Welcome

Welcome to DSL, which brings together the two major historical dictionaries of the Scots language:

  • A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (DOST)
    Older Scots - 12th century - 1700
  • The Scottish National Dictionary (SND)
    Modern Scots - 1700 - 2005

Their 22 volumes provide a comprehensive history of Scots, making DSL an essential research tool for anyone interested in the history and development of the language.

Word of the Day

Graith n. equipment, tools, goods

A treasure trove…

With over 77,000 separate entries, over 250,000 spelling variants and over 750,000 illustrative quotations, the DSL is a treasure trove of information about the Scots language - whether for scholarly research or just for the pleasure of browsing. Dip in and see what you can find.

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