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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

AIZLE, AISLE, EIZEL, ISLE, Eyzle, Azle, Izal, Essel, Eissel, n. and v. 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 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'.Ib. 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. 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.Ib.:
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'.Ib.:
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.”