A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Soum, Sowm, Sum, n.1 Also: soum(m)e, sowm(m)e, soumbe, sowmbe, sum(m)e, swm, souim, sowime, swom, swyme, som(e, somme, sombe, soym, soom(e, soame. [ME and e.m.E. summe (c1290), sume (Cursor M.), somme (Ayenbite), soumme, sowme (14th c.), soume (c1400), some (1421), OF sume, som(m)e (12th c. in Larousse), L. summa.]
1. A quantity or amount (of money, gold, silver, etc.).For liquid soum, liquidat soum and pecunial soum, see liquid adj. 1, Liquidat ppl. adj. and Pecunial(l adj.(1) sing. a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 108.
Sancte Nicholas … A nothir nycht did as before With syk a sowme of gold ore more c1420 Wynt. vii 2296.
For a sowme off gud mone 1448 Aberd. B. Rec. I 401.
That al sumes written in the roll … be sowmyt be punde grete, and ilke punde grete be put til a certane some of Scottis payment 1461 Coll. Aberd. & B. 364.
Soum a1500 Henr. Fab. 1247.
The volff chargit the scheip … The soume off siluer or the breid to pay 1491 Acta Aud. 153/1.
Soumme c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxix 12.
I tuik fra my Lord Thesaurair Ane soume of money for to wair 1556 Facs. Nat. MSS III xxviii.
To gif thame agane ane sobir soume of money 1565 Prot. Bk. James Foulis MS 85.
Ane grit soume of money in plakkis babeis lyartis & vther vsuale money of Scotland a1578 Pitsc. II 297/2.
The laird of Graunge broder had new arryvit at the Blacknes with ane gret sowme of gould(b) 1384 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 6.
The forsayd quarter of Colstoun … to gif to Michel Rony … for a swm of siluir 1510 Lennox Mun. 189.
Sume(c) 1407 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 65.
Somme 1456 Peebles B. Rec. I 118.
[He] stud vp in the curt and clamyt Wil Peblys of a sartan som of gold and siluer 1482 Reg. Morton II 245.
A certane somme of vsuall mone of Scotlande of nomeryt mone 1549 Compl. 122/2.
Ane … frere gat ane grit some of moneye … to tak on hand to sla the empriourinfl. pl. c1420 Wynt. viii 7113.
Wyth gret sowmys off mone, As of gold mylyonys thre 1482 Edinb. Chart. 146.
Certain and diuers gret sommes of money 1487 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 366.
Somes 1502 Treas. Acc. II 160.
Soumez 1506 Lennox Mun. 181.
Sowmez 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5115.
Greit sowmes of gold 1558-66 Knox II 300.
[It] was not knawin … what sowmes of money wald sufficientlie susteane the ministrie 1559 Knox III 412.
Sommez 1579–80 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 146.
Sic soomes of money … as wald satefie the ministeris of this burgh of thair stipendis 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 175.
Maister Jhone Wynrome was maid heid, For sowmes of silwer that he had lent thé 1595 Conv. Burghs I 469.
That na brugh … elect or nominat ony persoun to beir office of magistrat or consuloure … that standis addetet … in ony soumeis of money 1607 Facs. Nat. MSS III lxxxvi.
Your Maiestie borrowit fra ws dyvers sowmes of money 1639 Declamatour Pretended Bishops Refuted 89.
They have detained or interverted sowms of money dedicat to pious uses 1648 Misc. Spald. C. V 332.
Soumes of money … cunȝeit and uncunȝeit 1674 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 28 Nov.
[She] ordaines hir debts and coasts … to be all peyed … owt of hir goods geire coins and soames of moneys abowespecifeituninfl. pl. 1513 Doug. xi vii 88.
Of gold and evoir mony sovm and charge(2) 1393–4 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 29.
That I … a pon a day pay … of my propre gud the fornemnyt sovme of xxv marc 1420–1 (1429–30) Reg. Great S. 30/1.
The malis of H. … sal be acontyt and alowit in the some of iiiixx lb. beforsaid 1443 Milne-Home MSS 21 (see Soum n.2 1 (2) (b)). 1450 Exch. R. V 425 n.
The said sowm of five markis 1456 Montrose Baillie. Ct. fol. 6b.
Chalang off T. Strang to the swme off xl Ss. 1457 Peebles B. Rec. I 123.
Of the som of his x lib. befor wrytyn ij markis 1463 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 375 B.
In to the sowme of therty & twa pundis of the vsuale mone of Scotlande 1480 Newbattle Coll. (Somerville) (Reg. H.).
I bynd me … in the som of thua hundreth pondis … for his seruis & gud dedis don to me of befor 1491–2 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 32.
Swom 1506 Liber Aberbr. II 369.
To haue ressauit … the sovm of ane hundreth merkis of gude and vsuale numerit money of Scotlande 1509 Maxwell Mem. I 228.
Sovim 1515 Wemyss Chart. 142.
Sowime 1548 Red Bk. Menteith II 334.
Sovim 1549 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 439.
Soome 1553 Boyd Fam. P. No. 38 (30 Jan.).
I … grants me to haif resauit … the swyme of fowrte merks of money in part of payment of an mair swyme [etc.] 1554 Liber Dryburgh 292.
Soumbe 1556 Reg. Privy S. V i 2/2.
Of the gift of the sowme and pane of five hundreth merkis 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 229.
The sowme of vjm li. of gold and siluer 1578 Conv. Burghs I 53.
Letteris … to the conseruatour commanding him to desist … fra forther vplifting … of the sowme of sex stures of euer ilk sek of guddes 1581 Edinb. Test. IX 174b.
Sex bairsis of irne worth the soum of lx li. 1584 Coll. Aberd. & B. 629.
Sowmme 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 19.
The summe of twentie aingell nobillis 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I 362.
Somme 1638 Dumbarton B. Rec. 54.
The baxter vnlawit in the sum of fiftie-foursh for selling of light bread 1686 Boharm Kirk S. 19 Sept.
Whoever should fee any servant on the Lord's day should pay the lyke some of £4 Scots(3) sing. 1398–99 Liber Melros II 489.
The recoverance of that gude and some fornemmid 14.. Burgh Laws c. 22 (B).
The soum that was aucht til hym … sal be sone gyfyn til hym 1456 Hay I 166/19.
[He] tuke alsmekle largely of his gudis as the soume that the baroun held wrangwisly fra him 1474 Lennox Mun. 103.
To be payt … within the Cathederale Kyrk … in ane hale soume and togiddyr 1474 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 332.
Soumme a1500 Henr. Fab. 1233.
Ane soume I payit haue befoir the hand For certane breid c1475 Wall. iv 32.
Quha aw this sowme? 1481–2 Misc. Spald. C. II 325.
Dyschargyande the forsad lordis and layde … of the soym tayn for the forsade mes 1493 Maxwell Mem. I 204.
And the remane of the saidis hundreth pundis in vnicornys, the quhilk swme extendis to the waille of the saide landis 1567 G. Ball. 43.
Be Judas … That Lamb for sober summe was sauld 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 139.
And the arlis-pennie (as ye know) man be a part of the sum, and of the nature of the rest of the sum c1600 Medical Recipes 110. Arithmetical Puzzle in
Tak ane sowme as it var vij s. than bid ik half as mekill quhilkis tre s. vj d. 1606 Laing MSS I 107.
To move your Lordship to give satisfaction for the soome aforesayed 1639 Baillie I 236.
My … requests, when the matter is about the scurviest soume of money, are misregarded 1680 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 15 July.
The appoynt the present thesorar to borrow the lyk soompl. 1475 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I 38.
To remove discorde … betuix creditouris and thare dettouris that ar awin summez 1496 Halyb. 78.
The quhylk 15 li. 5 g. I dylywerit to the said Archden in mynryn off grettar somys betwix us c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xxxix 38.
And quha … vpoun peur men gadderis sowmis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxix 10.
Ȝe neid nocht … paper for to spend, nor ink, In the ressaueing of my soumes 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5251. c1564 Lennox Mun. 248.
Consydering the soomes owing him 1587–8 Aberd. Council Lett. I 32. 1655 Dumbarton B. Rec. 68.
In the account of the comrs are sums for drink money 1671 Goudie Shetl. Antiq. 234.
For payment of small sowmes within ten pounds Scottis money
b. transf. A considerable amount of money. Also pl., = wealth.1611 Reg. Panmure I xciv.
They had ane annuel of tua markes quhilk ves thought ane some in thois dayes 1622 D. Lindesey Heavenly Chariot 24.
The avaritious man … would live, to the ende hee may inlarge his boundes, and augment his summes
c. A quantity of money raised or owing in terms of some legal process.c1500 Barounis Lawis 4b.
To atteche him be ane sufficient borgh ansuerand to the sowme of the taxt harmes 1503–4 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 98.
Elizabeth Wod … producet the infeftment of the chaiplenry at St. Eloyes altare and the sowm thairof 1515 Treas. Acc. V 27.
To poynd … for soumes of panys aucht to the king 1549 Prot. Bk. Sir A. Gaw 4.
The sowmis of the tochyr gud sal be pait to the said Jhon incontinent 1659 Writers Signet 283.
Creaving soumes of pley outt of the box for furnishing him with cloths
d. The total amount, value or income of money (also, accounts, debts, fines, etc.), commodities, property or rents.(1) 14.. Quon. Attach. c. 35.
[They] sal ger the forsaid catell be prisyt be leil men of diuers barounris thar to suorne to the some of the dett 1488 Treas. Acc. I 95.
xl vnicornis the sowme tharof xxxvj li. 1494 Halyb. 11.
Som in the haill that I haf laid for Schir R. Vellis sen my last cont is 19 li. 14 s. 4 g. 1502 Orkney Rentals i 7.
Okilsetter … quhilk lyis with all the dettis thairof to the grange of Grenevall extract fra this takmannis soum 1576 Orkney Oppress. 49.
Fyve gudlingis, quhilk is the haill sowme of ane domeraw 1603 Montgomery Mem. II 251.
Sum of this hell count, four scor of pundis [etc.] 1687 New Mills Manuf. 155.
To sume up each dayes depurssments and writt the soume of the page at lenth(b) c1560 Liber Dryburgh 352.
The sombe of the haill money of the abbacie of Dryburght coinforme to the auld rentale extendis yeirlie to [£800 16 s. 8 d.](2) 1495 Treas. Acc. I 220.
The some of the xxv sekkis [sc. of wool] extendis to [£350] 1538 Reg. Privy S. II 401/1.
The soume of the chalder [sc. of beer] v lib. vi s. viii d. c1560 Liber Dryburgh 354.
Sowmbe 1565–6 Melrose Reg. Rec. III 138.
The sowme of butyre [extends to] vxxv stane(3) 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III 98.
I leyf … to my son Robert, half the landis of Jayton … quhil at he be payd apon a day as the letter of reversione proportis of the some(4) 1656 Craig-Brown Selkirkshire II 390.
The sowme of the mailes within the toune of Gallascheiles extends in the year to £1016 11 s. 0 d.
e. transf. A quantity of goods (also, livestock), regarded as having a certain value.1397 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 32.
Alswa thai sal hafe the sovme of petis & vthir fuel the quhilk the saide scir Jamys wes wont to haf c1460 Regim. Princ. 162 (Marchm.).
Al the sowmis of jowellis and tresour Of thine elderis 1478 Acta Conc. I 4/2.
Anent the somme of iiijxx xiiij kye 1488 Liber Aberbr. II 259.
[The] sovmes off wetaillis or siluer aucht to me for the execucioune off the said office of crownarschip 1570 Inverness Rec. I 194.
To … refound … the sowme of fourtie bollis beyr wyth the cherite
f. In soum: Altogether; in all.1399 Melville Chart. 15.
Gif the forsaide landis in somme or alle … beis distroyit c1420 Wynt. vi 961.
Fourty thai ware in sowme and ma 1554 Knox III 134.
David, in soume desyreth four thingis in this his vehement troubill
g. In a soum: (Of money, etc.) In one instalment, in a lump sum.c1420 Wynt. v 2391.
And Laurens … Askyd delay, swa that he Mycht it [sc. the treasure] all in a sowme get 1456 Wemyss Chart. 78.
Pay … in a soume, in to the parische kirk of Perth, apone the hee auter of the samyne 1627 Dumbarton B. Rec. 12.
For ten punds money to be payit in ae sowme
h. In blok and somme, = sense 1 g above.1456 Hay I 146/29.
Na in his condicioun of feyng was divisioun maid of his wageing bot in blok and somme, for all the ȝere sik a somme [etc.]
i. For soum: As payment or remuneration.Alternatively, this example may belong in f above.1437 Ayr B. Ct. 22 April.
That day Gib Donaldson was sett to kepe the toune nolt for this ȝhere & he sal hafe for ilk some vii d.
2. A quantity of people; a company, host, band.1375 Barb. xvii 67.
I sall ger the erle Thomas And the lord alsua of Douglas Ather with a sowme of [C. ane quheyne, 1571 ane certane] men Be thar 1596 Dalr. II 89/19.
The king, vnder a gret sume, confirmes a law, that [etc.]
3. The total number (of things in a certain category).c1420 Wynt. ii 832.
The sowme sall be thre hundyr [years] … Or Jhesu wes off Mary born 1562-3 Winȝet I 55/1.
That delay … moueit me … to collect almaist the haill summe of thai thingis quharein I wes offendit
4. Of something immaterial: The total amount, the whole, the entirety.c1420 Wynt. ix Prol. 4.
Al the laif gud, and sua [gud] fyne, Makis al the soum gud 1460 Hay Alex. 951.
And all the princis war thair assemblit hale And callit haraldis and bad discryve the some [: roum] 1565 Cal. Sc. P. II 248.
[The] soum [of my knowledge is] [etc.]
5. a. A summary, digest, summing-up of a treatise, a system of beliefs or laws, a state of affairs, etc. b. specif. A summary of a deceased person's life, an obituary. Also, ? an epitaph, ? monumental inscription.a. 1490 Irland Mir. II 81/21.
The gret … doctour of Paris … sais in the fyrst cheptur of his noble buk and some of theologie that [etc.] 1533 Gau 45/25.
This is the soume of the wangel that [etc.] 1551 Hamilton Cat. 5.
Quhairin is contenit brevely and trewly the sowmme of our Christian doctrin 1560 Bk. Disc. 240.
None ar apt to be admitted to that mysterie [sc. Communion] who can not formalie say the Lordis Prayer [etc.] … and declair the soume of the law 1596–1600 Warrender P. (SHS) II 419
This book … was intitulat A Breif Some of Blakian Doctrineb. c1620 Sutherland Bk. II 340.
The portratours … of all the Earles of Southerland, with the somme of ther lyfs 1626 Garden Worthies 89.
Search … Where thow shall see sign'd this sententious soume, Lord William Keith's (too mean) the marble tombe
c. The gist or essence (of something).c1420 Wynt. ix Prol. 16.
Makand in this part to conclud … Here al the soum of my purpos 1558-66 Knox II 333.
I think I have nott only tueiched the somme, but the verry wordis as I spack them 1586 Gray Lett. & P. 115.
This ves all the somme of the long letter 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 32/9.
The summe of the lau is the tenn comandis c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxi 69.
The sowme of all that I wald haue is thai [sc. thy] merci
6. a. In soum, in short, briefly. b. For a soum (of something), to summarize, explain (a matter) briefly.a. 1600-1610 Melvill 72.
Mr. Thomas Smeton … recompted to me the strange wirking of God with him; this in soum: That [etc.] 1600-1610 Melvill 262.
I answerit this mikle, in soum: That [etc.]b. 1583 Cal. Sc. P. VI 350.
Quhat has proceeded tueching the association of us in title of our crown to the Queen our moder in her lyvetyme, trewly, we knaw not; and for a soome of it, we nevir saw any
7. Conclusion; judgment; verdict.c1420 Wynt. viii 745.
The sowme thus off theology, The resownys off philosophy [etc.] … Makys for the Brows Robert a1578 Pitsc. I 402/25.
This was concludit amangis themselffis, and declairit into the king the sowme of the consall
8. The ultimate goal or aim.1560 Cal. Sc. P. I 510.
[The] somme [of the legation is to know her mind & if she will repose confidence in her subjects or not] 1584 Gowrie P. 40.
Accusing him that he [had] conferance with the Erll of Angus servant … [and] the end and some was to troblie the cuntrie
