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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PRINCIPAL, adj., n. Also †prinncipal, †prencipal. Sc. forms and usages:

I. adj. 1. Excellent, first-rate, outstandingly good (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Sh., ‡Kcd. 1966). Obs. in Eng. in 17th c.Slk. 1835 Hogg Tales (1874) 681:
He was a principal man at weapon-shaws, excelling every competitor.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb ix.:
A feerious gweed coonter, an' a prencipal han' at mizzourin grun.Sh. 1898 J. Burgess Tang 51:
Prinncipal, boy, prinncipal; he's raelly been prinncipal wadder for da herrin.

2. Of a document of any kind: original, not in the form of a copy. Gen.Sc. Cf. II. 2.Sc. 1754 Erskine Principles iv. i. § 7:
No extract from an inferior court is a bar to certification; the principal writing must be laid before the Court of Session on a proper warrant.Sc. 1771 Session Papers, Macdonell v. Carmichael (25 April 1772) Proof 13:
Here two lines of the principal letter is torn, and cannot be read.Sc. 1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 368:
It is ultimately incumbent on either the defender or the pursuer to obtain a warrant for the production of the principal deed from the record.Sc. 1928 Encycl. Laws Scot. VI. 643:
If the principal copy of the summons has been lost, extract cannot issue except of consent.Sc. 1964 A. & N. Walker Law of Evidence 240:
It is competent in civil litigation, where the principal document is not material, for the parties to agree to accept a copy as equivalent to the principal.

II. n. 1. As in Eng., the head of a college; specif. in Scotland, since the Universities (exc. St Andrews) had arisen from single colleges, the academic head of a University, who acts also as Vice-Chancellor (see 1949 quot.). In St Andrews the Principalship of the University was not created till 1890 when it was conferred on the Principal of the United College of St Salvator and St Leonard.Sc. 1709 W. Steuart Collections i. xvi. § 2:
Historiographer, principal, or professor of theology or philosophy in any university.Gsw. 1768 Session Papers, Leechman v. Trail (13 July) 3:
The university of Glasgow is at present composed of a chancellor, rector, dean of faculty, principal, and thirteen professors (four of whom are called regents, being the professors first instituted).Sc. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XXI. App. 106:
The duty of the Principal is declared to be, to attend to the whole University [Marischal College, Aberdeen], and to every one of its members, and to exercise, with regard to them, ordinary jurisdiction.Sc. 1949 Scotsman (3 Jan.):
The growing tendency to describe the resident head of a Scottish university as Vice-Chancellor rather than Principal is unfortunate and misleading. In England a Vice-Chancellor has important administrative powers, but in Scotland he is merely the standing deputy of the Chancellor for the conferment of degrees.Sc. 1966 Edb. Univ. Cal. xxvi.:
The Principal, elected by the Curators, holds office for life, subject to an age-limit of 67. He is the President of the Senatus Academicus; in the absence of the Rector he presides at the meetings of the University Court; and in the absence of the Chancellor and the Rector he presides at the statutory meetings of the General Council.

2. A document in its original form, the original from which any copies are made. Gen.Sc. Cf. I. 2.Sc. 1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 368:
Public instruments appointed to be registered for publication, are also excepted, and, although the principals are returned to the parties, extracts from the record of sasines . . . are declared to be probative in all cases.Sc. 1903 Session Cases (1902–3) 333:
Copies of letters, the principals being still in existence, might not in a strict sense be evidence.Sc. 1928 Encycl. Laws Scot. VI. 421:
Official extracts from the Books of Council and Session, Registers of Sasines, and Sheriff Court Books are equivalent to the principals, except in questions of reduction on the ground of forgery.