Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1715-1754, 1896, 1956
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LEGITIM, n. Also -ime, legittim. [′lɛdʒɪtɪm]
Sc. Law: that part of a person's moveable estate which goes to his or (since 1881) her children under the common law, " one-third when the other parent survives, one-half otherwise" (Sc. 1946 A. D. Gibb Legal Terms 12), Bairns' Part of Gear.Sc. 1715 Morison Decisions 424:
The said sums are in full satisfaction for bairns part of gear, portion natural, legitim, etc.Sc. 1754 Erskine Principles iii. ix. § 6:
If he leaves both widow and children, the division is tripartite; the wife takes one third by herself, another falls, as legitime to the children equally among them.Sc. 1896 W. K. Morton Manual 382:
The right may be extinguished … by antenuptial contract of marriage between the parents making provisions for the children expressly in lieu of legitim.Sc. 1956 Scotsman (18 July) 4:
The adopted child would not be able to claim legitim in the adopter's intestate estate.
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"Legitim n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 7 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/legitim>
