Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
LAMETER, n. Also la(i)miter, lametar; limiter (Ork. 1929 Marw.); leminter (Arg. 1882 Arg. Herald (3 June)), lemander (Arg.); and corrupt lerbitter (Abd. 1919 T.S.D.C.), lamert [ < lame + -art] (Rxb. 1960). A lame or crippled person or occas. animal (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Uls. 1901 Northern Whig; Dmf. 1920; Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 252; Ork., Cai., Mry., Abd., em.Sc., Ayr., sm.Sc. 1960). Also attrib. [′lemɪtər]Gall. 1717 Session Bk. Penninghame (1933) I. 388:
A broken seman . . . £00 04 00; three poor . . . £00 03 00; a lamiter . . . £00 04 00 [limiter, Ib. II. 190].Rxb. c.1800 Memoirs S. Sibbald (Hett 1926) 167:
As I am a lameter I ha'na been able to travel.Sc. 1816 Scott B. Dwarf xvii.:
Though you may think him a lamiter.Ayr. 1822 Galt Entail xiii.:
Jenny Hirple, a lameter woman, who went round among the houses of the heritors of the parish with a stilt.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch xvi.:
Ill with an income in her leg, which threatened to make a lameter of her in her old age.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxviii.:
Dawvid's been a perfeck laimiter wi' a sair fit.Ags. 1894 J. Inglis Oor Ain Folk 134:
Our pet aversion . . . was a snivelling, watery-eyed “lamiter mannie”.Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss-Hags xliii.:
Like a lameter hirplin' on two staves!m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood iii.:
The Germany wars have made lameters of the both of us.
