A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
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Prolocuto(u)r, -lo(c)quito(u)r, n. Also: -locuttor, -locutur, -lucutour; -loqu(u)tor. [e.m.E. prolocutor (c 1475), -loqutour (1560), a spokesman, a ‘speaker’, etc., L. prōlocūtor pleader, advocate, agent-n. f. prōloquī to speak out, F. prolocuteur id. (c 1500 in OED): cf. Prelocuto(u)r. In the following senses, only Sc.]
1. One who speaks on behalf of another in a court of law; one's advocate, pleader or representative in court. = Forspekar(e n.Either a professional advocate serving for a fee (‘for cost’: see quot. Mackenzie Observ. 48 below), or some lay person, such as a friend of the party, serving voluntarily. 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v.
Actornatvs … quha makis answer for ane vther in judgement, speciallie for the defender … like as prolocutor is he quha speaks for the persewer as his forespeaker 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. ii xx §2 (1678) 458.
Advocats with us in criminals are called proloquutors Id. Observ. 48.
Advocets in our old journal-books, are still call'd prolocutors, or fore-speakers; but friends are also in the journal-books, called prolocutors; and therefore advocets are here distinguish'd from them, by the words prolocutors for cost(a) 1389 Reg. Episc. Morav. 201.
[Idem dominus Thomas vicecomes de Inuernys erit … defensor omnium terrarum [etc.] … et hominum … pertinentium ad ipsum dominum Episcopum … et erit prolocutor et replegiator pro ipsis in curiis tam domini patris sui quam aliorum quorum cunque 1444 Liber Melros II 574.
Abbates de Kelso et Jeddw[orth] … per magistrum Philippum Pyl in hoc facto eorum prolocutorem 1450 Liber Scon 178.]
Comparuerunt … Abbas de Scona cum suo prolocutore ab una et Georgeus Gray cum suo prolocutore partibus ab altera 1493 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 43.
The quhilk daye Villiame Symsone prolocutor for Katrine Syme on the tane part and Dauid Coupir Archbald Stewart prolocutoures for S[chir] Robert Atkin on the tothir part has consentit that the bref purchasit be the saidis Katrine Syme be contenuit [etc.] 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 60. 1522–3 Edinb. B. Rec. I 210.
Master Adam Otterburne, common clerk of the tovne of Edinburgh and prolocutour for the samyn, producit ane charter … vnder our souerane lordis grete sele 1535 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 440.
Maistir Jhone Lethame, prolocutor for William Cunynghame … , askit instrumentis that he had producit ane decret … of the hie parliament [etc.] 1540 Elgin Rec. I 53.
Master Thomas Hay, prolocutor for Andro Milln, fensit ane broch that [etc.] 1542 Acts II 409/2.
Prolocutour 1547 Aberd. B. Rec. I 250.
Prolucutour 1553 Lanark B. Rec. 28.
Prolocutur 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II 189.
Comperit Maister Johne Abircrummy prolocutour for the haill dekynnis of craftis … and producit the clame vnderwrittin … desyring the samyn to be insert in thir bukis 1554–5 Ib. 209. 1558–9 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 157. 1565 Instit. Ct. Sess. 6 b.
Thai had institut and compeirit in thair clientis caus allegeand thame bot prolocutouris in the secound thrid and farther termes c1575 Balfour Pract. 294, 295.
The defendar, nor his prolocutour, may not be compellit to mak answer befoir the persewar or his prolocutor have proponit [etc.] 1599 Paisley B. Rec. 227. 1626 Justiciary Cases I 46.
Neuertheles he offeris him self reddie with his prolocutoris to dispute upone the relevancie of the dittay [etc.] a1634 Forbes Rec. 475.
Prolocuttors(b) 1532 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 75.
Comperit in jugment Master Abrahaam Creichton proloquitor of Archbald Betoun Justice of the Regalite of Dunfermlen in presens of the said Archbald and he for his enteres requirand [etc.] Ib. 74.
Prolocquitor 1531–2 Ib. 52. 1540 Elgin Rec. I 51.
Allexr Wynchister, ȝoungar, and Thomas Troup, proloqutoris for Andro Watsone, gef in ane petitione desirand the said Andro to kend as … ayir of John Watsone 1563 Digest Justiciary Proc. E. 6.
Proloquitouris for the pannell … allegit that [etc.] 1565 Peebles B. Rec. I 299. 1584 Gowrie P. 31.
Whome will you have proloquitour for you? 1586 Jurid. Rev. IV 297.
Persewar and proloquitors for the pannels foirsaids 1605 Reg. Privy C. VII 95.
The said Mr. Robert Howie quha wes personalie present with the said Robert Flesheour, and proloquitor for him and his company a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) 510.
He was enquired if he would use any friends or advocates to speak in his defence. … His answer was, that he stood neuer in so great need of a proloquutor
b. One who is appointed or elected to act as spokesman for a body of persons of which he is a member. = Prelocuto(u)r n. b. 1452 Reg. Episc. Brechin. II 85.
Quibus ad partem subtractis deliberauerunt et per dictum Thomam Fentoun eiusdem assise prolocutorem de subscriptis punctis … pronuntiauerunt 1569 Edinb. B. Rec. III 263.
Comperit Walter Wauhane, dekyn of the tailyouris with certane vtheris deaconis togither with James Young and Dauid Kinloch prolocutouris for the hale craftis Ib. 264.
The saidis dekynnis and thair prolocutouris
2. ? One who makes it his profession to act as a spokesman for others in court; a professional advocate or barrister. 1564 Acts Sederunt ii 7.
The haill lordis … hes declarit … that in all tymes cuming qwhair ony person … compeirs to defend ony warning … it sall be needfull to all the personis warnit and thair prolocutors to propone [etc.] … and the said lords hes declarit the sam to all the prolocutors at the bar
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"Prolocutor n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 23 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/prolocutour>