A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1681-1697
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Symbolical, adj. [e.m.E. symbolicall (1607); Symbol n. 2.] In Sc. Law: Pertaining to or characterized by the giving of symbols, such as earth and stone, as a token that property has been transferred from one person to another. — 1681 Stair Inst. ii iii § 17.
A formal seasin is the instrument of a notary-public, bearing the delivery of symbolical possession by the superior or his bailie, to the vassal or his attorney, by delivery of earth and stone [etc.] 1697 Dallas Stiles 45.
Symbolical forms of giving sasine in Scotland
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"Symbolical adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/symbolical>
