Sc. and north. dial. Forms: 3–9 keling, (4 kyling, 5 chelynge, 5–6 kelyng(e, 6 kieling, Sc. keyling, killine, 6–7 killing, 7 killin, 7–8 Sc. keilling, 8 kiling), 7– keeling. [Origin uncertain: the name, like COD, seems to be confined to English, but may be ultimately related to Icel. keila ‘gadus longus,’ or to Da. kolle, kuller, Sw. kolja haddock. Ir. ceilliuin, Gael. cílean are no doubt from English. The form cheling is difficult.] A cod-fish.
The exact sense seems to have varied, in different localities, from ‘large cod’ to ‘small cod’ or ‘codling.’
c. 1300. Havelok, 757. Keling he tok, and tumberel Hering, and þe makerel.
1323–4. Acc. Rolls Durham (Surtees), 13. In 13 Kelinges. Ibid. (1340), 37. In … 4 kyling.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 72/1. Chelynge, fysche.
c. 1450. Two Cookery-bks., 94. Take paunches and lyuers of a codlyng, or haddok, or elles kelyng.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 13. Sindrie fresche water lochis … that abundes in mony kyndes of fische, cheiflie … Killine, Skait, and Makrell.
c. 1620. Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1855), 72. The Killings, Herrings, Castocks.
1710. Sibbald, Hist. Fife, 51. Asellus major vulgaris, the Cod; our Fishers call it Keeling, and the young Ones Codlings.
1793. Statist. Acc. Scot., VII. 205. Large cod called Keilling are also got in Spring and Summer.
1860. C. Innes, Scot. Mid. Ages, viii. 237. Our common sea fish … Keling, ling, haddock.
