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.
Quotation dates: 1494, 1648-1649
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Swimmer, Sowmar, n. [ME and e.m.E. swymmer(e (Piers Plowman), swimmer (1578); Swim v.] a. One who swims, or is capable of swimming. b. A swimming animal or bird. —a. 1494 Loutfut MS 18b.
And signifies him that bur him [sc. the otter] first in armes wes a reiffar on the watter & sowmar —b. a1649 Drummond II 57/246.
The woods wilde forragers doe howle and roare The humid swimmers dye along the shoare
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"Swimmer n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/swimmer>
