The Compact Scottish National Dictionary

Scottish dictionary

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June 24, 2026

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The Compact Scottish National Dictionary is an abridgement of the larger Scottish National Dictionary. The latter, a 10-volume work completed in 1976, contains all Scottish words in use since approximately 1700. It was compiled using words from Scottish literature, public records, and other sources, with a focus on historical principles and regional variations.1

The Compact Scottish National Dictionary was published in 1986. Both the Scottish National Dictionary and the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (which covers Scottish language before 1700) were digitized and made available online in 2004 as the Dictionary of the Scots Language. The Scots language, distinct from Scottish Gaelic, has a rich tradition of poetry and drama.12

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Scottish National Dictionary
A two-volume abridgement, The Compact Scottish National Dictionary, appeared in 1986. A compilation of a dictionary of the Scottish language before 1700, the 12-volume Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue, was completed in 2001; it and the Scottish National Dictionary were digitized and made available on the Internet…
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A two-volume abridgement, The Compact Scottish National Dictionary, appeared in 1986. A compilation of a dictionary of the Scottish language before 1700, the 12-volume Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue, was completed in 2001; it and the Scottish National Dictionary were digitized and made available on the Internet…
Read More