Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Soum, Sowm(e, Some, Seme, n.³ Also: soume, (sown). [OF some, somme (early 12th c. and c1220 in Larousse), also ME and e.m.E. saem (Orm), seme (c1250), sem (a1325), seem (Piers Plowman), seayme (1531-2), seym (1536), seam (1674), OE séam (cf. OHG, MHG soum), WGmc. borrowing of vulgar L. sauma, L. sagma a pack-saddle, f. Gk. sagma a pack-saddle; burden, load; apparatus; harness, horse-trappings.] A certain quantity of goods, calculated as a load for a pack-horse; a load or burden, generally.Also (once), hors soume (of goods).(1) 1397 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 32.
Alswa thai sal hafe the sovme of petis & vthir fuel the qwhilk the saide Scir Jamys wes wont to haf ?1468 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 240.
Of a hors soume of … fysch(b) c1420 Bute MS fol. 170.
Of a soume [Acts sowme] of lekys on a hors i obl. ?14.. Ship Laws c. 4 (B).
Of onyonys & vthyr syk thyng at the entre nathyng, bot of ilk soume of gerleke that is xxiiii rapys at the furth passyng i obl.(c) 1498 Reg. Privy S. I 24/1.
Payand thairfor ȝerelie to our capitan, constable and keparis of our castell of Lochmabane foure seme of salmond fisch, ilk seme contenand 13 fisch salmond(2) c1475 Wall. iv 24.
Wallace … Our tuk the child Schyr Ranaldis soume couth leid c1475 Wall. iv 52.
The hors thai tuk … Laid on thar sowme, syne furth the way couth call 1503 Treas. Acc. II 405.
For ane hors to turs the kingis sowm fra Linlithqw to Edinburgh 1538–9 Treas. Acc. VII 129.
For x bracis of the kingis grete sowmes

b. As part of the cargo of a ship. 1526 Treas. Acc. V 256.
To the boit that had the kingis coffiris and sowme to Striveling 1562 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. 3 Ser. XXXIII 132.
For performance of the said ship as effers to thair part & eftir the quantitie & qualitie of thair guds & sowmis

c. attrib. and comb.Soum-claith, ? a cloth designed to cover or protect a load on horseback. Soum-hors, a sumpter or pack-horse. Soum-male, a saddle-bag. Soum-sadill, a pack-saddle.(1) 1602 Treas. Acc. MS 172b.
For painting of thair maiesteis armes to be patrone to the armes of the some claithis that wes to be maid 1603 Treas. Acc. MS 232b.
Braid reid claith to be thrie sowme claithis to his maiestie(2) 1503–4 Treas. Acc. II 420.
For graith bocht for the sowm hors 1504–5 Treas. Acc. III 130.
To ane cheldis wage kepand the sowm hors in Methven; ilk day iiij d. 1527 Treas. Acc. V 322.
For a soum hors to the king 1531 Treas. Acc. V 441.
To Schir Johnne Campbellis soum hors that tursit his coffiris for his xv dayis wage iij li. 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 254.
To be standing howses to his grete geldingis, mulettis and sowme hors lxxvij elnis braid gray 1539–40 Treas. Acc. VII 296.
For ane grete bell to the soume hors vj s. 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 305.
Tempiltoun that drivis the soume hors 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 410.
Gevin to … Tempilton that callis the sowme hors 1548 Treas. Acc. IX 243.
To the Francheman callit Jakes quhilk past away to France witht the soum hors send to the Dolphyn 1547 Treas. Acc. IX 102.
For corne, hay, stra and other necessaris to his graces soumes hors(b) 1567–8 Crim. Trials I i 493.
Ane tronk and … ane leddirin mail … quhilks [they] … put on and chargit upon twa horses of my lordis, the ane being his sown [sic in pr.] horseellipt. 1505 Treas. Acc. III 157.
For ane sowm and ane sadil to the samyn, v li. 1535 Treas. Acc. VI 260.
[Templetoun] quhilk dryvis the soume 1538 Treas. Acc. VI 388.
Tempiltoun that callis the kingis sowme 1552 Treas. Acc. X 126.
To Johnne Frog, sadillar, for ane soume with ane sadill thairto 1598 Black Bk. Taymouth 330 (see (4) below).(3) 1561 Treas. Acc. XI 87.
To … [two] virlattis of the chalmer, to pay for thair furnest bed pavilȝeoun, soume male, coffer and all uthir necessaris 1565 Treas. Acc. XI 388.
For ane soume male to the Kingis graces bed, xiiij li.(4) 1505 Treas. Acc. III 160.
For floting of the pannell of the soum sadill and stopping of it 1507 Treas. Acc. III 398.
Ane sowm sadill for the Quene 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 308.
Ane furneist soume sadill to the king 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 308.
For … stoppein, taggein and mending of ane soume sadill 1564 Perth B. Ct. I 54.
Ane flanderis compter ane cop almery ane sowme saidill ane chair 1598 Black Bk. Taymouth 330.
A soum with a soum sadill(5) 1594 Edinb. Test. XXVII 298b.
Tua dossoun … of sowme skynnis at xij s. the dossoun