TROTTLE

TROTTLE

NOUN
a small round pellet of sheep's or goat's dung;
generally used in the plural ...1547 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
 
VERB
1. to bubble; to make a bubbling noise ...1821 Scot.
2. to toddle, to walk with short quick steps, as a child learning to walk
...1825 Scot.
3. to chatter ...1882 Scot.
4. to dawdle, to idle, to waste one's time ...1921 Scot.
 
ETYMOLOGY (for noun)
assumed to be related to 'treddle' a pellet of sheep's or goat's dung (c1000 obs. exc. Eng. dial.)
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1547 - see Example below
 
EXAMPLE (for n. )
"...doth loke like shepes tretles, there is abundance of coler adusted"
 
From: The Breviary of Healthe
By: Andrew Boorde, 1547
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• The English Dialect Dictionary, Joseph Wright, 1898-1905
• A Scots Dialect Dictionary, Alexander Warrack, 1911
• The Dialect of Banffshire, with a Glossary of Words not in Jamieson's Scottish Dictionary,
​Rev. Walter Gregor, 1866