Your Scottish Archives Glossary

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”

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

Ca Ce Ch Ci Cl Co Cr Cu

Coc Cod Cog Col Com Con Cor Cot Cou

cocket, cocquet

seal used by a customs house, applied to a certificate (a ‘letter of cocket’) certifying that duty has been paid on goods to be exported.

cod, coad

Scots term for pillow, cushion

codware

Scots term for pillowcase

cog

Scots term for a wooden container made of staves; pail; bowl.

cognate

persons related through the mother.

cognition and sasine

the process by which an heir is accepted into property in a burgh.

collation

applied to benefices; it was the approval given by a bishop to appoint someone to a church living.

collecting policy or collections development policy

a policy which identifies the focus and purpose of the holdings of an archive service and defines how these will be developed by acquisition, appraisal and de-accessioning. It should also provide a framework to identify gaps, strengths and weaknesses in collections, thus supporting future development by engaging with new or alternative sources of records and by interpreting and understanding existing records in different ways.

collection(s)

This word is used to mean (1) items brought together by an individual or organisation (2) the complete holdings of an archive service (3) items that have no archival relationship to each other but share a similar subject or theme (4) an alternative to the word fonds (which strictly is inaccurate – see fonds)

collections care

a term which encompasses all aspects of preservation, such as maintenance of buildings and storage areas in optimal conditions, integrated pest management, monitoring and control of humidity and temperature, choice of appropriate boxes and storage materials, handling and security.

collegiate church

a church founded by a private person, in free alms.

commendator

this was originally a churchman who levied the income from a benefice while it was vacant, but later he was a layman who had a grant of a vacant benefice for life.

commissary

originally, one of a bishop’s officials; but after the Reformation an official of an organisation called the Commissary Court; in both cases he dealt with matters to do with inheritance, particularly the confirmation of testaments.

commonty

a common; a piece of ground used by or belonging to more than one person.

compear

to present oneself before a court (including church courts) as a defender.

composition

a payment made by an heir succeeding to land, to the superior of the land.

compt

Scots term meaning account

confirmation

the process of recognition by a court of law, for example where executors are empowered to secure or dispose of the deceased’s property, or where charters are confirmed.