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 method of holding lands in Orkney and Shetland which did not require the holder to have sasine, or even to have a charter to the lands, but only to have evidence of his undisturbed occupation of the lands; such lands were held direct from the Crown for a payment called ‘skat’
‘last heir’; the right of the Crown to succeed to all heritable property where no other heir, successor or assignee to the property can be identified.
a Scots term meaning late, deceased.
not separated from the father’s family, still living at home.
fine or penalty.
An individual who uses an archives service, whether in person or remotely.
the Latin words used in legal records for long, uninterrupted and unchallenged possession of a thing or a right, which conferred an entitlement to that property or right.
Latin for household goods