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

Sa Sc Se Sh Si Sl So Sp St Su Sy

Suc Sum Sun Sup Sus

sucken

all the lands which were bound (astricted) to a particular mill, meaning that the landholders were obliged to have their grain ground there and nowhere else, were called the mill’s sucken; the people bound to the mill were its ‘suckeners’. See also thirlage.

summa

Sum or total, usually found at the end of accounts or the end of an inventory, totalling the value of the contents.

summary guide

a short description of the holdings of an archive service, showing, at minimum, the name of the records creator, the titles of fonds or collections and the covering dates.

sunk

straw pad or cushion, used as a substitute for a saddle, frequently in a pair slung on either side of the horse; turf seat.

superior

The person who had made an original grant of land in return for the payment of an annual sum or feu, or for the performance of certain services, or both. The person receiving the grant who was thereby bound to make the payment or do the service which went with the lands was the superior’s vassalor feuar.

suspension

letters under the signet which delayed or suspended diligence or other legal action in civil matters, and was thus more temporary than letters of relaxation; in criminal matters suspension is the setting aside of an improper warrant or decision.