Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Inskift, -skyft, n. Also: inskeyft, enskift. [App. ON. *einskipt, a single division of land, related to ON. einskipta, to divide as a unit, Icel. einskifta, to reduce to a unit.] Formerly in Orkney: ‘A parcel of land not lying in runrig with other lands but belonging solely to one owner.’ Also attrib. with land. — 1509 Rec. Earld. Orkney 82.
Be resone that the ix penne land of Saba lyis in ane inskeyft withtin hyttselff in lentt and breyd Ib. 84.
At the decerning and devyding of inskyftis, touneland, and owtchistis pertening to the fyff d. land Ib.
The thowmalis and inskyft of the penny land pertening to the said David 16.. Sc. Hist. Rev. XVII. 18.
That qu[h]air the said James hes his enskiftis lyand within the toun of Mirbister … and the ane half of the dyks biget … be me, and thereby the said James … should big … the ane half of the dykis of Browllskethe quhilk is my enskiftis 1643 Ib. 19.
In satisfaction of all that he wanted of the grass of his inskiftis 1677 Ib. 18.
[John Hervie was] troubling [three of the tenants] and promises to enter in their inskift land … and thinkis to bost them … to get possessione in that land and grass, he haveing his awin inskiftis be himself