Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Hame, n.¹ and adv. Also: ham, haim(e, haym(e, haem, hem, heim(e. [Northern ME. ham(e, midl. and southern ho(o)m, OE. hám n. and adv.]

A. n. 1. A person's dwelling-place, or native country. Also fig. in lang hame, the grave.(1) a1500 Rauf C. 91.
Into sic talk fell thay Quhill thay war neir hame 1513 Doug. vii. viii. 139.
Fyve bowis of ky ontil his hame reparit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4850.
The Emprice … Maid hir to pas vnto hir father hame 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Haimsuken.
For haim signifies an house or habitation quhair aue dwellis [etc.] a1598 Ferg. Prov. 9.
Hame is hamelieattrib. c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 64/8.
The synnare … biggis him a hame place & habitacoun in hell(2) a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 32.
Quha-sa wil nocht, sal haf blam, Quhen he sal cume til his lang ham c1420 Wynt. vii. 2390.
Our Kyng … Past off this warld till his lang hame c 1445 Liber Plusc. 386.
To graith thaire gait on to thair langest hame 1513 Doug. vi. ii. 149.
First se that hym to hys lang hame thow have

2. With fra (also from), and at.(1) Brus xiv. 278.
We ar fra hayme to fer to fle a1400 Leg. S. xxvi. 914.
One a tyme it betyde Hyme [to] pas … Fra hame 1513 Doug. xiii. vi. 192.
My Goddis domesticall, that fra haym With me I brocht a1540 Freiris Berw. 81.
The gudman is fra hame Ib. 157, etc. a1605 Montg. Sonn. xvi. 2.
If I must begge, it sall be far fra hame 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 114.
Thow hes tirrit my hows, I being fra hame(2) c1420 Wynt. viii. 2144.
For he wes occupyid at hame, He send Schyr Hw … In Scotland a1500 Henr. Fab. 448.
My hert warmys, me think I am at hame a1500 Seven S. 1885.
A burges … held a michti hous at hame c1500-c1512 Dunb. lv. 4.
Thair wyffis … baid tham … abyd At hame [M. haem] 1531 Bell. Boece I. 84 (see Afeild adv. 1). c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii. 476.
He dar not to ane vther set his hart, For hir at hame he is sa sair adred a1578 Pitsc. I. 387/2.
We sall cause ȝow to find aneuche at hame in ȝour awin cuntrie of Scottland 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Haimsuken.
As we say, ane man is at hame, or nocht at hame(b) Brus xviii. 510 (C).
For he wount wes till spek hely At hayme 1522 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 104.
Ane liscence … to byd at hayme fra this oist 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 35.
Having … sa mony ennemeis at hayme, … thai haif provoked the quenis grace of lngland(c) 1562-3 Winȝet I. 118/8.
Ane quæstioun … quhilk the reidar may haif in the writtin copiis at hem

B. adv. 1. To one's house, abode, native country, or usual place; back to one's home, etc.(a) 1375 Barb. iv. 51.
Thai off Ros … Owt off the gyrth hame all has tayne a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 767.
[Men] of Perce … his skine ham bare To thar kyng c1420 Wynt. ii. 780.
Be Orknay hame he tuk the trade ?1438 Alex. ii. 2798.
Quhen he and his ar fleand hame a1500 Rauf C. 71.
Thow suld be welcum to pas hame with me 1489 Treas. Acc. I. 117.
To Barcar and ane odir gunner to pas … to help hame with the gunnis 1502 Ib. II. 147.
The [ship] Trinitee quhen scho com hame furth of Denmark 1513 Doug. vii. viii. 54.
The deir … Onto his kynd resset can fleyng hame a1568 Balnavis Bann. MS. 140/111.
Quhen best is play, pas hame away a1578 Pitsc. II. 48/17.
The quene … desyrit the cardinall hame to his awin cietie 1615 Highland P. III. 286.
The E. of Ergyle is gane fordwart hame 1627 Cramond Ch. Boyndie 11.
Mr. W^m. Chalmer sall chairge the saids persones befoir the Councill, quilk he promissed to doe howsoone he culd get hame letters 1641 Peebles B. Rec. 376.
To tak tryell of the airmour cum hame fra the campfig. a1585, a1568 Montg. P. i. 131.
My dowbill deling be disdaine Acquit, and pay me hame againe(b) c1420 Wynt. viii. 6676.
Thow sall pas haym in Ingland c1475 Wall. i. 329.
Schir Ranald … Welcummyt thaim hayme 1509 Reg. Privy S. I. 278/2.
Ay and quhill he return and cum haim again 1533 Gau 97/11.
Quhou sal ve ony tyme cum hayme to thé in our faders kingdome? 1577 Waus Corr. I. 146.
I sall send the hors that ye send me hayme agayin 1588 Events Q. Mary & James VI 54.
The first certain newis quhilkis he send us haime of the unhappy reisteris(c) a1578 Pitsc. I. 81.
Hou the Erle of Douglas returnit heime 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 191.
He suld … tak thrie rugges off ane dog hillack [and] fesch heime to hir

b. At home. ?1438 Alex. I. 805.
The stoutest of vs all … Sall sone ȝarne erar hame to be Than [etc.] 1587 Lanark B. Rec. 92.
Gewin for haiding ws hame fra the raid 1596 Dalr. I. 189/2.
He had gouerned weil hame and afeild

c. = Home adv. B 1 d. 1611 Brechin Test. III. 159.
The said James to enter hame to the said George Flemminge in houshald

2. To bring (also bere, cary, etc.) hame, To fetch from a distance, or from abroad; to import.See also Hame-bring v., -bringar, -bringing.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 429.
Scho can … bryng hame quhet, oyle or wyne 1446 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 107.
To … mak careage for his part of the bryngyng hayme of the mylstane 1453 Misc. Spald. C. V. 49.
For the fylling of the keill with stanis to the key, and bryngyng hame of hir 1558–9 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 299.
For carying of tymmer hame 1561–2 Ib. 371.
For bringin heim of the said milstane fre the burro mure to the milne a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 208.
Quhair flew ȝe, quhome slew ȝe, Or quha bringis hame the buiting? 1600-1610 Melvill 22.
Ther was ... a post, that ... brought ham psalme buikes and ballates 1621 Maxwell Mem. I. 334.
To the cadgear that brocht haime … the brydills and sum wthir graith(2) 1462 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 23.
That Dauy Simpson sal bring hame … ane dispensatioune be Pasch cum a yere c1515 Asl. MS. I. 228/10.
Willam Turnbull, bischope of Glascow, that brocht haim the pardoun 1554 Carte Northberwic 69.
Promittand to do hyr vtter deligens … to gar bryng hayme the saiddis deym Isobellis bullis theroff 1622-6 Bisset I. 37/37.
Quhilkis letteres of naturalitie … is brocht hame and registrate in the buik of parliament(3) 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 21.
Giffin to Patrik Haliburtoun to bring hame sex Holland meris to the King Ib. 100.
The proclamacioun anent the bringing hame of bulȝeoun 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 203.
Ten dosone clayth passand custome sall bring hame ane vnce siluer 1581 Acts III. 240/2.
That the raw … silkis to be brocht hame be him salbe custome frie 1634 Black Bk. Taymouth 76.
Dames naprie that he causit bring hame out of West Flanderisfig. c1590 Fowler I. 20. ii. 7.
His triumphe … Whaise compast course conducted hes … and fraughted Petrarch hame

b. To cum hame, To arrive from abroad. 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 223.
Be his bowis [= bullis] war weill cumit hame c1550 Id. Meldrum 1179.
Had it [a dispensation] cum hame, he had hir bruikit 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 363 b.
Frenche waris quhilk come hame efter the said Williames deces 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 166.
The orchard litt … laitly cum hame, contrair the townes proclamatioun

3. Comb. with nouns of action, as hame-bering, -careing, -ganging, etc. 1589 Edinb. B. Rec.V. 8.
The schips appoyntit for hame-bering of the queyne [from Norway] — 1596 Dalr. I. 309/6.
All, quha war authoris of his hamecalling, he rychlie rewardit — 1618 M. Works Acc. XIV. 12 b.
For hamecareing of Mathou Foultoun & his warklumes — c1460 Thewis Gud Women 142.
To hald talkyne Quhill scho forȝhet hir hame-ganging 1586 Waus Corr. II. 346.
Luke that grottis be maid aganis our hame ganging c1650 Spalding I. 140.
That this committe … wold … viseit thair college in thair hame going — 1581 Red Bk. Menteith II. 421.
For the hame leiding [of trees] … to the place 1641 Dunferm. Kirk S. 10.
For bringing a hameleading of the said carkeis of beefe 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 108.
Ȝour haym passage by blude mon fundyn be — a1578 Pitsc. I. 296.
Hou monseur Tilebatie was left regent to the gouernouris hameriding — 1577 Crim. Trials I. ii. 66.
For the tressonabill hamesending of certane … adulterate money