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 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quhissil(l, -ell, v. Also: quhisyll, whissill-, quhis(s)l-, quhysl-, quisl-, quysl-, whisle; qwhistil, quhysstyll, wystl-, whistle. [ME and e.m.E. whistle (Wyclif), whysle (a1400), wistl- (c1400), whistyll (1486), whisell (1580), OE hwis(t)lian; cf. ON hvísla to whisper.]

1. intr. Of snakes: To hiss.Also transf., of hot iron.(1) c1420 Wynt. i 782.
Off woyce he lyk is … As yhe here eddrys quhysstyll [C. qwhistil, W. hyssis] 1513 Doug. ii iv 19.
Twa gret lowpit edderis … Wyth tongis quhislyng [Ruddim. quhissling, L. sibila] in thar mowthis rede Ib. vii vii 90.
This hellis monstre [Alecto] … Hyssyt and quhislyt [Sm. quyslyt] with sa feill eddir sondis Ib. vi iv 106.
Quhysland 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 139/245.
The headis both of a mastishe curr A serpent [etc.] … , doth barke doth quhissil [etc.](2) 1513 Doug. viii vii 119.
The irne lumpys in tha cavys blak Can bys and quhissill [Sm. quhisyll]

2. Of birds: To whistle, sing, or call.Also tr., to whistle (a tune or melody).(1) 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 125.
The soir gled quhislis lowd with mony a pew 1549 Compl. 39/9.
The chekyns began to peu quhen the gled quhissillit 1587-99 Hume 32/190.
The maveis and the philomeen, The stirling whissilles lowd(2) 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 88.
This proper bird he gaue in gouernyng To me … To lerne hir language artificiall, To play ‘Platfute’, and quhissill ‘Fute before’

3. To make a sound as of air vibrating over the surface of an object.

a. Of the air, or wind: To whistle, howl. b. Of the object: To roar, whiz.a. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 20.
The blastis bitterly Fra Pole Artick come quhisling [Ruthv. wystland] loud and schill 1513 Doug. iv viii 73.
The swouchand byr quhisland [Sm. quisland] amang the granys Ib. xii xi 172.
The skyis and the ayr For schaftis schot dyd quhissilling [L. striduntque hastilibus aurae]b. 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 74.
And euery lynd Quhislit and brayt of the swouchand wynd Ib. xii v 114.
The sovir schaft flaw quhisland with a quhir 1535 Stewart 23662.
The cruell dartis … Lyke thunder quhisland flew into the air

4. Of persons: To blow or play on a whistle or pipe. a1500 Peblis to Play 245.
He quhissillit and he pypit bayth To mak hir blyth 1540 Lynd. Sat. 552 (Ch.).
Gif ȝe be quisland [B. wiskand] wantounlie, We sall fling on the flure 1549 Compl. 40/12.
Than the maister quhislit, and bald the marynalis lay the cabil to the cabilstok Ib. 40/26.

5. To whistle, with the mouth. 1570 Sat. P. xvi 83.
Thay say he can baith quhissill and cloik And his mouth full of meill 1587 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 186 (31 Aug.).
And himself hard sum folkis quhislane and calland on hir 1623 Ellis Orig. Lett. 1 Ser. III 140 (OED).
That ye showlde quhissell and sing one to another ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 60.
Whistlavere viri 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1964) 224.
Spirits … whistling and shreeching like unluckly birds 1696 Davidson Rowan Tree 266.
In time of prayer it [the poltergeist] whisled, groaned, and cryed whisht, whisht

6. tr. To whistle (a cup) over, (in drinking) to upturn (a cup) with a sharp quick movement. — 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 150.
He gets the [communion] cup to his head: he never rested tel he had whistled it over