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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FORDEL, n., adj., v. Also fordal, fordle, †fardel. [fordl]

I. n. 1. Advantage, profit: progress, advancement. Now only arch.n.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
“He makes little fordel,” he works, walks, etc., slowly.Sc.(E) 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ i. x.:
Kneggum an' the negleck o' oor raal fordal kep us frae wairdin' oor mou' tentilie.

2. A store, a reserve supply (ne.Sc. 1953). In pl. (Bch. 1808 Jam.).Bnff. 1902 J. Grant Agric. Bnff. 150 Years Ago 11:
An extra amount had to be threshed for Sunday and a week's fordel for Yule.Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 169:
I see yer ficket stickin' oot in humps wi' cheese an' breed! Ye hae a fordel, sae ye needna be fumlin' an' tryin' tae hide it.Abd. 1921 Swatches o' Hamespun 15:
It wisna mowse thrashin' a fordel o' strae tae pit bye . . . Eel.Bch. 1929 J. Milne Dreams 11:
When I am throwe wi' tyauvin an' hae laid a fordel by, As muckle's keep me dacent-like an' snod.

II. adj. Deriving from an attrib. use of the n.

1. Laid past, in reserve, in hand (ne.Sc. 1953); paid in advance, see 1932 quot. (Cai. 1900 E.D.D.; n.Sc. 1953); of work, done before it is absolutely necessary (Ags. 1808 Jam.).Abd. a.1801 W. Beattie Tales (1871) 32:
We hae scarce ae starn O' fardel strae laid by 'gain Yeel. [p. 35, fordel]Kcd. 1825 Jam.:
When there are two stacks, one of these is called a fordel stack, which is to be kept till the other has been used.Abd. 1877 W. Alexander Rural Life 176:
The requisite “fordel strae” for the cattle had been carefully provided beforehand, so as no flail need be lifted during Yule.n.Sc. 1932:
If a tenant enters his tenancy at Whitsunday 1932 he is not bound to pay any rent until he has reaped his own crop, that would be Martinmas 1933. In order to secure themselves the proprietors arrange for the payment of the half-year's rent at Martinmas 1932. This is called fordel-rent.

2. In Ork. usage: (a) extra, supernumerary, spare, of a work animal (Ork.² 1953), of a sock or the like, without its companion, odd (Ork.¹ 1949); (b) carelessly wasteful, extravagant (Id.); (c) procrastinating, dilatory (Ork. 1845 Stat. Acc.² XV. 96, misprinted foudal, 1929 Marw.). (b) appar. derives from (a) from the notion of using more than is absolutely necessary and (c) from (b) as being another characteristic which produces the same result.(a) Ork. 1884 Crofters' Comm. Evidence II. 1457:
What is the size of the farm of Stiel?- I don't know rightly; it is chiefly wrought with a pair of horses and one fordel chiel.Ork. 1929 Marw.:
He had twa pair o' horse an' a fordel een.(b) Ork. 1949 “Lex” But-end Ballans 19:
Aye, Willie wis gey nabal, Bit he wis fordal teu.(c) Ork. 1952 Orcadian (22 May):
Hid wisno muckle wirt o' land . . . bit hid widno been that bad hid he no' been sae fordal.

III. v. To store, lay past, keep in reserve, hoard (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 224, “commonly with up”; ne.Sc. 1953); to provide or prepare in advance (ne.Sc. 1953). Vbl.n. fordlin, a stock, store, reserve supply. Also ppl.adj. fordelyd.Mry. 1804 R. Couper Poems 279:
Nae fordlings in the cup-board crowd The mouse nae crumbs can find.Bnff. 1927 E. S. Rae Hansel Fae Hame 13:
The sichts an' souns ye fordled in your min' Afore ye kistit a' an' owre the sea.Abd. 1941 C. Gavin Black Milestone vii.:
I'll need to hing in and wark the morn and get things some fordled.Abd. 1950 Huntly Express (3 Nov.):
Posts, bars, strainers, ladders, etc., sawn from larch trees were fordalt for future use.m.Sc. 1991 R. Crombie Saunders in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 27:
I hadna then this sair perplexitie.
An tho fordelyd langin rocht my hert
Wi thinkin o that ither happy day. em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 23:
"Nae ee has seen, nae lug has heard
The guid things fordelt up for ye.
Awa, an let the tale be tellt
By yer ainsels for eternity."