A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1420-1676
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Murmur, -mour, v. Also: murmure, -mwr(e, -mer, -myr, mwrmwr, muremure; mermer (irregular variant (? erroneous)). [ME. (Chaucer) and e.m.E. murmur(e, F. murmurer, L. murmurāre.]
1. intr. To complain or repine in low or muttered tones, to grumble.Also const. againis, also of (something or someone).Freq. said of a populace or section of it, collectively.(1) c1420 Wynt. viii. 6135.
Thus amang thaim mwrmwryd thai c1450 Craft of Deyng (S.T.S.) 120.
Vthir-sum murmwrys, and thinkis that payne vrangwys, and gruchis c1460 Consail Vys Man iii.
Na gang nocht fra hyme murmurand Quhen he thé chargis his erand 1513 Doug. i. viii. 118.
Thai murmuryt and complenyt all at anys c1520-c1535 Nisbet I. 13.
Mary anoynttit Christis feit. Judas murmurith 1531 Bell. Boece I. 39. 1565 Instit. Ct. Sess. 3 b.
Quhat personis that vsis sic inoportune solistatioun or murmures or [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. II. 283/16.
The religion was sclanderit: that causit the common peopill to murmure(2) 1558–9 Statut. Sc. Ch. 158.
And givis occasion to the puir to murmur gretymly againes the state ecclesiastick 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 174/12.
Sum miserable peple … quhilkis mwrmwris aganis the mes 1560 St. A. Kirk S. 33.
Scho, murmurand against Gods Word, imputtis the wyte [etc.] 1562-3 Winȝet I. 40/24.
Murmuring aganis Moyses 1603 Moysie 91.
The King … wes murmured aganis be the commoun pepill a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 4.
If any persone murmur against any judge and proves not the same(3) 1533 Gau 14/10.
Thay quhilk wil notht suffer God to dant … thayme be aduersite … bot murmuris and is inpacient thair of
b. To address a complaint to (till) a person.c1420 Wynt. v. 5581.
Off thare wagys redyly He made na payment; thai forthi Murmwryd till Schyre Phocas
c. impers. and passive. It is (hevely, gretumlie) murmurit, it is (greatly) complained, (great) discontentment is expressed (that something is the case).sc. by a populace or section of it, collectively.1424 Glasgow Merchants House 12.
[That it is] hevely murmurit that all craftismen … usis sic extorsionis 1518 Aberd. Trades 306.
It was heavily murmured be the merchants of this burgh quhow the flessaris of the samyn occupiet and usit twa craftes 1558–9 Statut. Sc. Ch. 159.
It is havelie murmurit and complenit be the fewars of kirkland that thai ar compellit [etc.] 1564 Bk. Univ. Kirk I. 54.
It was murmured, that manie ignorant men … war admitted to be ministers 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 108.
Albeit that it was havilie murmurit that he was gyltie thairof 1572-5 Ib. 225.
It is gretumlie murmurit that [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. II. 281/26.
It was murmurit throcht the cuntrie that the Kingis lordis tuik nane regaird to the common weill of the cuntrie 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 178.
It is havely mermerit [? read murmerit] that [etc.]1622-6 Bisset I. 105/8. a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 3.
It wes murmured as ane noveltie that a dead man should be accuised
2. tr. a. To complain or animadvert against, grumble at, censure (a person), covertly or openly; to make aspersions on the conduct or character of.Also const. be, for, of or becaus of (the alleged fault or cause of offence), to do (something complained of) or that (something complained of is being done).Freq. said, espec. in the passive, of a populace or section of it collectively.(1) c1420 Wynt. vi. 1490.
A fellown tyrand he wes forthi Cald and murmwryd oppynly 1456 Hay II. 60/17.
And thai that had wrocht fra the morne airly murmurit the lord, sayand he was unrychtwis c1460 Wisdom of Solomon (S.T.S.). 469.
Thar suld na man ban his king, na murmwre hyme in thar collaciouns 1474 Reg. Morton II. 222.
[He] sal neuer murmour nor blaspheyme thaim in prive no in apert c1490 Porteous Noblenes 176/22.
O noble man lat ws nocht mak ws to be murmurit 1526 Stirling B. Rec. I. 29.
Gudman, it is said that ye murmur me, sayand that I have doune yow gret wrangis 1533 Bell. Livy I. 99/26. 1543–4 Corr. M. Lorraine 54.
The thing I did wes for gude quhowbeit I be murmurit saikleslie a1578 Pitsc. II. 186/24. 1584–5 Reg. Privy C. III. 729.
To tak upoun hand to repute, esteme, murmour, detract nor sklander the saidis George and Johnne Homes as gilty of the cryme foirsaid 1585 Ib. IV. 31.(2) 1478 Reg. Cupar A. I. 213.
He sal neuyr murmur abbot na conuent of his tak 1518 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 128.
That he was hevely murmurit be the saidis provest etc. of divers grete faltis and wrangis … and gif thai had murmurit him without caus thai to be punist 1533 Boece ix. xviii. 336.
Be the pepill the King of this murthure was murmurit(3) 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 339.
The regent wes hevilie murmurit be the commonis, becaus of the greit oppressioun of the pure(4) 1534–5 Yester Writs 155.
We ar gretumlye murmurit for postponying of the samin 1558–9 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb), 10 Feb.
The thesauraris … war hevilie murmurit for the disponatioun of the sam 1676 Lauder Notices Affairs I. 120.
Any who, without reason, misrepresented or murmured judges and magistrats for doing their offices(5) 1532 Acts Sederunt i. 6.
And we sall giff na credence to ony man that will murmure thame … be doing of wrang 1579 Acts III. 152/2.
That he wald gif na credite to ony man that wald muremure the saidis lordis … be doing of wrang and vnhonestie(6) 1535 Stewart 60610.
That ȝe murmour me To vse my awin be cours of commoun law(7) 1543 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 191.
The toune is hauely murmurit be the landmen that the vittell byaris … scattis thame grytlie 1558 Archbishop Hamilton in Knox I. 279.
Meanyng, crying and murmuring me greattumlie that I do nott my office
b. To complain of, speak against (another's conduct, an order of things, etc.).Also const. of the grounds of complaint.1513 Grey Friars II. 73.
That the said gift suld nocht haif effect gif the toune of Hadingtoun murmourit it 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II. 387.
Warditt in the castellis of Lochlevin and Striueling becaus thai murmuritt the Kingis iustice 1541 Perth Guildry MS. 513 (31 Oct.).
Our souerane lordis liegis … diuers tymes hes murmurit the sobir pas of breid of quhit bakin be the baxter craft 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 126/11.
I complein and murmyris ther crualte 1549 Ib. 183/8.
The Romans murmerit his ansueir of ambiguite to the vrang part 1586 in Kames Decis. Ct. Sess. 1730–52 (1799) 34.
Andrew Semple … in a fenced court … by words indecent, heavily murmured, injured, blasphemed, disowned and lightlied the judgment and proceedings of the court of session
3. Of a body of persons: To give currency to the rumour, to rumour, whisper' (that something is the case).Also b. impers. and passive, = it is rumoured, the rumour is current (that etc.).c1460 Regimine Principum 273.
Sendand a contrar letter incontinent … Than al the warld murmuris thou art bocht c1500-c1512 Dunb. xix. 32.
Than will thay mvrmour thame amang My freyndis ar not worth a fleb. c 1532–6 James V Lett. in Misc. Sp. C. II. 193.
Weit ye that it is murmuryt hyr that ye sould a spolkyn with Gorge and Archebald Dougles in Ingland, quhylk wase again my command 1567 Reg. Morton I. 22.
It hes bene murmurit and put in the heidis of the pepill that [etc.] 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 183.
It wes murmurit that the Erle of Huntlie was to cum [etc.]
4. intr. To speak murmuringly, to exchange speech in low and continuous tones.1513 Doug. v. vii. 41.
The Troianys with hym sammyn … Murmuryt and bemyt on the ilke wys
