Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1720, 1820, 1871
[0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
DECLINATURE, DECLINATOR, n. Sc. law: “the privilege which a party has, in certain circumstances, to decline judicially the jurisdiction of the judge before whom he is cited” (Sc. 1890 Bell Dict. Law Scot. 292, declinature), on the score of interest or relationship. In gen.: dissent, refusal.Sc. 1720 Rec. Conv. Burghs (1885) 261:
Notwithstanding whereof the defenders gave in a signed declinator.Sc. 1871 Session Cases (1870–71) 403:
On the meeting of the Court, the Lord President proponed a declinature, on the ground that he was Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, in which the trustees were directed to found the bursaries. The declinature was not sustained by the other Judges.Dmf. 1820 Blackwood's Mag. (Sept.) 657:
I sall ein put in my declinator, as douce Adam Watson does in his prayer, till I hear mair anent it.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Declinature n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/declinature>
