Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
DEMBLE, Demb(e)l, Dem(e)l, Demmel, -le, Dammle, v., n. Also dimble; dimmle (Marw.). [′dæm(b)əl Sh. (Jak.); dɛml, daml, dɪml Ork. (Marw.)]
1. v. To dip or plunge (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., dembl; Ork., Abd. 1887 Jam.6, demble, dimble); esp. to fill a vessel by plunging it quickly into the water, thus causing a splash (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), dem(me)l, dembel; 1914 Angus Gl., dembel; Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. (1922) 150, demel); extended to mean “to draw water” (Sh. 1913–14 J. M. Hutcheson W.-L., demble); “to tip over a pail on its side so that the water can flow into it” (Ork. 1929 Marw.). Vbl.n. demblin', “pitching of a boat in a heavy sea” (Sh. 1913–14 J. M. Hutcheson W.-L.).Sh. 1891 J. J. H. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 22:
An sae I aff an dembled dee In burn, wal, an daflik.Sh. 1908 J. M. E. Saxby in Old-Lore Misc. I. vii. 272:
“Shu's ay demblin idda blaand bit shu's no gotton smoren frae dat kit” — She is always dipping in the whey but she has not got butter out of that pail.Ork. 1929 Marw.:
Dunno dammle it so deep or thoo'll chummle (jumble) the water.Ork. 1949 “Lex” But-end Ballans 20:
Aroond me i' de watter dey wir plunkan a' aboot; I could hae demmelled i' de loch an' owsed as many oot.
2. n. A plunge (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.); “a splash in the water caused by dipping” (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)); “commotion in the sea, wave-motion” (Ork. 1929 Marw.).Ib.:
There a filty demmle in the sea yet after the last gale.
