Forms: 7 yaule, yale, 7–8 yall, yaul, 8 yawle, (youghall), 8–9 yole, yoal, yoll, 7– yawl. [app. ad. MLG. jolle (LG. jolle, jölle, jelle), or Du. jol (17th c.) explained by Sewel, 1708, as ‘a Jutland boat,’ whence dim. jolleken (1660, Hexham), cf. Sw. julle, Da. jolle; of unknown origin. F. yole, † iol(e, It. jolo, Russ. ядь are from Germanic.]
1. A ship’s boat resembling a pinnace, but somewhat smaller, usually with four or six oars.
1670. Covel, in Early Voy. Levant (Hakl. Soc.), 131. Next morning our Captain and I … went on shore in the yale betimes.
1685. Lond. Gaz., No. 2054/3. The Larks Boat being Commanded by Captain Leightons Brother, the Bonadventures Pinnace by Mr. Harrises accompanied with Mr. Littleton, and the Yaule by Mr. Brisbane.
1687. W. Hedges, Diary (Hakl. Soc.), I. 240. Capt. Milborne, perceiving ye Hazard, came off in his Yall to our assistance.
1742. Woodroofe, in Hanway, Trav. (1762), I. II. xvii. 76. We had … a long-boat of five tuns, and a yaul, each with six oars.
1775. Dalryaple, in Phil. Trans., LXVIII. 397. Hove the ship to, and sent jolly boat and yawl in search of him.
1776. Pennsylvania Even. Post, 4 June, 280/2. A small Youghall belonging to some vessel.
1834. Marryat, P. Simple, xxxiii. The launch, yawl, first and second cutters, were the boats appointed for the expedition.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Yawl.… In the British navy it is the fifth boat in point of size; the others being the launch, long-boat, barge, and pinnace.
2. A small sailing-boat of the cutter class, with a jigger.
1684. Lond. Gaz., No. 1893/4. Some Deal men have tried to go off to her in one of our Yaules. Ibid. (1692), No. 2808/4. A Deale built Yawl with 6 Oars.
1713. Order in Council, 13 Sept., in Lond. Gaz., No. 5155/1. There came on Board the said Bark Seven Men in a Deal-Yawl.
1798. Cruttwell, Gazetteer (1808), III. s.v. Orkney, The inhabitants … sail from island to island in small boats, called yoals.
1873. Daily News, 22 Aug., 3/5. The Pantomime takes the schooners’ prize, the Oimara that for cutters, and the Florinda for yawls.
3. A small kind of fishing-boat.
1670. J. Smith, Eng. Improv. Reviv’d, 254. The Commodities of Shotland which the Inhabitants do for the most part Trade withal is Ling and Cod, which they take with Hooks and Lines in small Boats, called Yalls, about the bigness of Gravesend Oars.
1854. H. Miller, Sch. & Schm., iii. (1858), 42. All sorts of barques and carvels, from the fishing yawl to the frigate.
1865. Leeds Mercury, 22 Feb., 3/1. Three more of the fishing yawls being missing.
4. attrib. and Comb.
1865. Guardian, 17 May, 478. A yawl-boat was landed bottom up from the hurricane-deck upon the heads of those below.
1881. Miss Braddon, Asphodel, xvi. His little yawl-rigged yacht.
1894. Hall Caine, Manxman, VI. i. Pete began to think of buying a Dandie, which being smaller than a Nickey, and of yawl rig, he could sail of himself.
