Deul

/djuːl/ noun

Definition

A Scottish or dialectal word meaning sorrow, grief, or mourning; sometimes spelled 'dool' or 'dule'.

Etymology

From Old English 'dol' or Old Norse origins, related to grief and sorrow. The Scots preserved this medieval term while it faded from standard English, similar to many other Scots English words.

Kelly Says

Scottish ballads are full of 'deul and dool,' and keeping these old words alive in regional speech is like keeping a dictionary of human emotions—each word carries centuries of cultural memory about how people mourned.

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