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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CLIM, v. Sc. form of Eng. climb. The strong conjugation still persists in Sc. (and in many Eng. dials.), although it has long been superseded in St.Eng. For forms and phonetics see the various sections, under.

1. Pr.t. and inf.: clim. [klɪm]Sc. 1923 in Sc. Univ. Verses 1918–1923 18:
Do ye no see her climmin' up yon michty foamin' wave? D'ye see the murky swirl o' her goon?Lnk. 1919 G. Rae 'Tween Clyde and Tweed 98:
And I at last the gowden stairs maun clim', To find a bield wi' langsyne glories hingin', Weel-backit frae the saints an' seraphim.

Hence climmer, a climber.Sc. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables frae the French 44:
The climmer noo cam doon frae aff the tree.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 7:
... the Inverochy Airms that catered for skiers an hill climmers an weel-aff American towrists.

2. Pa.t.

(1) Weak conjugation: clim't. [klɪmt]Abd.(D) 1920 G. P. Dunbar Guff o' Peat Reek 24:
The honeysuckle clim't the wa'.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 20:
Ae simmer day, I climt yon knowe eence mair
An lookit far ootower ma ain country, ...

(2) Strong conjugation: (a) clam(b), claam [klam, klɑm]; (b) clum [klʌm].(a) Abd.(D) 1755 R. Forbes Jnl. from London 30:
I . . . clam out at t'ither door o' the coach.w.Dmf. 1917 J. L. Waugh Cute McCheyne 30:
I had yin o' the best an' truest lads that ever clamb a hill-face.Rxb.(D) 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes an Knowes 23:
A planteet masel i the machine, takin tent no ti crack ma cantel as A claam in.(b) Sc. 1887 R. L. Stevenson Underwoods 126:
An' the cauld terror clum in bed Wi' a' an' sindry.

3. Pa.p.: (1) clum (Sh. 1952 Robertson & Graham Sh. Dial. 32) [klʌm]; (2) clumb (Dmf. 1826 H. Duncan William Douglas I. xi; (3) clomb(e) (rare) [klɔm].(1) Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin xxvi.:
The cuttie had actually clum up to the garret amang the lumber.Rxb. 1805 A. Scott Poems 54:
High, high had Phoebus clum the lift, And reached his northern tour.(3) Sc. 1827 Scott Croftangry ii. in Chrons. Canongate I.:
Likewise there are sindry honorable families, quhilk . . . have clombe higher up the brae of preferment.Abd. 1923 B. R. M'Intosh Scent o' the Broom 14:
Noo I've clomb my last hillock and cleared my last howe.