The Your Scottish Archives Glossary defines archaic words and phrases, mostly Scots law terminology, commonly found in documents and records in Scotland’s archives. If you think a word or phrase should be added to the glossary, or an existing entry could be defined better, please contact us at your@scottisharchives.org.uk.
You can also use the Dictionary of the Scots Language as a further resource at https://dsl.ac.uk/ for Scots words and phrases (including legal terminology).
To find a term within the glossary, click on the initial letter of the word you are looking for, then select the relevant syllable segment displayed below.
Example: to find the term “roup” select section “R” then sub-section “Ro”
can have various meanings. In general, it means the conveyance to another of one’s rights in moveable property, or ones claim for debts, or rights in land which is leased; often refers to the deed which conveys these rights. The person who gets an assignation is called the assignee.
the sitting of a court.
to decide in favour of a defender or absolve them from the outcome of a legal action.
a compensation paid to the relatives or friends of someone who had been killed, by the killer(s); the same as what was earlier called weregild (or wergild) or cro.