Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scat(t, Scot(t, v. Also: skat(t, scait, skait. [e.m.E. scatte (Caxton), ON skatta, MDu. schatten; Scat(t n.]

1. tr. To exact (a bribe, or a payment due). a1500 Henr. Fab. 1278.
And swa ane bud at boith the parteis skat 1540–1 Linlithgow B. Ct. 17 Jan.
Sayand that he suld iniuriuslie haue skattit tollit and wranguslie tane certane hunderis of heryng fra fywe batis

b. To oppress by exactions. 1543 Aberd. B. Rec. I 191.
The toune is hauely murmurit be the landmen that the vittell byaris of the merkat scattis thame grytlie in taking of sampillis [etc.] 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 219.
[To satisfy some of his friends who were] skattit [the last year] at the haldin of Murrayis airis and for susteyning of the souldioris

2. Only in Orkney: To assess (land) for scat or land-tax. Cf. Scat(t n. 4. 1502 Orkney Rentals i 9.
& na forcop quia double malt scattit 1595 Ib. ii 94.
Cara, of old not contained in the rental, and lately scatit … payis [etc.]

3. intr. a. To contribute to the municipal charge payable by the freemen of a burgh, esp. in the phrase to scot and lot, etc. (Scat(t n. 2, see also Lot v. 1). Also (once) tr., to pay or contribute to (a craft guild). b. To contribute to a charge made on shipping to defray losses (Scat(t n. 3).a. (1) 1587 Crim. Trials I ii 156.
Compeirit Mr. Johnne Scharp [etc.] … and alledgeit that [etc.] … becaus thay ar burgessis of Edinburghe and stent, watcht and waird with the burgessis thairof … (May 31) Interlocutor anent Burgessis [etc.] … that thay wer burgessis of Edinburghe and that thay stentit and skattit with the toune thairof(2) 1503 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 136.
Made burges … and wes svorne to scot and lot witht the nychtbouris 1512–13 Aberd. B. Rec. I 442.
All frie and unfre to loit and scot and pay thair part tharto [sc. the cost of the procession] as thai are extentit to be the deknys of thair craftis 1513 Ib. 87.
That thair sal saile bot ix personis now in thir thre schips … quhilkis sal leif nyne men for thame weil … bodin as efferis, to lot, scot, waik and ward for thame 1517 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 172.
Mony sundry persouns … quhilk … nother scotts lotts extents walkis nor wairds … siclyke as thai awcht to do 1521–2 Stirling B. Rec. I 14.
The dekin and craftismen of the hammirmen to prefe gife scheit makaris scottis and lottis with thar craft in uder borouis 1531 Edinb. B. Rec. II 53.
Because the saidis vnfremen nowthir scottis, lottis, walkis nor wardis within our said fredome 1545 (1546) Reg. Great S. 757/2.
Qualifyit … to scot, lot, walk and ward with the laif of the nychbouris 1559–60 Inverness Rec. I 42.
He hes nocht … scottit nor lottit … at nay tyme c1575 Balfour Pract. 49.
Gif ony wedow buy and sell within burgh with the nichtbouris, sche sall scot and lot with thame in taxatiounis and utheris helpis; and siclike gif sche dois scot and lot, sche sould have libertie to buy and sell 1589–90 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 10 Feb.
Crestene to cum to the … myll & to ressawe hir part … thairof … & scot & lot & mak equall half of the costis skaythis & expensis that it aucht to be furnesit to the said myll as scho aucht [etc.] 1616 Rec. Old Aberd. I 56.
Sic as hes nocht hors sall scot and lott with the toun for thair p[ar]t [sc. of the small customs] 1664 Inverness Rec. II 219.
To repair heir to the samen, and heir keip ther forum et larem and scott, lott, wache, wark & warde with the place 1677 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 133.
They ar by ther burgess oath suorne to scot lot watch wake and ward with the inhabitants of the brughe(b) 1550 Perth Guildry p. 268 (30 May).
Archbald Oliphant … hes … oblist hym to scat and lot and pay with the merchandis of Pertht in all taxationis quhen ony occurris 1560 Edinb. B. Rec. III 87.
Scattis c1575 Balfour Pract. 623.
The merchandis are not haldin … to scat and lot thairfoir 1581 Glasgow B. Rec. I 84.
That thai … sall scatt and lott, walk and waird, and pay stentis as burgessis suld do 1613 Inverness Rec. II 108.
The comburgessis and merchands of the said burge quha skattis and lattis 1653 Peebles B. Rec. II 13.
The counsell declaires James Stevensone … is onlie ane calsay burges untill he find cawtioun to scatt, loit, watche and waird 1658 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 2.
He sall watch, waird, scatt and lott with the counsall(c) 1540 Linlithgow B. Ct. 4 Oct.
The said Dauid … sall skait and lot with the gudtowne 1556 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 22 Sept.
Nevir in tyme bygane scho … skaittit and lotit with the said craft as use is 1558 Edinb. B. Rec. III 19.
That all … that … exersis the libertie and privielege of merchandis … stent scait lott and beir chargis … with the saidis merchandistr. 1521–2 Stirling B. Rec. I 14.
Thom Watsoun allegit that he aucht nocht apon rasoun to scot nor lot the craftismen of the hammirmen becaus he occupies na warklomis that pertenis to thair said craftb. (1) 1581 Conv. Burghs I 117.
That the schip be nocht haldin to scatt or contribute, but onely hir fraucht 1590 Welwod 71.
The schip and the rest of gudds sal skatt to the upset thairof 1612 Conv. Burghs II 340 (see Scat(t n. 3).(2) 1466–7 Acts II 87/1.
Na gudis vnder the ourlop to scot nor lot with tha gudis in case thai be castin 1492–3 Kennedy Aberd. Ann. II 475.
Ale the haile salt being within the Inglis schip sal scott [pr. stott] lott & upricht the ix bollis 1560 Ib. 486.
[That the whole goods on board Nicolas Rynart's ship … should scott and lot with the ship or freight thereof] in recompensation of the skaith [of the rigging of the ship, which was cutt in the storm](b) 1570 Edinb. B. Rec. in Smit Bronnen II 1012.
Nottheles diverse merchandis havand guddis in the said schip by the commoun ordour in sic caissis refussit to skat and lott wit the gudis lost 1579 Conv. Burghs I 100.
That no cloithis … within sey kistis cassin or pilleit sall scatt and lot with the vther guidis … cassin or pilleit Ib.
Gudis imput in the schip at any vther port, vther nor at hir ladinning port, salbe haldin to scat and lot 1586 Edinb. B. Rec. in Bk. Old Edinb. C. XV 18.
Andrew Craig merchant … oblist to procure and schaw befor thame ane sufficient certificate … testefeying the guids quhilk he schippett … at Burdeulx wes pilleit furth thairof and quhilk hes scattit and littet with the rest with sufficient customes in the said ports 1622-6 Bisset II 205/23.
The merchandice under the overloft sall nocht skatt lott nor contribute with the said cassin guidis