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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.

Lim, Lym, n. Also: limm(e, lyme; limb(e, lymb(e. [ME. and e.m.E. lim, lym, lym(m)e, e.m.E. limb(e, OE. lim str. neut. (ON. lim-r).]

1. Any organ or part of the body. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 451.
With a scharpe yrne to ryf syne Of al his lymmis sa the skyne That men his bowellis mycht se in ?1438 Alex. ii. 1422.
It semis weill quhair hartis failȝeis The laif of lymmes lytle vailȝeis c1600 Medical Recipes 89 b.
Virgo ... hes of manis bodie the vaime midderetis & guttis [etc.] ... bot cheiflie the myd lymmis beneth the middrettis

2. An arm or leg; a limb of a human or animal.Lyfe and lym, see Life n. 3 b (2). Lim and lith, see Leth, Lith. 1375 Barb. i. 385.
Bot off lymmys he wes weill maid, With banys gret & schuldrys braid a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii. 465.
He bad men suld … strik fra thame lym eftir lyme Ib. xl. 1164.
For of his helpe recouer ȝe may Al ȝour lymmys c1420 Wynt. i. 744.
A best … lyk of body made Tyll ane as, and in fassown Off lym is lyk tyl a lyoun 1456 Hay I. 184/12.
A man is nouthir lord na syre of his awin body na of his lyf na lymmis 1513 Doug. ix. xiii. 80.
Amyd hys wery breist and lymmys lasch 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 48.
Greuous ȝuik in all his lymmis c1590 Fowler II. 71/16.
The newe [monarchies] … ar as members and limms adioned … to the heritable estate off the prince 1595 Anderson Winter Night (1713) 8.
The hudge image, with copper wame, With lims of yron, and feet of leam 1629 Justiciary Cases I. 134.
It is incident to all persones … to fall and in thair fall to brek ather their leg or lym or ane rib

b. spec. The leg of a human or animal.ME. (once, c 1400), otherwise appar. chiefly or only Sc.(a) c1420 Wynt. iii. 867.
Thaire prewa gere That betwene thaire lymys stude Ib. v. 176.
Thai twa wyld bestys … Kest downe amang thare lymmys lawe Thare hedys ?1438 Alex. i. 671.
His hede he bair as ane lyoun, With lymmys square … And armys lang a1500 K. Hart 854.
A crudge bak … And cruikit was his lathlie lymmis bayth c1500 Crying of Play 74.
The hyngand brayis on athir syde Scho poltit with hir lymmis wide c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 182. 15.. Christis Kirk 35. c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 46.
Quhare throw thare dois na poulder ryis Thare fair quhyte lymmis to suppryis a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xvii. 63.
Quhen throu hir garments, heir and thair, Appeirit hir lustie limis square, As scho ran by him quyt a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 1019.
Mor belongs to a bed nor four bair limmes(b) 15.. Clar. i. 999.
Clariodus than straike at him [the lion] belyve Under the lymbe and upward in the thie Ib. v. 1179.
Carving thair lymbis and armis ay in sunder

c. A joint of meat: cf. Lire n.¹ 3.Cf. ON. limr in similar use. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 82.
Schir Kay ruschit to the roist … Lightly claught throu lust the lym fra the lyre a1500 Prestis of Peblis 22.
Quhill thair caponis war rostit lym & lyre 1516 Wigtown B. Ct. 58.
xxiii d. for ane lym of beyf 1524 Ib. 151 b.
ii s. for half ane lym of so baikon

3. Devillis, fendis lim, also a divelish limme, limb of hell, of Antichrist, a limb of Satan, an agent or follower of the Devil, a reprobate; also transf.(1) a1400 Leg. S. iv. 198.
Herrod, … That wes worthine the devilis lyme Ib. v. 206.
That riche man is thril alway To … riches … And sa is he fendis lyme 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2695.
This dowbill deuillis lim a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxvi. 8. 1597 Calderwood V. 665.
It seemeth strange to us, that a Christian prince … sould be so drawin away by suche devill's limmes, papists, athiests [etc.] 1635 Dickson Wr. 71.
Ye may as well say, ‘I am naturally a devil's limb’(2) 1643 Fugitive Poetry II. xx. 14/30.
Strafford … bred in broiles like a most divelish limme(3) 1645 Rutherford Tryal Faith (1845) 45.
He hath made many black limbs of hell fair saints in heaven 1690 Craven Ch. in Orkney 88.
That limb of Antichrist and infernal locust, the apostate Archbishop Sharp(4) transf. 1649 Misc. Hist. Soc. I. 217.
This Pigmer, a limbe of Sir Jack Presbiter