The Scottish Archive Network (SCAN) 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. Since the SCAN project ended, the Dictionary of the Scots Language has gone online at http://www.dsl.ac.uk/, and this should be consulted for Scots words and phrases (including legal terms).
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"
not separated from the father's family, still
living at home
usucapio, or usucaption
the Latin legal terms for long, uninterrupted
and unchallenged possession of a thing or a
right, which conferred an entitlement to that
property or right.
