Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1816-1824, 1895, 1993
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†WAMPISH, v., n. Also wampas, -es, -uz. [′wɑmpɪʃ]
I. v. 1. (1) intr. To move to and fro, to wave, waggle, flap about (Slk. 1825 Jam.); e.g. in driving off flies with the hand (Uls. 1953 Traynor).Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xlix.:
Put by the siller, and dinna keep the notes wampishing in your hand that gate.Sc. 1895 A. R. MacEwen Life J. Cairns 214:
Oor John wull aye be wampishin' wi' his airms.
(2) tr. To wave, flourish, throw about, brandish (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.).Slk. 1822 Hogg Perils of Man (1972) xiii.:
But yet his gear was o' the goude As it waved and wampished in the wind.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xxxix.:
It's fearsome baith to see and hear her when she wampishes about her arms.Uls. 1993:
I just wampish a duster round the room in a hurry.
2. intr. To wriggle, twist or swerve about, like a fish swimming (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 462). Vbl.n. wampasin, a winding street or lane (Sc. 1911 S.D.D. (source untraced)).Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 6:
Thinking the adders did pursue And that they wampuzd just ahin him.
II. n. The wriggling motion of an adder (Ayr. 1825 Jam., wampes).
[Of uncertain formation based on Wimple, Wample, Wamfle, with -ish, phs. from brandish, flourish.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Wampish v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/wampish>
