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

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

Thaim, Tham(e, pron. (adj.). Also: thaime, thaym(e, thamme, thaum, them(e, theym, theam(e. [ME and e.m.E. þeȝȝm (Orm), þaem, þam (both Cursor M.), þem, þeym (both Manning), tham(e (both 1357), them (c1430), theym (1474), thaim (1534), ON þeim dat. pl. of sá, sú, þat, OE þǽm, þam dat. pl. of se, séo, þaet.]

1. Them, the third person plural objective of Tha(i pron. (adj.) as a direct or indirect object or as the object of a preposition. Also as an antecedent followed by a relative clause and having a demonstrative function. Cf. Tha(i pron. (adj.) A 2.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 965.
& he resawit thamme full weile, & … Enformyt thaim … Of Cristine treutht 1388 Bamff Chart. 22.
Jon Joffrason … Jhon Ywng [etc.] … layd the lande wyth lyne and departit tham ewynly in tua, bath in tofft and foldeland ?1438 Alex. ii 10762.
Thair men micht find Thame intermelleit of Grece and Inde, As brether richt gude cheir makand c1420 Wynt. iii 167.
He sayd … Wyth kyrtylis thretty garmentys hale He suld gyve thame to thare mede c1475 Wall. (1570) i 12.
He may thame reul and gyde at his command 1508 Aberd. B. Rec. I xxi.
Tua puntionis of wyne cost nyne lib. and iiii s. to cary thame to my lordis place 1513 Doug. i iv 63.
He … styntis not with dartis … Quhil he to grond had brocht sevin hartis … Syne to the havin sped him … And thame distribut amangis his feris all 1549 Lamb Resonyng 15/18.
I gife vnto ȝow … thir samyn tractatis, that ȝe with ȝour companionis may reid thame 1558 Inverness Rec. I 28.
vj lib. wes left tham in legasse 1561 Misc. Maitl. C. III 290.
He wald cum to thar chalmer and speik tham 1587 Acts III 461/1.
The clerk of the iusticiarie sall inclose the said assyse thame allane or in ane hous be thame selffis a1605 Montg. Misc. P. l 2.
Luiffaris, leif of to loif so hie Ȝour ladyes; and thame styell no mair 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. ii 42.
I yeild to thé, more worthie thame nor I(b) 1375 Barb. vii 535.
He said thaim that the king was Logyt in-to sa strayt a place That horsmen mycht nocht him assaile c1380 Charter (Reg. H.).
Twa plevoland … the quylkys he held of myne eldfadyre … sa that he hald thayme in fre blancheferme fra heyn furth c1475 Wall. iv 273.
The mos was strang, to ryde thaim was no but 1533 Gau 4/30.
He [sc. Christ] maid alanerlie perfit satisfactione for al our sinnis and wil marcifullie forgif ws thaime of his awne gracious guidnes c1552 Lynd. Mon. 73.
Mak thaim requeist, quhilk hes the gouernance, The sinceir word of God for tyll auance 1562-3 Winȝet I 2/3.
Ane exhortatioun to … al thaim of the nobilitie within this hir graces realme 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 9.
To mak thayme mair diligent in tyme to cum 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 14.
Bursaris xviij of thayme, sex in law and xij in theologie 1683 Wodrow MSS 4^to XXXVII No. 6.
They desyred him to provide money; he told thaim he was not indew thaim any(c) a1500 Sir Eger 1608.
Where two meets them alone, … one must win the victorie a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 126/22.
It is the same ignorance and fure … that mowis theme [sc. the Jews] … to dispare of the real presens of our saluiour a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 136/24.
Thare vas na creature mych dysseuer theme fra the luf of God c1590 Fowler II 98/8.
There captains … served theame faithfullye and defended thame c1590 Fowler II 138/11.
Thow distrusteth theme ather by the want of there courage or by there lake of fidelitie 1634 Innes Sketches 520.
As for the picturis quhilk I am yeit to maik … it will be Janvarij befoir I can begin theam(2) 1312 Facs. Nat. MSS II xix.
[The husbandmen … and their tenants … shall do for the … ] vphalding [of the said mill in all things, as the other husbandmen round] abute thaime [do] 1375 Barb. i 33.
Off thaim I thynk this buk to ma, Now God gyff grace that I may swa … bryng it till endyng a1400 Leg. S. ii 216.
Thai prait, he wald ga Quhare sa hym leste, and pas tham fra a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 724.
Sancte Colme … betwene thaym pes can ma 1409 Exch. R. IV ccx.
Thaum 1409 Exch. R. IV ccxi.
Thar sall call bath the partyis … befor thaim c1475 Wall. vii 703.
Schir Jhon the Grayme … Amang thaim raid with a gud sper in hand 1513 Doug. xii iii 16.
Sum … brocht the fontane watir fair, And sum the haly ingill with thame bair 1549 Compl. 140/30.
The civil lauis deffendis & forbiddis al monopoles and conuentions of the comont pepil, be cause the maist part of them ar euil condicionet 1564 Thirds of Benefices 179.
Their pensionis … gevin and granted to theym be the quenis majestie a1578 Pitsc. I 405/15.
The night com on thame and they war in sick strait ground quhair they knew not the passagis 1614 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 188.
No remeid is for thame and all thair kinred 1622-6 Bisset I 238/32.
The lordis of counsall … hes … ordaned, that upoun all decreittis and sentences gevin be theme, quhereupoun [etc.](3) 1375 Barb. v 347.
Thomas Dikson that nerrest was Till thaim that war off the castell That war all innouth the chancell 1375 Barb. xviii 6.
He tuk his way … Magre thaim [C. theme] that with him war, For he had nocht than … Of all men … twa thousand c1475 Wall. xi 646.
Rostyt flesche … als breid, and cheis, To succour thaim that was in poynt to leis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 45.
Reveill … gif that ever ȝe luffit leyd upone lyf mair Nor thame that ȝe ȝour fayth hes festinit for ever ?c1500 Rathen Manual 27/2.
We cursis … all thamme that brekis the gyrth of the kyrk or kyrkyardis 1524 Aberd. B. Rec. I 109.
All begaris excep tham that ar natif borne within this tovne 1542–3 Lanark B. Rec. 21.
The inquist ordanis that na walkaris feche wobis fra land[ward partis] bot tham that aw tham bryng tham to the town 1559 Corr. M. Lorraine 428.
This I beleiff suld caus mony remain and depart fra tham that now cumis to tham 1567 G. Ball. 13.
Thow may … releue All thame, that can in Christ beleue, From deide, the Deuill, and hellis paine a1568 Scott i 202.
Chereis thame that thow hes vnder charge c1590 Fowler II 74/13.
Men … disclay[m]e there obedience and revolteth aganst thame quha before commanded thame

2. As the object of an impers. or quasi-impers. const. Chiefly, thaim thocht, it seemed to them.(1) 1375 Barb. i 79.
This ordynance thaim thocht the best, For at that tyme wes pes and rest Betwyx Scotland and Ingland … And thai couth nocht persawe the skaith That towart thaim wes apperand 1375 Barb. iv 65.
Thai … enforcyt the castell sua That thaim [C. thame] thocht na strenth mycht it ta c1420 Wynt. viii 4808.
I herd … knychtis … say That thame thowcht nevyre in thare day So rycht anoyws a bydyng As thai had at that [thawyng] scheryng 1513 Doug. vii ii 30.
Quod Ascanius, ‘quhou is this befall? Behald, we eyt our tabillis vp and all!’ He said na mair bot this, half deil in board. Thame thocht thai hard a fatale voce or word(2) 1449 Lanark & R. 171.
We … commands that nan of yhou … mak distrublans, impediment or lattyng … tyll ony of our lieges cummand or gangand to the said mercat … wyth merchandys … to sell or by; bot that thaym to cum, gang, by or sell, frely and pesabli 1513 Doug. xiii x 88.
Thai sall sa strangly luf this new cyte That gyf thame happynnys careit fortobe Tyll ony other sted … Thai sall return to this ilk town of thyne

3. reflex. pron. Themselves. 1375 Barb. i 42.
The barnage … Assemblyt thaim … To cheys a king thar land to ster 1400 Maxwell Mem. I 141.
The forsayd Schyr Ion … and hys sone … joynly to gyder, oblys thaim to fulfyll betwys this and Wytsunday c1450-2 Howlat 152 (A).
Thai apperit to the pape & present thaim aye Fair farrand and fre a1500 Rauf C. 220.
Quhen thay had maid thame eis, the Coilȝear tald Mony sindrie tallis efter suppair a1500 Henr. Fab. 1420.
All the laif agast Thair dansing left and hid thame sone alquhair a1500 Prestis of Peblis 16 (Asl.).
For company thai kepit thaim so coy a1500 Seven S. 1712.
Thai … in the cite sped tham sone a1500 Bk. Chess 17.
Thai go to sport to caus thaim comforting c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 152/64.
Feyndis fild thame new up to the thrott With gold of allkin prent 1513 Doug. x v 108.
Eneas gan hys ferys command Thar baneris to displayt … And graith thame [L. pugnaeque parent se] for the batail all expres 1540 Lynd. Sat. 53 (B).
See the burges spair nocht for expence, Bot speid thame heir with Temporalitie a1578 Pitsc. I 69/27.
The commonis of Ingland … choissit them ane Ireland man … to be ane cheiftane

4. Rarely, as demonstr. adj.: Those, these. Cf. Tha(i pron. (adj.) B. 1402 Reg. Panmure II 184.
To … the langast lefand of thaim twa and to the ayris betwene thaim lachfully gotyn 1492–3 Acta Conc. I 262/2.
The landis … to be gevin to Sir Johne of Auchinlek … & the said Elizabeth & to the langast levare of thaim twa 1554 Crail B. Ct. 3 Dec.
It sall be in the chois of the burges quhydder ye wyll hayff … restorance of skayth of tham bestis mayd

5. Used for the nominative. 1632 Lithgow Trav. vii 333.
He making a fire on the top of the tower … gaue presently warning to the contrey so that in a moment, them of the villages came downe on horse and foote, and well armed