Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1813-1922
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STOLUM, n. Also stollum, stolm; stome, and irreg. storm, stoltum (Jam.). Reduced dim. form stollie. [stol(ə)m]
1. The amount of ink taken up with one dip of a pen, a pen-nibful of ink (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 185; Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 467; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 183, storm: Kcd. 1911 Scotsman (29 Dec.); Per. Ib., stollie; Cai., Mry. 1971).Fif. 1911 Scotsman (26 Dec.):
When I was a boy at school, in Fife — more than half a century ago — when a boy wished a dip of ink he asked for a “stolm” of ink.Abd. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 55:
I'll wad a richer screed ne'er yet Cam frae yer stollum.
2. A pinch of snuff, the amount taken up by a snuff-pen (Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 467).wm.Sc. 1854 Laird of Logan 512:
Taking a powerful stolum of snuff.
3. A slice or cut, as of bread or cheese, “a large piece of anything broken off another piece” (Rxb. 1825 Jam.).Rnf. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 169:
Or does the greed of pelf . . . T' invade my loose-laid stollums make thee [a rat] bold?s.Sc. 1897 E. Hamilton Outlaws xvii.:
A stolum o' bread and a seip o' milk.e.Lth. 1912 Scotsman (19 Jan.):
What a stolm o' brose he put in'im.
4. A cloud or billow of smoke.Mry. 1921 T.S.D.C.:
Stolums o' reek cam' throu the keyhole.
5. A supply, a store (Slk. 1825 Jam.).
[Orig. uncertain. Meaning 3. suggests a connection with Eng. dial. stull, Du., Ger. stolle, a slice, as of bread, piece or scrap. The form in -um might be due to school Latin, esp. in sense 1.]
