A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Strem(e, Streym, Stream(e, n. Also: streime, streem(e, str(a)yme. [ME and e.m.E. strem, stræm, stram (Layamon), stream (Ancr. R.), streme (Cursor M.), strime (a1300), OE stréam, ON straumr.]
1. A stream or river, generally.Also in early place-names.1147–52 Liber Calchou 6.
Unius piscature que vocatur Berewyck-streem 1160 Facs. Nat. MSS I 17.
Dimidiam partem unius piscature que vocatur Berewicstrem 1214–49 Liber Melros 228.
In Twede usque ad Brockestrem c1250 Liber Calchou 351. 12… Reg. St. A. 39.
Kaldistrem a1500 Henr. Fab. 2622.
The lamb … in the streme laipit to cule his thrist a1500 Henr. Fab. 2648.
Giff sum thing on force mak resistence Than may the streme on na way mak ascence Nor ryn bakwart a1500 Henr. Fab. 2813 (Bann.).
With my twa feit, … lukkin and braid, In steid of airis, I row the streme full still c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 519.
The soft sowch of the swyr and soune of the stremys 1513 Doug. iii Prol. 4.
Maistres of stremys, and glaidar of the nycht 1533 Boece 333b.
Sum parte of thame chargit with armoure attempting to swome the awfull flude of Lewice ouresett be the streme profound and stark war distroyit 1532 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 121.
That the said Robert suld nocht lat na uther men us nor occupy his thre stremes, bot gef he tuk thair nettis or vaisteris fundyng in the sammyne streme 1604-31 Craig v 5.
As I went … Mee thought in a laigh lay a cleare streame, a strand
b. pl. In poetic use: Waters (of a river).c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 28.
Doune throu the ryce a ryvir ran wyth stremys c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxviii 26.
Thy Ryuer … Whose beryall stremys, pleasaunt and preclare, Under thy lusty wallys renneth down
c. A pool of water caused by the overflowing of a river.1603 Reg. Great S. 517/1.
In quantum mare ad alluviem (ane hie streme) enudatur
2. Water, sea, generally. Freq. pl.Common in Doug., rendering a variety of Latin terms for sea.a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 460.
Mony sege our the sey to the cite socht, Schipmen our the streme thai stithil full straught 1513 Doug. iii iii 81.
This sted alsso leif we, and sail maid bown, In bowit bargis throu the large streym [L. vastumque aequor] we slyde 1513 Doug. iii iii 89.
The streym [L. unda] apperis vgsum of the dym sky 1513 Doug. iii vi 61.
And of Ausonya the salt stremys [L. salis] eik Rownd about with ȝour schippis mon ȝe seik 1513 Doug. iii vi 121.
Fors of streym [L. pontus] from the syde of Itale The ile of Sycill devydit hes alhaill 1513 Doug. v xiv 91.
Than to the streme [L. pelago] thai turnyt thar forschip 1513 Doug. vii iv 74.
Gif thar ony ferthir regioun be, Diuidit be the streym and occiane see [L. Oceano] Fra the ferm land 1513 Doug. x iv 121 (Sm.).
The famy stour of stremis [L. vada] le Vp weltis from the braid palmis of tre 1513 Doug. x vi 40.
The plankis … That on the streym [L. fluitantia] went flotand 1513 Doug. iii Prol. 10, etc. 1531 Bell. Boece I 149.
Beyond us ar na pepil nor refuge, bot only desert roukis, and streme of sees [L. nihil nisi fluctus & saxa] c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1460.
The ark … lay … Welterand amang the stremes wode, With mony terrabyll affrayis 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. i 4.
Towards the ocean streamis
b. (Up)on (once, in) the streme, out on the water; offshore.1473 Treas. Acc. I 67.
Gevin … to ane Inglisman, in the recompens of his schip and gudis that wes fundin vpone the streme and na man with hir 1525 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 222.
[A Frenchman … was deprived] apoun the streme [of ship, goods, and papers, and brought to Leith] 1525 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 226.
War chargit be ane maser to cum with thaire schippis and gudis to the portis of New Havyne and Leith and deliver thaire merchandice … quhilk thai refus allutirlie to do … bot haldis thame apoun the streme, selland and disponand thair merchandice to unfremen 1564 Reg. Privy C. I 280.
Thair schippis hes lang tyme lyne on the streme, and the maist part of thame becum lek c1575 Balfour Pract. 624. 1577 Reg. Privy C. II 609.
To defraude … our Soverane Lord of his dew custumes, [they] laidis the saidis victuallis upoun the streame and in creikis and burnis within the riveris of Forth and Tay 1688 E. Fife Admir. Depute Ct. Bk. 28 July.
It is statute … that in caice any persone shall happen to find any of his neightbours netts or furnitur therof goeing louse in the streame he shall delyver the same to the right owner therof
3. The flow or current of a river or of the sea; the force, volume or direction of the flow. Also fig.(1) 1375 Barb. iii 684.
Betuix Kyntyr and Irland, Quhar … gret stremys ar rynnand c1420 Wynt. i 139.
In Ynde the hewyde is of Ganges Agayne the est the streme is gane Swa rynnand in the occeane 1531 Bell. Boece I xlviii.
The see, be contrarius stremes, makis collision 1531 Bell. Boece I 273.
Be tempestious streme of seis, thay war drevin … in the mouth of Rine a1568 Bann. MS 211b/13.
Strypis hes stremes alsweill as fludes hes springis 1596 Dalr. I 59/10.
Throuch the violence, and vehement force of contrare workeng of the wais of the sey, quhen ilk streme stryues with vthir 15.. Lynd. Rutter 9 (B).
This Kyilra is a streat passage and a dangerous stream ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 59.
Ane ile … with ane richt dangerous kyle and stream c1670 Gordon's Aberd. 26.
[The Bridge of Don] consists bot of one arche … the two pyks theroff foundit so upon two rocks as that they easilie breake the streame of the river(2) c1515 Asl. MS I 156/14.
Than the streme of the gret havin and the mouth of Elesponte brekis out of breid in gret ways and stremes and tornes northwartfig. 1646 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 71.
The samen being but overlie red to thame yesternight they did not conceaue the deipe of the draucht thairof … but now finding the streame thairoff farr by thair expectations and intentions, desyred therfor it sould be suppressed
b. The middle of a river, where the current is strongest.14.. Burgh Laws c. 107 (B).
That the myddis of the watyr that is to say the streme aw to be fre in swa mykyl that a swyne of thre yhere wele fed may turne hym wyth in it 1533 Bell. Livy I 17/29.
This ryver … was ȝett furth with large flude abone the brayis, in sic maner that na men mycht haue passage to the streme [L. cursum] or juste bankis thare of 1533 Bell. Livy I 85/27.
Thai harlit the samyn [trees] in the streme of the foresaid ryvere [L. flumen] 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. (Latin) ii 26b.
Quod filum aquæ seu medium aquæ, lie streame 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. (Latin) ii 75b.
Aquæ filum [the streeme of the water]
c. The tide. Stream tyd, high or full tide. High strayme flude, ? high-water mark.(1) 1628 Aberd. Council Lett. I 281.
I have sent this in haist that the streame be not lossed(2) 1687 E. Fife Admir. Depute Ct. Bk. 16 Aug.
Each skipper who shall lay his fleitt is heirby ordered not to lay their wholl fleitt … in respect of the highness and stream tyde 1693 Misc. Spald. C. II 299.
The moon having changed yesternight which brings the stream tyd, the convoy is to saill on Thursday being tomorrow(3) 1609 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 57.
Na … mair nor fyftie fute fra the border of the lynks besyde the high strayme flude
d. Chiefly in fig. and proverb. contexts: To strive (once, row) agane(s) the streme, to try in vain to oppose a prevailing tendency; to fight a losing battle. Also, once, to stop the streme, to try (in vain) to subdue or hold in check (an irresistible force).(1) 1535 Stewart 33337.
Agane the streme no moir than wald he stryve a1578 Pitsc. I 66/24.
James Kennedie Bischope of Sancttandrois … thinkand it was follie to stryue against the stryme haueand great hope that [etc.] a1585 Maitl. Q. 205/128.
Quha stryvis with nature is in the estait Of him that stryvis againe the streme and wind c1590 J. Stewart 233 § 132.
For vaine ȝe ar agains the streame to strywe a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1655.
Yow stryv against the stream —1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 12a.
He that … lwifis the lwife that lwifis nocht him Aganes the streime he rowis(2) 1590 Burel Pilgr. ii 379.
The mair ye stop the streame within, With gretter force the flud will ryn
4. In hyperbolical use: A copious flow of liquid from a particular source. Chiefly, of blood. Also transf., of fire.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 288.
Thane of hyre cors in sic fusione The blud ran in stremis done a1450 Fifteen Ois 298.
The furthȝetting of Thi blud That fra Thi woundis in stremes ȝeid 1460 Hay Alex. 1596.
He hit ane callit Flury du Sameon Quhill to the erd the stream of blude ran doun c1475 Wall. x 250.
Fell stremys off blud Wer thaim about in flothis quhar thai ȝeid 1513 Doug. xi xiii 43.
He cavis owr, furthbokand stremys of blude 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 250.
The stremys of blude ran sa haboundanlye … that ane myln mycht haif gayne be the samyn c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3917.
Frome thornis, thristit on His heid, Ran doun the bulryng stremis reid a1578 Pitsc. I 271/14.
And faught manfullie on both the saydis witht wncertane wictorie, quhill that the stremeis of blude ran on ather syde so aboundantlie(2) 1531 Bell. Boece I xxxviii.
Nocht two milis fra Edinburgh is ane fontane dedicat to Sanct Katrine quhair sternis [? erron. for stremis] of oulie springis ithandlie(3) a1585 Maitl. Q. 202/46.
Trimbling teiris distilling ithinglie Out from hir eis lyik flowing stremis of rainetransf. 1513 Doug. ii xi 32.
Thar followis a streym of fyre, or a lang fur, Castand gret lycht about quhar that it schane
5. A line, streak.a1500 K. Hart 330.
Bot ȝouthheid had him maid ane courtlie cote Als grene as gers with goldin stremis bricht a1585 Maitl. Q. 246/5.
A cot bedect with gold and syluer streamis it [sc. a Bible] weiris 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Actilia.
Partial gilt with spranges or streames of gold fuilȝie
6. A ray or beam of light; here, specif., the tail of a comet.1596 Dalr. II 90/6.
A maruellous gret comet, quhilk toward the south schot fyrie stremes terrabillie
7. A streamer, pennant.a1500 Lanc. 6.
And frome his spere his goldine stremis sent 1589–90 Edinb. B. Rec. V 16.
Ane commodious schip … weill furneist with maryners and pylots and dekkit with stremes, flags, anseyngyeis [etc.]
8. In various fig. uses.1531 Bell. Boece I xi.
Thoucht [Fortune] … with cluddy stormis me assaill I brek the streme of scharp adversite 1567 G. Ball. 112.
The bulrand stremis of thair pryde, Had peirsit vs throw bak and syde 1611-57 Mure Psalmes cix 21.
Let lousse Thy mercye's streame
