shiel Sc. and north.
(ʃel)
Forms: α. 3 sciale, shale, 4–6 schele, 5–6 scheill, 5, 7 schell(e, 6 shele, shile, 7 sheale, sheel(l, 7–9 sheal, 9 shill, (scheul, schule), 8– shiel; β. 6–7 scheild, 7 sheyld, sheald, 8–9 shield.
[Northern ME. shāle, schēle, of obscure origin.
Prob. connected in some way with the synonymous ON. skále wk. masc. (whence scale n.4). The formal equivalent of this in ONorthumbrian would be *scéla (= WS. *sceala), which would yield ME. schēle and the later forms. The 13th c. form shāle may be an adoption of the ON. form with substitution of initial (ʃ) for (sk), or it may be an alteration of the native word through association with the ON. form.
The β forms arose from confusion with shield n.]
1. A temporary building, usually of boards; a shepherd's summer hut; a shanty, shed, shieling.
The ‘shiels’ in quot. 1291 are those from which the town of Shields is named. The place is called ‘the shiles by Tinmouth castle’ in Bulleyn Bk. Simples (1562) 75 b.
| α 1291 in W. S. Gibson Tynemouth Priory (1846) II. App. 68 Non fuerunt ibi nisi tres sciales tantum. Ibid. 70 Ante prædictum tempus..non fuerunt ibi nisi prædict’ tres shales. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 4049 Þar þai schewid him in schurrys to schellis & to caues. 1533 Bellenden Livy iii. ix. (S.T.S.) I. 282 To bring his govne fra þe somer schele quhare he duelt. Ibid. v. i. II. 142 To mak wynter schelis to defend þame fra wynter stormys. 1502 in Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 1585, 257/1 To big scheillis and lawis on the hauchis of the saidis landis..for resaweing of the fisch. 1637–50 Row Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.) 433 What to doe have the ministring spirits of the Lord with things done in such a contemptible and stinking sheell? a 1722 in W. Macfarlane's Geogr. Collect. (S.H.S.) II. 36 They..ther live grassing their cattle in litle houses which they build upon ther coming and throwes doun when they come away called sheels. a 1756 Collins Ode Superst. Highl. 48 Whether sitting in the shepherds shiel, Thou hear'st some sounding tale of war's alarms. 1845 New Statist. Acc. Scot. II. Berwick 159 An alarm is instantly given to the men at the shiel or house where the fishermen lodge. |
| β 1688 Holme Armoury ii. 36/2 Coats, Sheapards Shealds, or Hovells. 1726 P. Walker Life Peden (1827) 63 He preached in a Shield or Sheep-house, in a desert Place. 1823 J. Hodgson in Raine Mem. (1858) II. 9 The floors of a great many shields or circular huts; which had been in it, were rudely paved. 1857 Act 20 & 21 Vict. c. cxlviii. §47 To remove from every Fishery, Fishing Shield, and Fishing Ground..all Boats, Oars [etc.]. |
2. A small house, cottage, hovel.
| 1338 Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 201 Item, idem Elem. [osinarius] adquisivit illam schele in Rokehop que aliquando fuit Roberti de Brandon pro 8 li. 1557 Burgh Rec. Peebles (1872) 239 Takkand to erd our scheillis and housis. 1605 Camden Rem., Surnames 102 Sheal, a cottage or shelter. 1616 Aberdeen Reg. (1848) II. 339 And the third voult to be bot ane schell athort the haill hous for the jaylouris duelling. 1728 Ramsay Robt., Richy, & Sandy 127 Come to my shiel, there let's forget our care. 1792 Burns Song, Bess & Spinning Wheel 23 The craik amang the clover hay, The paitrick whirrin' o'er the ley, The swallow jinkin' round my shiel, Amuse me at my spinning-wheel. 1838 J. Hodgson in Raine Mem. (1858) II. 379 In the churches they were better sheltered than in their own shiels. 1884 Queen Victoria More Leaves 62 We stopped at a very picturesque place, surrounded by woods and hills and little shiels. |
| transf. c 1470 Henryson Mor. Fab. ii. (Town & C. Mouse) vi, It was ane sober wane..Ane sillie scheill vnder ane steidfast stane. |
† 3. A piece of pasture ground having a shepherd's hut upon it; a summer pasturage.
Obs.| 1532 Ld. Dacre in St. Papers Hen. VIII (1836) IV. 608 The common brute and voice was to have made a roode upon the Debatable grounde and Liddisdale men, nowe being at the sheles frome their winter houses. 1620 Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 781/2 Lie insches et shealis super dicta aqua. 1715 Pennecuik Tweeddale 18 Then follows a little Shiel called the Frosthol. 1762 Bp. Forbes Jrnl. (1886) 144 This place, called the Sheals of Dalquhirn, belongs to Macpherson of Breakachie. 1843 Hardy in Proc. Berw. Nat. Club II. 59 note, A shiel or shieling is a shepherd's summer hut, as well as a summer pasturage for flocks. 1857 Jeffrey Roxburgh. I. 269 The schules or scheuls, afterwards written Shiels were applied to describe mountain pasture with the huts of the herdsmen. |
† 4. Comb.:
shiel-house = sense 2;
shiel-town = sense 3.
| 1606 Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 627/1 Lie scheiltounes. 1623 Ibid. 151/1 Lie scheildhous. 1804 Anderson's Cumbld. Ball. 80 She lives in a shill-house, burns dried sticks, And there has dealins wi' the de'il. |