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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Clim, Clym, v. Also: clymbe, clyme, climme, clime; p.t. clamb(e, clam(e, climmed; p.p. clumbyn, -ene, clymbyne; clommyne, clummyn, climming, clymen; clum(e, clwme. [ME. clim, clym(me, variant of climbe(n, OE. climban.]

1. intr. To ascend, mount up, by climbing.(a) 1375 Barb. ix. 410.
Thair ledderis to the wall thai set, And to clym [E. clymb] vp fast pressit thai Ib. x. 745.
A leddir wp to the wall standand, And a man thar-on clymande [E. clymband] a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 850.
Ay the mare he presit hyme To that ioyful place to clyme, The mar he wox mat & mate Ib. 878.
The crage clymand vpe he hyre socht c1420 Wynt. viii. 3917.
Thame worthyd … on thare fays clyme wp a bra Ib. 5593.
Willame off Keth, that yharnyd hade To clyme [C. clymbe] … owre the wall … Wes clymmand [C. clymbbande] wpwart a1500 Henr. Fab. 2779.
Ane paddok … Put vp hir heid, and on the bank can clym c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 143.
Quhen he abone clymis, Me think the baid deir aboucht 1535 Stewart 12988.
The hiear ay men clym in til ane tre, … In his discence far sarar is the fall 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 97.
Scho … wald … Clym on ane corde c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 622.
Clym I ouir hie … I brek my neck 1568 Buch. Indict. 35.
Ladie Reres … being corpolent, and vnhabell to clyme, wes lattin downe in ane belt 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 297.
Thair being great gistis hyngand … be towis, quhilk wes cuttit … , and lattin fall on thame clymmand a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 680.
Ȝe wald not consent That ever we suld clim 1590 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 156.
David Duncane [in court] for clymming upoun the croce and brekin of the samin 1633–4 Peebles B. Rec. 419.
To Johne Greive … for leddering the steipill, climeing in at the heid when the key and lock was broken(b) 1375 Barb. vi. 241.
In the crag he clam sum deill Ib. x. 631.
Erll Thomas than … Toward the wall clam [E. clamb] hastely a1400 Leg. S. xxviii. 710.
Thane of hyre cors a dow al quhyt Flaw, … & in the clowdis clame belyf c1420 Wynt. viii. 5960.
His men all Wyth leddris clame [C. clambe] wp oure the wall ?1438 Alex. ii. 2907.
Syne our the steppis hand in hand Thay clam a1500 Henr. Fab. 337 (A).
Syne wp in haist … So hie scho clame that Gilbert micht nocht get hir c1475 Wall. vii. 841.
The Irland folk … On craggis clam, and sum in wattir flett a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 1235.
Syne on the ledder Ioseph clame abone 1513 Doug. ii. iv. 68; etc.
This fatale monstre clam our the wallis then 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xxxi.
Wer not the … huntaris clam up in strang aikis, thay had bene all slane 1535 Stewart 55006.
Attouir the wall richt mony Scot thair clam On lang ledderis 1565–6 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 234.
The greit hole in the buriall dyke quhair the folk, … clam in and furth a1605 Montg. Son. xxviii. 8.
Sho clambe on him with hir foull clubbit feit 1603 Ellon Presb. 41.
Some of the parishioners … clam in at the windowes 1641 Peebles Gleanings 238.
[He] came … to his said dwelling-hous, clam up to the top thereof [etc.] 1666-7 Blakhall Narr. 151.
When I had climmed up the syde of the shippe(c) 1375 Barb. x. 647 (E).
Quhen thai … thair lord swa Saw clymbyne [C. clymen] wp apon the wall Ib. 650.
Or all wp clumbene war thai a1400 Leg. S. iii. 667.
Befor that God one thé had clummyn, Ȝerdly dowt thane had thou nommyn Ib. xl. 269.
Sanct Martyne … that than ded wes, … & clommyne wes to the hycht of hewyn 1533 Bell. Livy II. 222/29.
He dang doun the Gaule that wes clummyn to the hicht of the capitoll 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 53.
I tuke the sone beme in my neif, And wald haif clumin [M. climmyng], bot it was in ane clips 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 297.
The pairtie without, settand to thair leddaris, and mony suddartis thairon to haue clume the said castell 1592 Reg. Privy S. IV. 770.
Haveing clum in ouer the wallis of his hous

b. fig. To (seek to) rise in estate; to aspire or ascend to a higher station or rank. c1420 Wynt. v. 1355.
Thai suld clyme [C. clymbe] as thai ware calde … Into that hycht quhill thai ware set a1500 Henr. Fab. 2591.
Out of thair cais in pryde thay clym sa hie c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvi. 50.
Sum, vnworthy to browk ane stall, Wald clym to be ane cardinall Ib. lxvii. 29.
Gif we not clym we tak no fall 1513 Doug. ix. Prol. 16.
Clym nevir our hie, nor ȝit to law thow lycht 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 458.
Thay clam so heych, and gat sic audience c1536 Id. Compl. Bagsche 110.
I pray ȝow that ȝe nocht pretend ȝow To clym ouer hie, nor do na wrang c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4399.
Thair successouris … Full craftelye clam to the heycht, Frome spiritual lyfe to temporall mycht 1572 Sat. P. xxx. 19.
Sic is thair craft in clymming to the crowne a1578 Pitsc. I. 176/13.
Ewer this Cochrane clam heigher and heigher quhill he come to this fyne a1651 Calderwood VI. 487.
The steppes wherby he clame up to that unlawfull pre-eminence

2. tr. To mount (a hill, wall, etc.) by climbing.(a) 1490 Irland Mir. I. 114/8.
In that nycht the innemeis of the cite … come to clyme the wallis 1496 Treas. Acc. I. 277.
To the boy that brocht the towis, to clym the halk nest in the Abbotis Crag c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 608.
Vtheris agane … To clim the threid but leif thay craifit nocht Ib. 624.
To clym ȝone cord 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 34.
The saidis personis beand clymand the brig, was put abak a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 337.
To clime [v.r. clyme] the craig it was na buit 1596 Dalr. II. 321/14.
Climming the walis, the castel of Hume thay wan agane 1617 Crim. Trials III. 432.
Clymming the walls thairof, tirring the ruif of the chalmer(b) 1375 Barb. x. 49.
Thir with thair menȝe held thar vay, Ande clam [E. clamb] the hill delyuerly Ib. 63. c1475 Wall. vi. 816.
Than tuke he twa, … and clame the rock so strang 1533 Boece xvi. iii. 612.
The skant of ledderis was in caus that thai clame nocht the barmkinis a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxx. 15.
They clam the buluark … Quharas the hart maid residence 1603 Moysie 126.
The laird of Balcleuch, … ledderit and clame the walis 1614 Highland P. III. 1141.
Airlie in the morning thai clam the utter wall(c) 1375 Barb. x. 606.
Thai clam in-to the crykis swa, Quhill half the craggis thai clummyn [E. clumbyn] had 1513 Doug. i. iv. 42.
Eneas the bank on hie Has clummyn a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 341.
I saw na way quhairby to cum, Be ony craft, to get it clum c1615 Chron. Kings 124.
The Castle wes clum and wone be Alexander Ramsay, with tuo of his cumpainȝeounis 1609 Crim. Trials III. 42.
Haveing clwme that wall, the said Lord Maxvell eschapit with suift flycht