Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1795-1870, 1934
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0]
BENEFIT, n. (See quots.)Ayr. 1870 Ayr Advertiser (21 April) 4:
A few cottars were engaged on Tuesday at from £22 to £24 per annum, with the usual benefit, and unmarried men were engaged at from £9 to £11 10s for the half year, with board.Gall. 1825 Jam.2:
Benefit. What is given to servants besides their wages in money.Kcb.1 1934:
In Wigtownshire the “benefits” have always formed a larger proportion of the pay of a farm-servant — especially a cotman — than in the Stewartry.
Hence benefiter, benefit man, see quots. Dmf. 1795 Stat. Acc.1 XXI. 5:
Cottagers, or rather persons who are employed by the year as benefiters, as they are called here, have been much employed in this part of the country. Dmf. 1795 Stat. Acc.1 II. 131:
A married man-servant, hired by the year, commonly called a benefit-man, has a house and yard, a cow kept, his potatoes set, his peats cast and led, with so much meal, barley, and money.
Comb. benefit-man, a farm servant who receives part of his wages in kind (E.D.D. Suppl. for Gall. (A.W.)).Wgt. 1839 Stat. Acc.2 IV. 211:
Married men servants, or benefit men, get £9 of money.Kcb.1 1934:
The term “benefit-man” is still common in the Stewartry, and more so in Wigtownshire.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Benefit n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/benefit>
