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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DEEM, Deam, n. Variant forms of Dame, q.v. Mainly ne.Sc. [dim]

1. A dame, an elderly woman (Abd.², Abd.⁹ 1940; Bch. 1891 J. Forrest in Trans. Bch. Field Club II. 12); also used prefixed to the surname as in arch. and dial. Eng.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 61:
Hid fell on a Yeul mornin', Deem Lavrock . . . lay on her bed.Abd. 1933 J. H. Smythe Blethers 13:
Misertoon's mither — a cankert aul' deem —

2. A young woman (Abd.⁴ 1929); an unmarried woman; a girl (Crm. 1911 J. Watson W.-L., deam; Bwk. 1825 Jam.², deam); dims. deemie, id., and deimack (Rs. (Avoch) 1949 Gsw. Herald (7 Feb.)), deemachie (Rs.¹ c.1911), a little girl. Known to Bnff.², Abd.² 1940.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 140:
An' noo the deem's mae winsome wife, An' we hae bairns twa.Abd. 1826 D. Anderson Poems 95:
The deems were peenin' on their duds.Abd. 1928 Mains and Hilly in Abd. Press and Jnl. (8 Nov.) 6/3:
I min' on a deemie he wis coortin' fin I kent 'im.Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 78:
All of they deems were related and everyone wis a Ryans. Liza felt very unhappy with her good-sisters, yet she wis a happy-go-lucky lassie Abd. 1991 Douglas Kynoch in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 86:
Thon Erato had likely
Fuspert something till 'er. Och,
An affa deem for fusprins.
Ay, an aye that bittie roch. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 1:
She wis his ain loon's lass, young Attie's quine. Ye cud still caa her a quine, jist! Leastwyes, the bloom hidna gaen aff the rose yet. A deem aboot fower or five an twinty, ...

3. Specifically applied in ne.Sc. to a kitchen-maid on a farm. Often in comb. kitchie deem. Known to Bnff.², Abd.²⁷ 1947.Bnff. 1924 Burnie's Jeannie in Swatches 19:
The deem telt me auld Burnie cam intill the kitchie.Abd. 1917 C. Murray Sough o' War 40:
Weel, syne we hae the kitchie deem, that milks an' maks the maet.