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: 1591, 1654
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(Scamling,) Skemlin, -land, ppl. adj. [e.m.E. scambling rapacious (Shakesp.); Scamel v.] Sponging, scrounging; in search of easy pickings. — 1591 Elgin Rec. II 15.
In calling of hir ane skemlin witche karling 1654 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. III 25.
For calling Bessie Harper a … skemland stable raker
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"Scamling ppl. adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/scamling>
