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

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

Harm, n. Also: harme, harame; hairme, hearme; herm(e, heirm. [ME. harm, herm, OE. hearm, ON. harm-r (= grief, sorrow; rarely, harm, hurt).]

1. Injury (physical or otherwise) done to or suffered by someone; hurt, damage. Also pl.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 314.
God had sawit thaim fra that harme [sc. from the dragon] 1456 Hay I. 29/30.
To … kepe thame sekirly fra all harme 1513 Doug. ii. ix. 66.
A dart … in the scheild dyd hyng Bwt ony harm or other dammagyng 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1553.
Quhairof greit harme … come to the pure 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 30.
Thay could nowther do the said harme in hir persoun 1615 Highland P. III. 209.
To assist him … and defend him from harame(b) a1585 Maitl. Q. lxi. 59.
Ȝe knaw quhat hairme he hes susteind 1613 Crim. Trials III. 261.
Poysone … quhairthrow ony Cristiane man … may take hearme(c) 1570 St. A. Kirk S. 344.
Sche kapit na herm thairthrow a1578 Pitsc. I. 174/2.
Bot heirm of his body Ib. II. 164.
The quein … went throw many tounis and did gret herme thair 1580 Douglas Chart. 279.
His skaithe, herme, perrall [etc.] 1605 Stewart Mem. 114.
Thair bodely herm and slawchter 1630 Misc. Hist. Soc. II. 264.
Such devyssis may do you herme(2) 1456 Hay I. 185/14.
To reforme all harmes and scathis that suld be done throu his men Ib. 233/13.
Bot mare honour war to kepe thame [women and children] fra harmes c1475 Wall. v. 700.
Her I heseik … Yhe charge me nocht with no wngudly harmys c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 382.
Thair suld no man do him harmes 15.. Clar. v. 1238.
No worschip war ȝow to, Unto thir knights more hermis [for] to doe

b. plur. Hurts or wounds, received or inflicted. ?1438 Alex. ii. 8990.
Sa mekill harmys thare thay wrocht, And sa vndemous rout is rocht c1450-2 Howlat 542.
Syne reskewand it [the heart of Bruce] agane the hethin mennis harmes a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 674.
Than thair hors vith thair hochis sic harmis couth hint c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 8.
Hell sould nocht hyd thair harnis fra harmis hynting 1533 Bell. Livy I. 1/1.
The horribill batellis and the bludy harmes … of Romanis

c. A (non-physical) injury or mischief sustained; a wrong. Chiefly pl. ?1438 Alex. i. 3021.
Sen thow hes sic inuy To venge my harm c1420 Wynt. viii. 2016.
Willame Walays … Sum off thare harmys he thoucht to qwyte c1475 Wall. i. 182.
Willȝham Wallace … Gret pitte thocht that Scotland tuk sic harmys Ib. v. 22.
All likly men to wrek thaim of thar harmes 1513 Doug. i. iv. 108.
Now Amycus harm complenys he, Now … the cruell fate of Lycus 1535 Stewart 47993.
Of injuris for to revengit be, And greit harmis c1550 Lynd. Test. Meldrum 103.
Ane band Of nobill men, abill to wraik thair harmes 1570 Leslie 90.
We wor contentit to haif oure seyne our harmeis a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxvii. 61.
Mony noble natioun … That for to help thair harmes [Q. hairmes] and hurt at hame Fechit forane forcis

2. Pain, suffering, distress, grief. Also pl.(1) c1450-2 Howlat 735.
Haile our hope and our helpe, quhen that harme alis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 222.
Me think ther haldin ȝow a hete, as ȝe sum harme alyt a1568 Scott xiii. 22.
I mon my harme reweill To ȝow, … quha ma my baill beit 1570 Sat. P. xiii. 197.
Sic hauie harme sall happin to ȝour hart(2) 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 146.
I red hys wark with harmys at my hart Ib. iii. x. 115.
Thir harmys smert Ib. viii. vii. 84.
The plesand natural sleip, to beit his harmys, … can he tak c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 176.
He … That hir releuit from hir harmes Ib. 959.
Madame, … ȝe mon releif my harmes a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxxvi. 10.
I haif no hurt, and ȝit my hairt hes harmes

b. In exclamations or statements expressive of grief or regret. 1513 Doug. ii. v. 44.
Ha! walloway! quhat harm and wo eneuch Ib. iv. Prol. 81.
O God, quhat harm! thar wes he drynt and slane 1535 Stewart 516.
Ȝit harme it wes sic duchtie men suld de Ib. 2489.
Greit harme it wes in hart thame for till heir

c. To make harmis, to make lamentation. a1400 Leg. S. v. 68.
Mony ane Of hir kine … Folowit hyr, makand harmys