A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quhawme, Quhame, n. Also: whalm-. [ON hvammr ‘a short valley or depression surrounded by high ground’ (SND, s.v. Wham n.1: cf. Norw. dial. kvam hollow surrounded by high banks), whence prob. the north. Eng. place-name element wham; cognate with OE hwamm.Also in the later Sc. dial. as wham, whaam, whaum, etc. ‘a broad hollow among hills through which a stream runs’, and in the mod. dial. ‘a hollow piece of ground in a field’] ? A small valley; ? a dale. Also attrib. with -fit, and comb. in the place-name Whalmfoot.1594 Acts IV 89/2.
The landis of … Edȝerstoun Scheillis and Quhawmes 1635 Peebles Gleanings 164.
Thair proper landis of Kaidmure and that pairt thairof callit the wester quhawme —1634 Peebles Gleanings 172.
The hous at the quhame fitt 1635–6 Ib. 209.
Whalmfoot
