A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1578-1700+
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1]
National(l, a. Also: naconal. [e.m.E. (1597), F. national.]
1. Of the nation as a whole.Chiefly nationall assemblie (of the Kirk) and National Covenant (of 1638).(1) 1578 Second Book of Discipline in Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 500.
The nationall assemblie … may be callit the generall elderschip of the haill Kirk within the realme 1592 Acts III. 542/1.
To caus the ordinances maid be the assemblies, provinciallis, nationallis and generallis to be kepit1638 Nat. Covenant in Facs. Nat. MSS. III. xcvii. 1649 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 555/1.
Your majesties … subjects … conveened in this National Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland c1679 Kirkton Hist. 64.
By a solemn legation of commissioners from euery presbytrie, they used yearly to constitute a national assembly(2) 1638 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 46.
Against the lawfulnes of the Naconal Covenant 1643 Declaration against Crosse Petition 10.
Our Nationall Covenant c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. 61.
The Nationall Covenant and generall band, subscribed first in anno 1581 1685 Black Bk. Kincardineshire 9.
These oaths thereof, the one wes commonly called the Nationall Covenant, … and the other, intituled the Solemn League and Covenant, were … unla[wf]ulloaths(3) 1647 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 451.
Neither is the said law limited to the case of a nationall or forraine, bot hath place in omni bello c1650 Spalding II. 384.
Sum thocht thay war now begining to lichtlie oure Scottis, tending to ane nationall querrell 1701 Cramond Kirk S. IV. 14 Nov.
Conforme to the rules of disciplin of this nationall church
2. Of a person: ? Having the typical characteristics of his nation, or ? patriotic. 1684 Law Memor. (1818) 65.
[Lauderdale] was a man very national, and truely the honour of our Scots nation for witt and parts
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"National adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/nationall>
