Sc. and north. Forms: 5–6, 9 spale, 5–6, 8–9 spail, 6 spaile, spaill, 8–9 speal, 9 north. spial, spyel. [Of uncertain origin: cf. SPALL sb.1 and SPEEL sb.
There is resemblance in form to ON. spal-, spǫlr bar, rod, short piece, MHG. (and G. dial.) spale rung of a ladder, G. dial. spale, spal wooden spit, wedge; but real connection with these is doubtful.]
1. A splinter or chip, a thin piece or strip, of wood.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 629. The spalis and the sparkis spedely out sprang. Ibid., 983. Half ane span at ane spail … He hewit attanis.
a. 1500. Ratis Raving, 57. With stikis, and with spalys small, To byge vp chalmer, spens & hall.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 283. Quhill speris brak, and all in spalis sprang Aboue thair heid.
1570. Levins, Manip., 17. A spale, chip, assula.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), II. 161. The king of France was ewill hurt in the face witht the spaill of ane speir.
1710. Ruddiman, Gloss. Douglas’ Æneis, s.v. Spalis. We use … speals for chips of wood, or small splinters.
1781. J. Hutton, Tour to Caves (ed. 2), Gloss. 96. Speals, chips, or small split sticks.
1786. Burns, Address of Beelzebub, 39. But smash them! crash them a’ to spails!
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 472. This multiplication of tools becomes unnecessary, by laying against the cutting part of the bit, slips of wood, called spales.
1854. H. Miller, Sch. & Schm. (1858), 14. The poor Friendship lies in spales on the bar of Findhorn.
1865. G. Macdonald, A. Forbes, I. xiv. 105. The floor was covered with shavings, or spales, as they are called by northern consent.
b. In proverbial phrases.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., I. 654. To huil ouir hie, Quhill that the spaill fell into thair ee.
a. 1585. Montgomerie, Cherry & Slae, 184. To late I knaw, quha hewis to hie, The spail sall fall into his eie.
1670. Ray, Prov. (1678), 369. He that hews over hie, the spail will fall into his eye.
1862. Hislop, Prov. Scot., 88. He’s no the best wright that casts maist spails.
1894. P. H. Hunter, James Inwick, iv. 48. Hew abūne your heid, an’ ye’ll get a spale in your ee.
2. transf. (See quot. 1824.)
1824. Mactaggart, Gallovid. Encycl., 432. Spales o’ the cannle, little curls of tallow, which sometimes appear on a burning candle.
1897. Rampini, Hist. Moray & Nairn, vi. 333. A ‘spale’ or ‘waste’ on a burning candle indicates an approaching death.
3. attrib., as spale-basket, -board, -box.
1830. J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr., Wks. 1856, III. 19. Has the dowg swallowed the spale-box o’ pills?
1857. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., II. 316. In a little oval spale-box.
1877. G. Fraser, Wigtown, 304. To … have nothing but a bit of a spale-boord between him an’ etarnity.
1894. Heslop, Northumbld. Gloss., 681. Spyel-basket, a basket made of wooden spails, oak preferred, for carrying food to cattle on a farm.
