Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Queme, adj. (adv.). Also: quem, queym, quim. [ME (Orm) and e.m.E. cweme, queme, wheme (Destr. Troy), repr. OE *cwéme (cf. Queme v.) or gecwéme.In the later dial. of south. Scotl. as queem and of north. Engl. as wheem, wheam, weme, in various senses (but not in sense 1, which has appar. been obsol. in late ME since the 15th c.).]The appar. erron. variant readings in some of the versions of Doug. Æn. (cf. senses 2 and 3) suggest that the word may have been unfamiliar to some of the copyists.

1. Fit, fitting, suitable, proper, right. Also as adv.In Sc. appar. only in Leg. S.(1) a1400 Leg. S. vii 186.
The quek & ded bath to deme On domysday, as hym think queme Ib. l 29.
Quha sacrifice mad till hym quem Ib. xxxiv 96.
Quem Ib. xxxvi 1236.
Queme(2) a1400 Leg. S. vi 180.
And ȝe the bidding ȝeme Of the apostil wel & queme

2. Close-fitting. Also as adv.: so as to fit closely; tightly. 1513 Doug. vii x 21.
A hundreth brasyn hespis thame [sc. two ports] claspit queym [Sm., Ruddim. queme] Ib. viii iv 66.
And with a queym [E. quhynn, 1553 quhine] stane closyt hes the gyn Ib. ix xii 6.

3. Quiet, still, peaceful. a1400 Leg. S. v 324.
Sa thu wil this folk mak quem [: Aristodeme] Sa me quhat thou wil I do 1513 Doug. ix iv 60.
Sowpyt in wyne and sleip baith man and syre At quyet lugyng ȝondyr at thar will; Queym [v.rr. queyne, quhen(e] silens haldis the large feildis still

4. Friendly, intimate, ‘close’. c1680 McWard Contendings 262 (Jam.).
That they shall fall … into an intimacy with the malignant enemies to the work of God and grow quim and cosh with them while they are not only cold toward the truly tender but [etc.]