A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1548-1699
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Municipal(l, a. Also: municipale, municypall, muncepall. [e.m.E. municipall (c 1540), L. mūnicipālis.]
1. Pertaining to (the laws of) a particular nation, chiefly (those) of Scotland.In contradistinction to any of the international codes of law, as civil or canon law or the law of God or of nature. 1548 Fraser P. 224.
But fraud or gile na remeid of law nor exceptioun ciuile canon nor muncepall or utheris quhatsumeuir 1550 Acta Conc. & Sess. (Stair S.) 115 n.
Upoun the commone law at the leist upoun the municipale lawis of this realme and commone use and practik tharof 1565 Reg. Privy C. I. 332.
Sic kynd of gudis as be the lawis municipal of this realme and actis of parliament are expres forbidden 1560 Buke of Discipline 214.
Tuo reidaris in the municipall and Romane lawis 1567 Acts III. 40/2.
To mak ane body of the ciuile and municipale lawis deuidit in heidis conforme to the fassoune of the law Romane c1575 Balfour Pract. 269.
The lords … sould decern [between strangers] … conform to the commoun law, and not efter the municipal law of this realme 1583–4 Reg. Privy C. III. 632. 1592 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs I. 384. 1597 James VI Dæmonol. 77.
According to the law of God … and municipall law of all Christian nations c 1600 Sc. Hist. Rev. XIX. 268.
There is noe common lawe in Scotland, but the judge eyther proceedeth accordinge to warrant of the municypall lawe, which is the statutes of parliament, and that faylinge they have recourse … to the ymperiall civill lawe 1613 Criminal Trials III. 261. 1616 Ib. 412. a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 3.
Not to exclud the civil and canon law wher we have no municipall statuts 16.. R. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II. 396.
I look'd our acts of parliament which ar the greatest part of our municipall lawis
2. Appar., civil, as opposed to; ecclesiastical pertaining to everyday life as opposed to matters of faith or religion. 1668–9 Fraser Lawfulness Separ. 159.
Tho' he cannot acknowledge his master as a preacher, yet he is still, during the time of his engagement, to serve him in his municipal work
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"Municipal adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/municipall>
