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 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

(Tummyllyng,) Tumbling, ppl. adj. Also: tumbland. [ME and e.m.E. towmblynge (Chaucer), tumbling (1638).] a. = Tummyllar n. 1. b. Moving with a rolling motion, tossing; dancing. c. Of verse: Having an irregular metre consisting of two short syllables followed by one long one.a. 1591 Edinb. Test. XXIII 293a.
Tua tumbland cairtis with tua clois bodeisb. 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 189/14.
I debarre all rough & violent exercises, as the foot-ball; … likewise suche tumbling trickes as onely serue for comedians & balladines to win their breade with c1620 Boyd Zion's Fl. 109.
Where tumbling billowes bath the very sky 1687 Lauder Notices Affairs II 774.
A litle girl, called the tumbling-lassie, that danced upon his stagec. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 76/27, 33.
Ȝe man obserue that thir tumbling verse flowis not on that fassoun, as vtheris dois. For all vtheris keipis the reule … the first fute short the secound lang … Quhair as thir has twa short, and ane lang throuch all the lyne, quhen they keip ordour: albeit the maist pairt of thame be out of ordour, & keipis na kynde nor reule of flovving, & for that cause are callit tumbling verse 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 81/11.
For flyting or inuectiues, vse this kinde of verse following, callit rouncefallis or tumbling verse