Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sum(e, Soum(e, Som(e, adj., pron. and adv. Also: swm(e, summe, suim, sowm(e, somme, soim, soom, summyn. [ME summ, sume (both Orm), summe, somme (both Layamon), sum (Ancr. R.), som(e (1297), soumme (a1300), soom (1450), OE sum, MDu. som, OHG sum, ON sumr.] Some.Cf. Other sum pron. and adj.

A. adj. I. With singular nouns.

1. Of persons: A certain. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxvi 18.
Jesus said, Ga ye into the citee to sum man [P. sum man] and say to him [etc.] c1520-c1535 Nisbet Heb. ii 6.
Bot summan [P. sum man] witnessit in a place, and said [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. II 87/1.
Sum godlie man [sc. John Knox] was in the castell c1590 Fowler II 124/19.
I knaw some prence of our tyme quhome I will not name

b. In correlative phrases: Sum … sum (pron.), sum … ane othir, one … another. 1456 Hay II 157/26.
Sum man wys as a bee or ane emot, ane othir fule as a buterflee 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 116, 117.
Sum person waik in spreyt, Sum hait byrnyng as ane onbridillyt hors

2. One or other of a number of instances, one of the person, thing, etc. that is unspecified.(a) 1375 Barb. iii 611.
Bot giff we fynd sum sutelte, Ourtane all sone sall we be a1400 Leg. S. iii 1016.
Ask hym sum harde questione c1420 Wynt. vi 128.
Sum hethyn man or herytyk Mycht wsurpe Crystyn feys a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 123.
Your folk ar febill and faynt for falt of thair fude; Sum better boid-word to abide, vndir wod lynd a1500 Henr. Fab. 2068.
It is sum wyfis malisone … that lychtit hes on ȝow c1475 Wall. ii 391.
I trow thow be sum spy c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 197.
Bot gif him self of sum evin myght ane say amang thaim 1540 Lynd. Sat. 728 (Ch.).
Now sum gud fallow lan me ane hude a1568 Scott ii 66.
Quhair is my speir? … Sum man, go bring it hidder 1570 Reg. Morton I 58.
It war weill done that the geir … in the wardrop war vyseit be sume tenty hand c1616 Hume Orthog. 8.
Questionles at the first it semes to have had sum differing sound from a(b) 1536 Douglas Corr. 143.
Caus sowm tentyk man to speyk with hym 1590 Welwod 51.
Any merchaund that is not frie in soum brough and induellar thairin(c) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1484.
Of some good governour awaile 1650 Brechin Presb. 37.
Som trooper cam that night to the house(d) a1578 Pitsc. I 84/18.
He thocht somme quyit draught to be drawin betuix the Earle of Douglas and the King of Ingland

b. In adverbial phrases, with or without preposition.(1) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6410.
Thy ers brint in ane gleid, I think to se sum day 1600-1610 Melvill 143.
Wrangs … quhilk he wald be advengit of sum day 1671 Cramond Kirk S. II 2 April.
The report being that shee was sick some place near Edinburgh(2) 1375 Barb. iv 363.
Than scath thame on sum vis we sall

3. In generalised use, as quasi-pl. 1375 Barb. ii 295.
Sum man for erynes will trymbill, Quhen he assayit is sodanly a1400 Leg. S. ii 697.
Ȝet summan sais that he deit all wthir wais c1420 Ratis R. 928.
Quhill hapnis honor and quhill es Of strenth, of kyne and of riches, To sum man ane to sum men all c1420 Wynt. i 261.
Sum story sayis that Noeys flude Drownyd thaim that tym that lywand stude c1450-2 Howlat 66 (A).
Sum bird will bay at my beike, & sum will me byte c1616 Hume Orthog. 21.
In sum case we ar forced to tolerat this idle e; 1. in wordes ending in c, to break the sound of it … 2. behind s [etc.]

4. An unspecified amount, degree or extent. Also with partitive term, or adjective.(1) 1375 Barb. xiv 232.
Thar men suld … mak in drunkynnes sum melle ?1438 Alex. i 218.
Gif God sum succour to vs sent! 1460 Hay Alex. 3250.
The king haid of him sum pietie a1500 Henr. Fab. 26.
With sad materis sum merines to ming Accordis weill c1475 Wall. ii 160.
Gret God abowe, till him send sum ramede! 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 302. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxi 54.
With sum rewaird we mane him quyt againe 1574 Red Bk. Menteith II 408.
To transport swm skailȝe fra the Heuch in Menteith 1578 Inv. Wardrobe 239.
Ane coffer of crammosie velvot broderit with gold and sum perll 1583 Melvill 158.
That the guid ordour of the Kirk … hes bein brought to sum mediocritie of perfection c1590 Fowler I 24/14.
My watching eyne … sum rest did tak c1616 Hume Orthog. 9.
Of the next, i, we differ farder, and the knot harder to louse, for nether syde wantes sum reason 1632 Glasgow B. Rec. II 13.
Johne Bairdis compt, … for the creillis and swme small tymmer 1692 Pitcairn Assembly ii iii (1752) 29.
And then we may expect sume guid o't(b) 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 91.
I vald put sowm order or I departit towart hir and tham a1578 Pitsc. I 135/14.
We have loissit the boundis within the realme of France and the south of Scottland quhairwith soum hope was to recover the samin 1601 Conv. Burghs II 123.
The wark of the making of the claithe … and bringing the samyn to soume perfectioun(c) 1614 Highland P. III 171.
Upon suim auld acquentance he had with Angus Ogg M^cDonald 1614 Highland P. III 172.
Thair is laitlie cuimed to this toun suim worde off suim late slaughter committed in the Isles(d) 1620 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 128.
At the drinking of some aill 1633 Johnston Diary I 164.
Som glimring hoope, quhairat my heart lappe(2) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 189.
Alswa appeiris sum part of prophecie And greit foirsicht hes bene in this ladie, Perrellis to cum, sa perfytelie to knaw(3) 1653 Hossack Kirkwall 254.
I have giffen your sister Babra sum leitell mony

5. Sum othir(is). Also absol.attrib. 1398 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 38.
Or ellis som othir gret lord c1420 Wynt. iv 472.
Sa thai mycht thame best supprys In slepe or than sum othyr wys 14.. Burgh Laws c. 67 (A).
In pilgrimagis to the haly land … or to sum other haly sted a1500 Bk. Chess 2075.
Haue ȝe na reskew of sum vther knycht a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 133/16.
Sum other part of ald anciant fathers 1573 Davidson in Sat. P. xl 47.
Sen … warldly strenth can haue na sickernes; Sum vther saifgaird surely we mon ha c1600 Montg. Suppl. ix 39.
Sum vther weicht … That of great kin and clan is cummit 1615 Highland P. III 193.
It has bein on … suim other mannis warrand nor myneabsol. c1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 19.
We haue vndirstand be the commoun voyce of the countre and all sa be relacion of sum other that [etc.] 1566 Anderson Collect. Mary I 36.
Besydes sum utheris, that throw the rewyne of the hous, were oppressit, and sum, at Goddis pleseur preservit 1596 Dalr. I 4/10.
Of all iles, gif ane called Taproban with sum vthiris be excepted, Britannie is the best 1624 Melrose P. 560.
Johne Young haith tham to delyver to you: sum wthers which … conserns … us … he heth leykweys

6. Sum ane, sum certane, with delimiting force. Also const. or another. c1400 Troy-bk. i 504.
A cercle that turnys in heven One some ane of the planetes seven c1420 Bute MS 141a.
Tyl a certan place that is to say maner tenement with in maynys or som certane place be name of that lordschyp 1676 Dunbar Social Life I 293.
If I be ane leiveing man I shall be about with him some one way or another

II. With plural nouns.

7. Certain (persons or things).(a) 1375 Barb. ii 39.
Sum men sayis, At that debat fell othir wayis a1400 Leg. S. xv 1. ?1438 Alex. ii 3612.
Ask him … Of our antecessouris sum tythandis 1405–6 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 58.
A barge of werre garnyst with Inglischmen … & sum men sais of the Newcastell c1420 Wynt. i 1344.
In Bretanny Sum steddys growys sa habowndanly Off gyrs that [etc.] 1456 Hay II 154/22.
To saw sum discordis betuix thé, thy legies or subjectis c1500 Rowll Cursing 108 (B).
Thair sall thay kary in thair clukis Sum libberlais and sum hell crukis 1531 Bell. Boece I 10.
Sum authouris sayis, thay [Pichts] come first in Orknay 1600 Crim. Trials II 156.
The rest straik swme straikis at Mr. Thomas 1633 Maxwell Mem. II 243.
Sume folkis … teuk ane cok bot, and vnlokit for, the tempest rais 1681 Red Bk. Menteith II 196.
Get the lene from swme earlles their robs, fite mantles(b) a1578 Pitsc. II 134/32.
Sowme wyse men … bad [etc.](c) 1645 Edinb. Test. LXI 118.
Some Turkis grogrames with some creiping & louping 1660 Brechin Presb. 64.
That Alexr. Kidd … could not come the length of Brechin because som Hielanders had broken out(d) 1525 Douglas Corr. 102.
I have avisit the said Maister Magnus … to send soim litill thingis for tokynnys to the king

b. Sum other. c1400 Troy-bk. i 127.
Some othir frendes … That eft may here of this iniure 1596 Dalr. I 61/7.
To quhilkes we thocht gude to ioyne sume vthir things 1615 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 360.
To Robert Robeinsoun … with sum uther turnes done be him in the lyand yaird

8. Sum few, a small number, a few. 1638 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 46.
That some few lynnes … should be addit to the couenant a1651 Calderwood VII 607.
The fire … brunt the whole toun, some few sclat houses excepted

B. pron. 9. A small, unspecified number (of persons); a few, several.(a) 1375 Barb. i 49.
For sum wald haiff the Balleoll king 1375 Barb. iii 23.
And till sum gaiff thai woundis wid c1420 Wynt. iv 814. a1500 Henr. Fab. 782.
Sum bene … Vincust with carnall sensualitie 14… Edinb. Univ. MS La.ii.318.
In sic tyme ar gottin messellis and sum that has no schap of man 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 186.
Quha suld haue firme esperance in this … Certes, nane. Sum hes! No wicht? Surelie, ȝis c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv 25.
Sum was infect with parcialitie a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 117/9.
Sum argumentis … that the sacrament of the alt[are] is ane figure of our lordis body 1562-3 Winȝet I 115 margin.
Because ȝour awin belliis forbiddis ȝou, and inwy agains sum 1567 G. Ball. 68.
Ȝit sum hes hope sauit to be a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 325/11.
And thocht that sum thair libellis dois allow Ȝit few … will thair awin warkis avow c1590 Fowler I 69/63.
Nor yit thame leawe who trustis in hir, thought sum thairbe hir blame 15… Exch. R. XVIII lxxiv.
Sum oppinnis thar pak and sellis na wair c1616 Hume Orthog. 10.
Sum symbolizes this sound with a diphthong 1649 Culross Rec. in Sc. Ant. IV 27.
Ther ar sume resorting to supstitious wells for obteining helth(b) c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxiv 25.
Sowme will … lauche Goddis word to scorn(c) a1500 Sir Eger 243.
I had need some me to mend 1655 Fam. Innes 184.
My lyfeting of catell and casteing of cornes is all I can come by from some(d) 1621 Hist. Fam. Seton 649.
Suim yiow left me also seruis me als weill now as thenpossess. 1570 Sat. P. xiv 24.
Me to betray was summis intent

b. Of things: A little, a slight degree or small amount. c1641–54 J. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 534.
A smal river … runeth from west to east, almost but sum to the north

10. Preceded by a number, and indicating an approximate amount or estimate. See also -sum suffix. 1375 Barb. vi 149.
Fiff sum in the furd he slew c1475 Wall. ix 440.
Off Scottis men thai semblyt hastely, Nyne hundyr sum off worthi chewalry a1500 Peblis to Play 137.
Thair by lay thre and threttie sum Thrimland in ane midding a1568 Pedder C. 26.
And thretty sum abowt ane pak With bair blew bonattis

11. Const. of (persons or things).(a) ?1438 Alex. ii 2775.
And sum of vs will say perfay [etc.] ?1438 Alex. ii 3059.
Of ȝour best men len vs sum a1500 Rauf C. 303.
And als my self wald haue sum of the fewall 1490 Irland Mir. II 17/6.
The first of the thingis we ar oblist to trow … is that sum of thame pertenis to the diuinite of Jhesu and vther sum to his humanite c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 105/11.
Sum of ȝour men sic curage hed [etc.] 1563 Facs. Nat. MSS III xlvi.
We are informit that sum of the Ilis ar desirous to haue you allyat to thame be mareage 1577 Buccleuch Mun. II 339.
We wer certifiit that sum of the Armstrangis … had begvn to be inobedient 1584 Cal. Sc. P. VII 219.
Oure bisschopis of quham sum ar gros libertynis 1596 Dalr. I 20/4.
Of thir [harts] summe ar quhais fatt is funde ten inches thick 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 7.
He gaif hir swm of his kyis milk 1613 Laing MSS 129.(b) a1578 Pitsc. I 189/11.
Quhen they knew how the matter stude thair was soume of them werie sorrie 1612 Inverness Rec. II 88.
Then the Justice to hois command is con[tra]venid sall informe the sam to soum of his lords c1653 Irvine Mun. II 254.
Marget Brouns in Irvin with soum of our tounds foke(c) 1502 Halyb. 275.
Som of it at the furst bying, 2 li. 9 s. 5. 1559 Knox VI 69.
Thei laubour to corrupt som of our great men by money 1620 Melrose P. 380.
Taking some of the cleir water in the luffes of his hands 1657 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 172.
[The know] quher ther wase some of the speaned lambes(d) 1667 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 23 Dec.
I thowght good to sett doun heirin soom of the … artickles of the agriement

12. Sum … sum, some … others (cf. 1 b above).(a) 1375 Barb. i 278.
Sum thai hangyt, and sum thai drew 1375 Barb. ix 630.
His men discumfit war ilkane; Sum tane, sum slayn, sum gat avay 1456 Hay I 29/32.
Sum thai strake, and sum thai revit jowellis fra a1500 Henr. Fab. 632.
All the planetis off the firmament … Sum retrograde and sum stationeir c1475 Wall. vi 469.
Sum scornyt him, sum gleid carll cald him thar 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 437.
Quhairfra dependant hang thir megir bellis Sum round, sum thraw c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 484.
Sum kerffis to me curtasli, sum me the cop giffis 1513 Doug. viii Prol. 136, 137.
Sum waldbe … capitane, sum caser, sum kyng c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 749.
Sum with halbert, and sum with speir a1568 Scott iv 57, 59.
Sum luvis new cum to toun … Sum luvis dance vp and doun 1572 Sat. P. xxxi 121.
Sum leuch & sum did dance, Quhen thir blak tydingis come fra France(b) a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1241.
Som say I & som say no but few the truth as yit do know 1609 Garden Garden 53.
Some yong, some midlings, … Some in the verie euening of their age

b. Sum … and utheris. a1500 K. Hart 270.
In the presoun fand he mony creatuire, Sum fetterrit fast and vtheris fre and large

13. All and (or) sum (summyn), all (persons or things), without exception; everyone or everything. Also with singular reference, the whole affair or issue.For further examples see All adj. 5 c.(1) pl. a1400 Leg. S. vii 148.
We pray thé al & sum … That thu wald now [etc.] c1460 Consail Vys Man 265.
Thai ar condampnit al and sum a1500 Prestis of Peblis 264 (Asl.).
Sen ȝe haue gart ws hiddir cum This dowt for to declair, baith all & sum c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 256.
Thir nouellis, all and sum a1568 Bann. MS 23b/14.
The lord of all and sum(b) 1513 Doug. iv iii 42.
And eik to folkis from Troy in vayage cummyn, Or list appreif thai pepillis cummyn, all and summyn(2) 1375 Barb. iv 677.
How ony man throu steris may Knaw the thingis that ar to cum Determinabilly, all or sum(3) sing. 1460 Hay Alex. 2380.
It was done and endit all and sum 1513 Doug. i Prol. 282.
Twichyng Virgillis honour and reuerens, … lo, heir is all and sum 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8703.
Tell on he said, the treuth of all and sum 1571 Sat. P. xxv 10.
I fand our congregatione Was caus of all and some

14. Uthir sum, some others (of people).For many further examples, see Other sum pron. ?14.. Ship Laws c. 2 (H2).
Sum sais the weddir is gud vthir sum sais it is nocht gud nor fair a1500 Henr. Fab. 2602.
Richt swa in seruice vther sum exceidis 1490 Irland Mir. II 17/7 (see 11 above). 1596 Dalr. I 181/8.
Vthir sum he corruptes with gyftes

15. In somme, in part. 1399 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 41.
Gif the forsaide landis in somme or all … beis … throuche comoune were distroyit

C. adv. 16. Chiefly with comparatives (esp. better): A little; somewhat.(a) c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 662.
Quhill time this corps be sum better applyit With ferce felloun he is rich[t] fair inuyit 1592 Mining Rec. 67.
And now being sum liklie to recover sumquhat(b) 1636 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 143.
My Well-beloved is some kinder and more warmly than ordinary 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 419.
I think it hath a sweet smell of Christ; and so must be some more than a single cross 1638 Henderson Serm. 481.
Others, again, would seem to take up the matter some better than these 1643 Moray Synod 66.
They to deall discreitlie withe her till shoe be some better satled in her mynd 1650 Brechin Presb. 36.
Within two hours shee becam som better 1658 R. Moray Lett. 88.
Now I am some better buckled then I was 1696 Cramond Kirk S. IV 27 Sept.
The Session … appoint to give him two rolls and two mutchkins of aill each day untill he recover his health some better(c) 1616 Sc. N. & Q. 2 Ser. I 1.
Althocht wee might have hoped that the good order of the rest of the countrie might have temperit thame suim better