A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1506-1526
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
(Mumming,) Mummyn(g, vbl. n.1 [e.m.E. mommyng (c 1465), mum(m)ing, -yng(e (1528), and e.m.E. mum(me v. (1530): cf. OF. momer v. to disguise oneself, perform in a masquerade, and MDu. mommen, mummen v. in similar senses, and MDu. momming vbl. n.] The action of disguising oneself, for concealment or as a performer in a masquerade; the action of performing a masquerade, masquing. Also attrib. with -goun. (The word also appar. occurs, in a corrupt passage, at K. Hart 531.) — 1507–8 Criminal Trials I. i. 51.
[Adam Mure convicted of art and part of stouthreif by way of] mummyng [under silence of night, of money] 1525–6 Treasurer's Accounts V. 254.
That samyn nycht eftir suppir in mummyn, xxli. —attrib. 1506–7 Treasurer's Accounts III. 249.
The ferd day of Januar, for vij elne rowan gray to be ane mummyng goun to the King
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Mumming vbl. n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mumming_vbl_n_1>
