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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Lum, Lumb, n.¹ Also: lume, lumme, lowme. [North. e.m.E. lumbe (1507–8) ? a skylight or ? a (hanging) chimney, and mod. Sc. and north. Eng. dial. lum: cf. obs. Welsh *llumon chimney, also, beacon, peak, OWelsh *lumon, *limon a (mountain) peak, and Lumant n.]

A chimney.a. A chimney canopy of any type, as a timber ‘hinging lum’. b. A chimney-piece, a fireplace or ingle. c. A flue. d. A chimney-stack. e. A chimney-top. Also attrib. in Lum-heid.Also chimnay-lumb, hinging lumb, q.v.(a) 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I. 204 b.
Great naillis to the lumb of the melting mylne 1641 Glasgow Trades House 215.
For setting vp ane timber lumb in the vent in the laich hous in the hospitall 1661 Elgin Rec. II. 299.
Her husband one a tyme saw the peice flesh and brunt it and it go up to the lumb 1677 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 325.
Such persones whose lumbs shall take fyre 1684 Ib. XI. 99.
He fand that ther wes severall fyers keeped in the said timber houss and ther wes noe stone walls nor lumbs 1687 Ib. 222.
[That] there may be a part of the said rooff theiked with lead betwixt the two lumbs of the said court of guard which wold occasion the lumbs not to be of that hight they of necessitie must be if the whole be made with a stay rooff and theiked with sklate 1703 Sc. N. & Q. 3 Ser. X. 167.
[He was charged with taking out the] crook at the lumb [and] burying a cat under the hearth(b) a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1369.
Sic reik in the house, sic cummes out at the lum 1649 Culross Rec. in Sc. Ant. IV. 28.
Some young men at the brydel … drank King Charles helth in a beare glass & chopin bikar & in within the lume with suit amongst the drink 1654–6 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 602.
For clensing the kitchin lum, and all the masters lums 1661 Lamont Diary 174.
Lumm 1662 Sc. N. & Q. 3 Ser. VI. 56.
Lum 1664 Bk. Dunvegan I. xlvii.
Lumme 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 10 b.
For 4 thrave straw to be rops to the lumes Ib. 11b.
To him and his sone for 4 dayes work in claying the lumes 1671 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III. 377.
The said Robert Sinclar caused his servants enter the house by comeing doune thorow the lumme therof 1675 Cunningham Diary 55. 1676 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 280.
The sloathfullnes and cairlesnes of the inhabitants in not sweping the lumes 1691 Foulis Acc. Bk. 133.
For hearth monie of the house I dwell in, being 8 lums, 5, 12, 0 1698 Ib. 235.
For copie of Hugh Brounes bill for visitatioun for carieing up a lum in my gavell 1701 Brand Orkney & Shetl. 145.
Saillers … passing through this firth … carefully fix their eyes upon the lums or chimney heads of this house(c) 1665 Lamont Diary 178.
In each rowme ther was a bed, a closett and a lowme, being all fyre rowmes