A Scottish legal term for a person who is bankrupt or insolvent; someone unable to pay their debts.
From Old French 'devour' (to devour), influenced by Scottish dialect. The term specifically refers to someone consumed by debt—literally 'devoured' by financial ruin.
In medieval and early modern Scotland, a 'dyvour' wasn't just bankrupt—they could be imprisoned until they paid debts, which was horrifically counterproductive since imprisoned people can't earn money! This brutal system inspired later debt reform.
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