Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

AIZLE, AISLE, EIZEL, ISLE, Eyzle, Azle, Izal, Essel, Eissel, Isell, n. and v. Also isil, a live coal (Ags. 1825 J. Ross Sermon 160); ‡ezle, "A spark of fire, generally from wood" (Dmf. 1825 Jam.²). Gen.Sc. [ezl and əizl Sc.; ɪzl Deeside; əiz(s)l sn.Sc.; the word is obs. or obsol. in many districts, and the phonetic interpretation of the various spellings is often uncertain. The two commoner pronunciations do not show a regular development from the O.E. form, which is represented rather by [ɪzl] Deeside and perhaps by Gregor's isle.]

A. n. 1. A burning coal; a hot ember; a spark.Bnff.² 1931:
We made a big bonfire an' syne roastit taaties amon' the eyzles. [i:zl Whitehills]Abd.(D) 1915 H. Beaton At the Back o' Benachie 20:
Mary was now astir, and "tuik aff th' aise" by first putting aside a few live coals, or "eizels," on a peat, to light the fire.Abd. 1931 (per Abd.¹⁹):
Izzle is the form I know.Fif. 1841 C. Gray Lays and Lyrics 235:
Or by the cheek o' some auld chimlay, When deein aizles shaw'd things dimly.Edb. 1843 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie's Wallet ix.:
Close to the ribs ye hirsell in Wi' clochrin' whaizle, Till in your cutty pipe you fin' A red-het aizle.Bwk. 1856 A. Henderson Popular Rhymes 83:
Fenders to hinder the aizles frae spangin' out.Lnk. 1862 D. Wingate Poems and Songs 196:
'Mang the flowin' aizles see the faces in the fire.Ayr. 1786 Burns Halloween xiii.:
She notic't na, an aizle brunt Her braw, new, worset apron.Ayr. 1826 Galt The Last of the Lairds xxxii.:
There goes you, Laird, and there goes Miss Shoosie, . . . ye wad observe them burn to a white aizle lovingly together.Wgt. 1804 R. Couper Poems I. 242:
Amang the essels crouse ye heat Your taes sae lang and sma'.Wgt. 1804 R. Couper Poems II. 22:
Frae the red eissels gradual springs The bird renew'd; young life he brings.Kcb.⁴ c.1925:
Aizles. Sparks such as a chimney emits at times.s.Sc. 1824 J. Telfer Border Ballads 57:
Aboon the aizles' dying gleid, The laithly kerlyn satte.w.Dmf. 1894 J. Shaw in Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 146:
Eizle or Azle, a hot ember.

Hence adj. aizlie, eyzly, used fig. of the eyes: fiery, flashing. Comb. eyzly-e'et. Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 103:
A gey eyzly e'et lad [a bull]. Aw widna care aboot meetin' 'im in a park lowse.

2. A burnt-out cinder.Ags. 1850 Montrose Standard (6 Dec.) 8:
I've gotten nae peace . . . wi' Eppie, wha thinks she's to be burnt till an isell.Ags. 1894 Arbroath Guide (26 Apr.) 3/6:
The wee spunk o' fire had burned awa' to an izal.Fif. 1894 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin iii.:
The auld sorra banged up the remains o' the rock, wi' the aizles o' the lint still stickin' till't.wm.Sc. 1868 "X. MS. Verses" in Laird of Logan (1878) 562:
The spunk o' life that low't sae clear Is cryn't into an aisle now.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales, etc. (1837) I. 134:
Bring in thy hand a bolt o' divine vengeance, het i' the furnace o' thy wrath as reed as a nail-string, an' bizz him an' scouder him till ye dinna leave him the likeness of a izel. [Ib. III. 225: izle.]

3. A mass of red-hot embers.Ayr. 1887 Jam.⁶:
Draw the fire thegither an' mak a fine aisle.

Combs.: Aisle tid (see Tid), aisle heat.Ayr. 1887 Jam.⁶:
Ye man keep the fire in a fine aisle tid, or aisle heat.

4. fig. State of anger.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 89:
He wiz in an isle at 'im for deein' that.

B. v. 1. tr. Pa.p. used as an adj. = scorched, withered.Abd.(D) 1884 G. Greig in Modern Sc. Poets ed. Edwards VII. 382:
As weel expect yon aizled withe To sproot again, As look for nat'ral spunk or pith In sic a strain!

2. intr. (1) "To become a mass of red-hot, glowing embers; to gleam, to glow" (Jam.⁶).Ayr. 1887 Jam.⁶:
Let the fire alane; it's aislin' fine.

Ppl.adj. aislin'.Ayr. 1887 Jam.⁶:
I like the gluff o' an aislin' fire.

†(2) (See quot.)Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 89:
Isle, v.n., to be angry; as "He wis jist islin' at 'im, fin he widna dee fat he bade 'im."