• Search tip: for exact phrase use "quotation marks" or for all words use +
  • More search tips here

                  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

                  domicills

                  household goods

                  dominium directum

                  Latin phrase meaning ‘the direct lordship’; the interest which a feudal superior had in property, like the right to feu duties, casualties and other rights.

                  dominium utile

                  Latin phrase meaning ‘the lordship by usage’; the interest which a feuar had in landed property, that is, the right to direct usage and enjoyment of the income from the land.