lower end of the church about two yards from the ground either about some pillar or in some conspicuous place. The seat is capable of accommodating six or eight persons 1577 St. A. Kirk S. 426.
The said Hew to sitt upon the umest stuil of repentance for the offenc[e] committit 1580 Cath. Tr. 63/1.
Quhy punish ye onlie the pure be your stuill of repentance, and quhy punish ye nocht blasphemie, slauchter, and wther sinnes 1591 St. A. Kirk S. 710.
Androw Tod … is ordanit to sitt on ane stuill lauche in the kirk, beneth the place of repentance 1591 Elgin Rec. II 21.
Thomas Duf for giffin occasioun of sclander is appointed to sit in the stuill of sclander on Sondaye nixt 1594 St. A. Kirk S. 784.
Arthour Wemys is ordanit upon Sonday nixttocum to sitt upon ane stuill befoir the pulpeit in sek claith, bair futtit 1595 St. A. Kirk S. 810.
All personis quhatsumevir, appointit … to mak publict humiliatioun … to learne the doctrine of trew repentance, befoir thai cum to the stuill of publict humiliatioun 1641 Alyth Par. Ch. 69.
Because the foirsd thre penitents behaluiour on the stoole wis vnreuerent ey casting downe stonis at the pepill [etc.] 1643 Ritchie Ch. S. Baldred 87.
Payment for making and repairing the stool for repentance 1648 Cullen Kirk S. 2 Jan.
Steill 1652 Scotland and the Commonwealth 355.
That their stooles of hyppocritical repentance shal stil stand to chastize the incontinent 1652 Elgin Rec. II 280.
The Session ordains that the women that goes to the stool their plaids be taken from them 1670 Dalmeny Kirk S. in Sc. Geneal. III 14.
The Session aggreed and ordained that all who fall in the sin of fornication befor ther marriage should git 3 Sabboths on the black stoollattrib. 1654 Boharm Kirk S. 12 Nov.
Every single fornicator sould pay at least 40 s., … as also 4 d. stoole silver to the officiar

b. Common stowll, ? = Cukstule n. 1536 Prot. Bk. M. Fleming 89.
Ane tenement … lyand … betuix the landis of the common stowll … & the landis of Georg Swan

3. Stule of es, bed stuill, clos (secreit) stule, a close stool. Also attrib.See also Dry stule n.(1) 1501 Treas. Acc. II 25.
Giffin for ane stule of es bocht to the king, viij d. 1533–4 Treas. Acc. VI 182.
ij basingis for the stulis of eys 1538 Treas. Acc. VII 29.
Grene dammes to be ane pavilȝeoun to the kingis stule of eis 1543 Treas. Acc. VIII 187.
Item, gevin for ane barbour basing deliverit to him to put under ane stuill of eis, xij s. 1561 Inv. Q. Mary 34.
Ane vther stuill of ease coverit with ledder 1581 Treas. Acc. MS 73b.
Ane brasyn pan to his maiesties stule of eis(2) 1544 Treas. Acc. VIII 281.
For half ane elne of grene claith to cover ane secreit stule for my lord governoris chalmer(3) 1614 Laing MSS I 139.
Two bed stuillis 1632 Inv. Newark 4b.
Item of bed stolles with ane pan to it(4) 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 26 Sept.
Item 2 clos stulis with ther pans of tinne; Item of chalmer pots aneattrib. 1658 Edinb. Test. LXIX 80b.
Ane peuder stole pane worth ij s.

b. A single discharge of faeces. a1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 43.
I fand it very loosing for … if I chanced to sup … any quantity of the pottage I was sure of 2 or 3 stools … with it

c. Some sort of disorder ? of the bowels or faeces. a1568 Bann. MS 158a/59.
Quhen his maistir plenȝeis on his horsis cheir And wonderis … thair cost is so deir He sayis thay ar seik within or then hes the stule

4. A support, stand, base or foundation (of or for something). 1402 Exch. R. III 544.
For the making of a stule to the trone wechttis, ij s. 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II 338.
For irne werk, nalis, and clikis to Andro Mansioun turnying stulis x s. iiij d. 1571 Treas. Acc. XII 288.
Ane pair of cannon quheillis, stulis and uthiris necessaris 1624–5 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 136.
For thrie quarters of ane hundrethe doubil plenchon naills to makke the stulls to put in the burne 1662–3 Peebles B. Rec. II 203.
For meaking the stulle of the chene upon the croce longer, 6 s. 8 d. 1668 Irvine Mun. II 233.
The broken halff scheaff … sold to James Kyll couper … and the stoill besyd the samen 1674 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 4 April.
Carrying them to the hol … & setting in stools 1674 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 4 April.
For taking of the stooles dailes & trees of the hol in the syk 1678 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt
[For] feching of the stools and wolls from the Elginhaugh 1687 Mackenzie Observ. 78.
The stool of a salt-pan, which was out of use, was accounted but iron

b. The support for the upper millstone.See also Miln n. 1 c (3) for further examples. 1498 Perth Guildry 463 (29 May).
To hald up the mill stull quhelis & stane & al oder nedfull thingis 1503 Exch. R. XII 137.
Et tenenti de Bello Myln pro edificatione ejusdem in magnis lignis et le stule 1511 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 107.
The tenand that tuk the myll … man haue ane new stwle … The stull will haue vij aikin schillis and ther man be preuidit … incontinent for the stull that scho hes is all rottin and will nocht ber ane myll stane 1512 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 109.
Na tre to be put in the said stule bot new aik 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I 150 (see Balk n. 2 (c)). 1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 28.
For working at the kyrk myll … to the stoll was byggit 1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 33.
Stoull 1593–4 Edinb. B. Rec. V 108.
That … the … mylnis … be rowppett and set nocht onelie with all adventures uset of befoir bot als expreslie with adventure of the standing geir and reparatioun of the stwillis 1612 Old Dundee I 177.
He sall make four grite plane bowells in the house … for changing of the stool of the mill

c. fig. Appar. a means of support. 1582 Cal. Sc. P. VI 210.
[Leaving so many … bairns behind him who have no support … ] … that it will plese ȝour majestie … to gef me ane … certane sume to make me ane tred or stoile to support the pure orpheillenes

5. A bench, table, trestle, counter. Also attrib. b. Used symbolically as a sign of ejection from land. See also Bake-stule n., Baking-stule n., Brewing vbl. n. 3, Schepe n. 8 (4) for further examples.There may be some overlap with 4 above. 1517 Misc. Spald. C. II 78.
v bakin stulis, price of the pece vi ss. 1535 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 159.
Guddis of airschip [of John Brydin] … veschell benk, vith a dych and doublar, ane kyst, ane quheill, ane stull with tub 1542 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 15 Feb.
The fische mercat wyth the dichtynis thairof, and penny for ilk stule of ilk laid and all uyther dewties, wes set to Johne Howme belman 1578 Maxwell Mem. 312.
Ane … baik stwill a1605 Birrel Diary 30.
The chapmans standis and stuillis came sweming doune the streit of Ed^r lyke as they had beine selling doune the vater 1611 Melvill Dream in Fugitive Poetry II ii 3/12.
A huckstar's stools, with oranjes & flowrs 1624 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 259.
Thrie fynning stuiles, thrie wooll barrellis, tua pair fynning kaymes 1654 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 957.
Item aucht shilling for ane fleshing stooll 1662 Dumfries Council Min. MS 13 Feb.
The cownsel appoynte the deane & his officer to goe throw all the chapmen that sets owt crames or stools on the mercat dayattrib. 1597 Oldcambus Acc. 19.
For mending the brewing lumis fleshe stands and stull bottisb. 1541 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. (1913-14) 186.
Sir John Cunynghame [chaplain] … passed to the said lands … and there set out [a] stuill, [a] trest [and] a tub in sign of her ejection and removal from the said lands, as custom is 1548 Inchcolm Chart. 91.
I … wernit … Henry Moyis his spous … to denud that ground … and in takin thairof I set furtht a stoill at the dur

6. ? The base or growing shoots (of a plant). 1699 Belhaven Rudiments 21.
Moorish ground upon which ye design to bring a stooll of grass