Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1949
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HOSTAN, n. Also hostani, høstani (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)). A name given to a wife or mistress of a house in Foula fishermen's tabu-language (Ib., Sh. (Foula) 1957). [′høstan]Sh. 1949 Scots Mag. (Nov.) 131:
The farmhouse was the bo, the housewife the hostan, the lamp the glom.
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"Hostan n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 21 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/hostan>
