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.
Leme, n. Also: leym(e, leim(e. [ME. lem(e, leem(e, early leome, e.m.E. leme, leam, OE. léoma, ON. ljóme. In Sc., chiefly in verse.Rhyming only with beme (beam), gleme (gleam), streme (stream) and other words which are thought to have had the pronunc. m in ME. and Early Sc., whereas OE. éo normally > : perh. the pronunc. of this word (and of Leme v. etc.) was conformed with that of its synonyms beme and gleme.]
Light, brightness, radiance, gleam; plur. rays of light. Also fig. 1375 Barb. xi. 191.
Armys … So blenknyt with the sonnys beyme, That all the felde ves in ane leyme [E. a leme] a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 449.
Of his face come a leme As it had bene a sone-beme a1500 Henr. Fab. 611.
Als lang as leme or licht wes of the day a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1254.
With grete lightis on loft, that gaif grete leime [: reime, = realm], Sexty torcheis ful bright a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 536 (Ch. & M.).
To hell to lede thé on lycht day and leme [: dame, eme, clame; M. leim] 1513 Doug. ii. xi. 9.
Litill Ascanyus hed … Schane al of lycht … The leym of fyre and flambe … Kyndyllis vp brycht Ib. iii. iii. 106.
We went … als mony nychtis but starnys leym [:streym]plur. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1316 (B).
Quhen … Phebus with his bemis brycht … the land maid with his lemys lycht c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 29.
Doun throu the ryce a ryuir ran wyth stremys, So lustily agayn thai lykand lemys, That all the lake as lamp did leme of licht Id. xlviii. 21.
Lemys [: bemys] 1513 Doug. vi. xii. 4 (R).
The lichtnyt monys lamp and lemis hye 1528 Lynd. Dreme 69.
Fair Tytane, with his lemis lycht, Ouer all the land had spred his baner brychtfig. c1450-2 Howlat 724.
Haile lady of all ladyis, lichtest of leme [: barne teme] ? c 1500 Rathen Manual 28/2.
Sa be thair savlis condempnit fra all spirituall lycht and leime of hevinne 15.. Clar. ii. 367.
Illustar lillie, and leime of my delyt
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"Leme n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 21 Dec 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/leme_n>