A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1560, 1664-1677
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Mother-in-law, n. Also: mither in law. [e.m.E. motherelawe (1526), mother in lawe (1540), also in the modern dialect mither in law: cf. Moder-in-law.] A step-mother or a mother in law. — 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 195.
Praying to put hir sone fra companie … of ladyis aw, And in speciall fra his mother in law 1664 Rothesay B. Rec. 93. 1677 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 250.
That James Affleck was deu to his mither in law sundrie particulars
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"Mother-in-law n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mother_in_law>
