kayles, n. pl. Now dial. or Hist.
(keɪlz)
Forms: α. 4 keyles, 5 caylys, 6 cayles, kayls, kayells, keiles, 6–7 cailes, (7 keils, kyele-), 4– kayles. β. 6–7 keeles, 6–8 keels, 7 keales, 8 keals. γ. Sc. 5 kilis, 7 kiles, 7– kyles.
[Corresp. to MDu. keghel, kegel (also keyl- in keylbane skittle-alley; Du. kegel, pl. kegels and kegelen) = OHG. chegil (MHG. and G. kegel) tapering stick, ninepin, cone, etc. Da. kegle and Sw. kegla, kägla are from LG.; F. quille (known from 1320) is commonly supposed to be an adoption of the Teutonic word; Welsh has ceilys from English. The phonology of the Eng. forms presents difficulties: ME. ei (ai) does not normally give ea, ee in later English. The Scotch form was prob. from Fr.]
1. pl. The set of pins of wood or bone used in a kind of ninepins or skittles; more frequently, the game played with these.
| α c 1325 Song in Rel. Ant. I. 292 Ther-fore has ure mayster ofte horled mi kayles. 1388 Act 12 Rich. II, c. 6 §1 Les..jeues appellez Coytes dyces gettre de pere keyles & autres tielx jeues importunes. c 1450 Advice to Apprentices in Rel. Ant. II. 224 Exchewe allewey..Caylys, cardyng, and haserdy. 1540 Order in Rymer Fœdera (1710) XIV. 707 The Playes of Handeoute and Keiles. 1602 Carew Cornwall (1769) 10 The residue of the time they weare out at Coytes, Kayles or like idle exercises. 1633 B. Jonson Chloridia, All the furies are at a game called nine-pins or keils. 1737 Pegge Kenticisms (E.D.S.), Cales, skittles, ninepins. So they call them at Canterbury. 1838 A. E. Bray Trad. Devonsh. II. 170 Kales..This is our provincial name, for..nine-pins or skittles. 1887 Kentish Gloss., Cailes, skittles, ninepins. |
| β a 1586 Sidney Arcadia i. (1622) 83 And now at keels they try a harmelesse chaunce. 1598 Florio, Aliossi, a play called Nine pins or keeles, or skailes. 1642 Chas. I Let. both Houses Parlt., You..will quickly resolve all their debates and all their actions, into keales. 1721 B. Lynde Diary 15 June (1880) 131 Playing keels. Ibid. 7 July 132 Played keels with Icha. 1887 Kentish Gloss., Keals. |
| γ 1496 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 275 Item, that samyn nycht in Drummyn, to the King to play at the kilis, xxviij s. 1617 Minsheu Ductor, Kiles, or nine pinnes. 1653 Urquhart Rabelais i. i, They found nine Flaggons set in such order, as they use to ranke their kyles in Gasconie. 1715 Sherrifmuir in Jacob. Songs & Ball. (1887) 96 They houghed the clans like ninepin kyles. [Kyles or kiles were played in Hawick in early part of 19th c.] |
b. sing. One of the pins used in the game.
rare.
| 1652 Urquhart Jewel Wks. (1834) 278 To use their king as the players at nine-pins do the middle kyle, which they call the king, at whose fall alone they aim. |
¶ Johnson has the following, apparently through confusion with another game: ‘
Kayle, a kind of play still retained in Scotland, in which nine holes ranged in three's are made in the ground, and an iron bullet rolled in among them.’
2. Comb. (of the
sing. kayle-,
keel-, etc.), as
kayle-alley,
-bone,
-pin,
kayle play.
| 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. ii. ii. iv, Keelpins, tronkes, coits,..and many such, which are the common recreations of country folkes. 1634 Brereton Trav. (Chetham Soc.) 51 Keale-bones and checke-stones to play with children. 1664 Evelyn Sylva (1776) 261 Osiers good for hurdles, sieves..kyele-pins [etc.]. c 1702 in Rogers Soc. Life Scotl. (1884) II. xii. 252 Bowling-greens, kyle-alleys. 1726 Brice's Weekly Jrnl. 11 Feb. 3 A very spacious Yard, for both Keal and Tennis-Play. 1801 Strutt Sports & Past. iii. vii. 238 Primitively the kale-pins do not appear to have been confined to any certain number. |