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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HUMMLE, adj., v. Also hum(m)el (Edb. 1812 P. Forbes Poems 63; Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 69), humle (Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 2; Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail xii.), hummil(l) (Per. 1895 I. MacLaren Auld Lang Syne 196; Uls. 1897 A. M'Ilroy Lint in the Bell v.); heum(b)le (Abd. 1877 G. Macdonald M. of Lossie xlviii.; Ork. 1929 Old-Lore Misc. IX. ii. 77, heumle); hoomble (Abd. 1868 G. Macdonald R. Falconer III. ii.); hyoomle (Abd. 1883 W. Jolly J. Duncan 447); †himmel (Lnk. 1893 J. Crawford Sc. Verses 53). Sc. forms of Eng. humble. See P.L.D. §§ 62, 141 and 37.  [Sc. hʌml; ne.Sc. + †h(j)uml, Ork., Lnk. hø-, hɪ-]

I. adj.   Sc. forms of Eng. humble. m.Sc. 1996 John Murray Aspen 10:

Fer the meenister's cat wis an Angelic cat
Beatific, Chaste an Decorous, Evangelic an Faithfie
Guid an Hummle, yet Infinite an Joyous

Hence hum'ly, adv., humbly, submissively (Sc. 1788 Scots Mag. (Dec.) 608).

II. v.   Sc. forms of Eng. humble. Sc. usages: 

1. To drive (a hen) from broodiness. For the metaphor cf. Eng. proud, in heat. em.Sc. 1898 H. Rogers Meggotsbrae 7:
There she was doukin' a puir scraichin', poukit-lookin' beast o' a hen i' the Puddly Deidly. 'What's that ye're doin'?' says I. 'Ou', says she, 'it's a hen. It's a fell clocker-I'm hum'lin't.'

2. Ppl.adj. humbling, of grain: having a tendency to lose moisture and shrivel easily. Cf. Eng. dial. humble, to crumble. Edb. 1769 Session Papers, Marshall v. Paxton (8 Dec.) 16:
Corn is a humbling grain, and turns less bulked the longer it lies.

Phr. to hummle doun, to be submissive, eat humble pie (Abd. 1920).