Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tabellio(u)n, n. [ME and e.m.E. tabellyon (1413), tabellion (1622), L. tabellio, -ōnem a scrivener, f. tabella a tablet, letter.] A notary. 1469 Acts II 95/1.
Oure souerane lord … may mak notaris & tabellionis 1545 Reg. Privy C. I 10.
[He] producit the autentik copy of the said letter of merk autentikly transumyt in the toun of Arkis under the sele of the tabellioun and keparis of the sele of the vecunty of Arkis c1575 Balfour Pract. 369.
Notaris and tabelliounis sould be maid be the king, and not be the emperour 1576 Prot. Bk. T. Auchinlek 1a.
We [sc. the Lords of Council] … vnderstanding our louit Thomas Auchinlek … to be sufficientlie instruktit lernit and exercesit in his grammer and humanitie with the prettik of wreting als weill in our langage as vtheris … haife electit … the said Thomas in ane publict notar and tabellioun 1622-6 Bisset I 101/2.
Publict tabellionis or notaris 1630 Skene Mem. 216.
Notaris and publict tabelliones 1668 Conv. Burghs III 688.
John Cors … sworne notar and tabellion publict 1681 Stair Inst. iv xlii § 7.
They [sc. the Romans] did also esteem writs subscribed by tabellions, or public notars, to be public writs, because these were authorised by sovereign authority 1681 Stair Inst. iii viii § 35.
Writs made abroad by notars, or tabellions, are valid, though not done according to the law of Scotland