A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Pomp, Pump, n.2 Also: pompe; poump; pumpe, pumpt. [Late ME and e.m.E. pompe (1466, appar. obs. after c 1628), poompe (1495), varr. of pump(e (Prompt. Parv.) pump, also well of ship (a 1533), ? conduit (1535–6), act of pumping (1676), MDu. dial. pompe pipe of wood or metal, stone conduit (a 1463), early mod. Du. pompe bilge, pump, LG pump(e, F. pompe (1517 in Hatz.-Darm.), Da. pompe. Of obscure ulterior origin: perh. imitative.]
1. A pump.The instrument for raising water (as, bilge-water from the ‘well’ of a ship, water from a well or mine, etc.) or other liquid by means of a piston or plunger operated in a pipe or cylinder.In the earlier instances, always a ship's pump, cited as (1).(1) 1494 Treas. Acc. I 253.
For ane gret mast [etc.] … and for ane pomp and other small graith 1497 Ib. 379 (see Mawmar n.). 1505 Ib. III 137.
Tua treis quhilk suld be pompes to the schip 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 44.
Quhen scho was in the schip … scho culd abyde at the pompe and joyit to handill the boysterous cabilis 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII 115 b.
Wommillis for pompis & vther warklumes for schippis making 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 35 a.
With ane boret auld pompe Ib. 61 a.
Ane irne to bor our pompe 1663–9 Livingstone Sel. Biog. I 155.
We sprung a leck that gave us 700 stroak of water in two pomps in the half-hour glass(b) 1567–8 Crail B. Ct. 20 Jan.
Jhone Reid … clemit … ane poump tan ovt of his bait … and [he] protestis gif he lay aland for laik of that poump [etc.](c) 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 4.
For boring the pump(2) 1597 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 645.
Half a stane of leid to rin in the botis of the pomp 1631 Edinb. B. Rec. VII 87.
The pompes which ar alreadye maid and imput into the saids wellis 1684 Fawside Coal Compt 127.
For forlockes to [the] pompe 00: 04: 0(b) 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 320.
The irone work of the pomp of the wall quhair my Lord of Mortown dwelles … ane knit stirrip to hald in the pump fast
b. With various qualifying terms.Specifying the purpose, mode of construction, etc.1566 Treas. Acc. XII 405.
For twa peices of treis to mak fyre pompis 1598 Acts IV 176/1.
Ane artificiall ingyne in making of pompis … as rak pompis lyke to the cran of ane croce bow, grave pompis [etc.] … quhilkis ingynis sall ather gang with wind water hors or men for the drawing vp of the water in greit quantitie furth of mynes coilheughis quarrellis and vther deip grundis 1608 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 28.
Hemp and ledder to mend the watter pomp Ib. 78.
Ane chenȝie for ane rag pomp 1609 Ib. 140 b.
Draweris and leaveris of watter at the watter pompes 1646 J. Hope Diary (1958) 172.
Bot the water is drawen from it be watermilne pumpes 1663 Edinb. Test. LXXI 102 b.
Ane wort pomp & well pomp
c. Attrib.(1) 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 62 b.
For ii pompe feit and twa stanes —1512 Treas. Acc. IV 458 (see Mawmar n., attrib.).
Pumpt leddaris 1513 Ib. 474.
For pump ledder to hir [a ship] iij s. Ib. 478.
Pomp ledder 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 64 a.
For pompe leder and pompe nallis 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 2.
For pump ledder 3 s. 6 d. —1512 Treas. Acc. IV 458.
For pomp nalis to hir [sc. a galley] 1534 Ib. VI 235.
For tua hundreth pomp nale xv d. 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 11 b.
For 500 pump nels & 500 balk nels [£3/3/4d.] —1608 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 75 b.
For mending the pomp shoes —1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 9 a.
For ane pompe sope —a1568 Bann. MS. 210 b/25.
If she be laik it may be soon espyed The pompstaff and the maner holls will tryit 1662 Orkney Antiq. Soc. (1926) V 15.
With ane pump and roan and pompstafe —1676 M.P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 212.
That it was the custom of all provident skippers to have a pump-stelling covered with pitched canvas, to guard against the spouting of the pump(2) 1671 Wemyss Sc. Diaries 130.
My holle work men … collers … also quarriers pumpe men and all others
2. A (stone) conduit for conveying water.1543 Edinb. Guild Ct. 16 Oct.
The said Johne Farnlie sal mak ane pomp of stane fra the javor hole ressauand the watter to the erd
3. The well or sink of a ship.? sc. where the bilge-water collects and whence it is pumped out.1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Sentina, the pomp of the shippe a1603 Tract. Leg. Naval. 64.
Leckage and ullage … goe to the pompe out off punshions be storme … or rather vllage is the filling up of the wynes in the hogsheids be leckage
b. fig. A ‘sink’ or ‘well’ of vice or the like.Rendering L. sentina a ship's bilge or sump, and colluvies a collection of filthy refuse.1531 Bell. Boece I 67.
The tyrane Gillus, pump of every vice [L. tot malorum sentina; M. the pompe of cruelte] is vincust Ib. (M) I 305.
Throw quhilk rais vncouth lust, the pomp of all myscheif [L. scelerum colluuies], amang the pepill
