Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
CLAM, Klam, n.1 Also as comb.: clawm-shell, clamp-, clam-shall. [klɑm(p) Sc., but m.Sc. + klǫ(:)m]
1. Applied, like St.Eng. clam, to various kinds of bivalve molluscs, but more particularly in Sc. to the scallops, Pectinidæ; “a scallop shell, Ostrea opercularis, Linn.” (Sc. 1808 Jam.), also clamp-shell (Sc. 1887 Ib.); “the mussel” (Ork. 1929 Marw., klam); clam (Bnff.4 1926; Abd.9 1940, clam-shall); “a shell-fish, Pecten maximus” (Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.).m.Sc. 1870 J. Nicholson Idylls o' Hame 57:
If a grocer's toom barrel's left oot on the street, He's intil't at ance, wi' a bit o' a clam, To scrape oot the corners, sae clever is Tam.Fif. 1710 R. Sibbald Hist. Fife and Kinross 55:
Pecten tenuis subrufus . . . our Fishers call them Clams.
†2. In pl.: “a wild sound supposed to be made by goblins in the air. This notion is supposed to have originated in the noise made by the pilgrims striking their scallops” (Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick I. xi., Note); “a spirit, heard flying in the air, with a rattling similar to that of shells” (Upper Lnk. 1825 Jam.2).Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick I. xi.:
The uncoest soun' cam doun the cleugh ye ever heard. I was for thinking at first it was the clawmshells, or the houlets an' the wulcats.
