A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1500-1595
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Scamler, Skamelar, n. Also: skamlar; skemlar, -layr, -ler; scammyllair. [Scamel v. Cf. Gael. sgimilear.] A scrounger, sponger or parasite; a sycophant, ‘hanger-on’. — a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 37.
Skaldit skaitbird, and commoun skamelar [M. scammyllair] c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 130/45.
On ȝour hienes follows eik … Scaffaris, and scamleris 1533 Bell. Livy II 153/15.
The maist parte of the knichtis and men of armys … war passand like skamlaris [L. lixæ] throw the cuntre 1563 Inverness Rec. I 107.
Callit him commoun skemlar 1563 Ib.
Confessit he callit the baillie skemlayr 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Assecla, a skemler, a page, a lackay
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"Scamler n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 3 Jun 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/scamler>
