coil v1, n1 Usu |kɔɪl|; also, originally widespread, but more recently chiefly Sth, S Midl, |k(w)ɑɪl|, |kwɔɪl| Pronc-spp caile, cwoil, kile, quile, quoil Cf quirl v, n, quile v, quiler
A Std senses, var forms.
1635 in 1848 New Engl. Hist. & Geneal. Reg. 2.40, An Enuentory of the Goods and Implements Belonging to the Plantations at Pascataway and Newichewanock in New England, July, 1635. . . 5 Quoils of Rope of 2 1-2 inches, 3 Quoils Rope 3 1-2 inch. 1765 NH Gaz. & Hist. Chron. (Portsmouth) 12 Apr [2]/3, [Advt:] About 80 Quoils of Running Rigging of different sizes. 1770 Providence Gaz. & Country Jrl. (RI) 10 Mar 41/2, A Workman at one of the Ropewalks having just quiled a Cable, two Soldiers made towards him . . seized on the Cable, and unquiled it. 1810 Charleston Courier (SC) 13 Mar [4]/2, [Advt:] 20 quoils of cordage, running Rigging. 1845 Hooper Advent. Simon Suggs 183 ceAL, What does she see thar, a-quiled up on it, a-sunnin of itself, but a big black snake. 1864 Gilmore Down in TN 110 TN, They [=snakes] come stret at me, . . an’ kiled themselves right tight round the cart-wheels. 1888 Jones Negro Myths 100 GA coast [Gullah], Eh hunt tel eh fine one whalin ob er rattlesnake duh quile up on one log. 1891 DN 1.231 KY, Quiled up [kwaɪld]: coiled up. 1895 DN 1.375 eTN, Quile (coil). 1902 DN 2.242 sIL, Quarl or quoil. . . Different pronunciations of coil, as a snake. 1903 DN 2.291 Cape Cod MA, Oi was regularly pronounced ai: . . caile for coil. 1906 DN 3.122 sIN, Quarl, querl, quoil. . . To coil. “The snake was quoiled up.” Ibid 133 nwAR, Cwoil. . . To coil. “The snake cwoiled around his legs.” 1909 DN 3.361 eAL, wGA, Quoil. 1912 DN 3.587 wIN, Quoil up. 1917 DN 4.416 wNC, Quile, v. i. To coil. “A dog quiled up in the leaves.” 1927 DN 5.470 Appalachians, Quiled. 1927 AmSp 2.362 WV, Quile. 1936 AmSp 11.35 eTX, Coil . . [kɔɪl], [kwaɪl]. 1941 AmSp 16.7 eTX [Black], Coil . . [kwa:ɪl]. 1942 Hall Smoky Mt. Speech 93, The still very common pronunciation of coil as [kwɑɪl]. . . Coil was heard also as [kwɔɪl], which seems to be a compromise between the dialectal and the standard forms. 1960 Criswell Resp. to PADS 20 Ozarks, Coil . . [kwaɪl]. Very common pronunciation fifty years ago and earlier; not now. 1975 Gainer Witches 15 sAppalachians, Quile (n.), coil. “Fetch that quile of rope with you.”
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