A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1608-1685
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Somp, Sump, n. Also: sompe, sompt, sumpt. [Late ME and e.m.E. sompe (c1425), sump (1653), MDu. somp, sump, (M)LG sump, sumpt.]
1. A pit or well. Chiefly, in mining: A pit sunk at the bottom of a shaft to collect the water of the mine. Also, water somp, and attrib. with hole.(1) 1654 Inchmahome Pr. 150.
Shee did sinke greate and deepe sumps … for puting on ane water-milne to draw water from the heuch(2) 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 178.
The spowt that convoyes the watter fra the weshing tables to the new maid sompes 1609 Mining Rec. 152.
For ane dayis wark helping to mak and sett the windes over the somp and drawing the watter out of it(3) 1608 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 28.
Tua dayis leaving of watter … in the watter sompe 1609 Mining Rec. 148.
To George Williamsone [etc.] … for half ane faddome dryving in the watter somp set to thame in task(4) 1657 Misc. Hist. Soc. VII 12.
Griue [sc. grieve employed] all night to the reddinge of the sumpholl 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 7b.
To Dauid Thomson for … helping to red the sump hoill & haseing 1674 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 23b.
For reding the sump hoill the brea haueing fallin in 1676 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 4 Nov.
For reding the sump holl 1680 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 19 June.
For layeing a sompt holl to the leavers 1685 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 19 Sept.
The sumpt holl
b. Somp-drift, a passage ‘driven’ or excavated horizontally from the pit bottom.1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines II 2.
Pickmen in blissing sompe drift
2. In a furnace: A pit designed to receive molten metal.1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 171.
Daillis to be sompes for ressaving of the mettell fra the new weshing tables 1646 J. Hope Diary (1958) 164.
The metall being smelted runnes out into a sompe … out of the which it is taken and cast into barres or sowes
