Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

S(c)ham(e, v. Also: schaim; (schaam), schamm, scheyme, schem-. P.p. also shamd, schemd. [ME and e.m.E. shamenn (Orm), schame (Cursor M.), OE sc(e)amian, s(c)eomian; S(c)ham(e n.]

1. intr. To feel shame; to become or be ashamed. Chiefly const. of, with, in. 1460 Hay Alex. 17735.
He suld schame with the liffe he liffit in To be ane peloure thus-gate on the sey a1500 Rauf C. 301.
Thow may not schame with thy craft gif thow thriue sall a1500 Bk. Chess 1559.
And of this talk the king schamit richt saire c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rom. vi 21.
Quhat fruit had ye than in tha thingis in quhilkis ye schame now? Id. 1 Peter iv 16.
Gif [he suffer] as a Cristin man, schame he nocht, bot glorifie he God a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxii 50.

b. Const. (for) to do something, also (once) to be (something).(1) 1375 Barb. vii 443.
Ȝow aucht to schame [C. shame] perde Sen ik am ane & ȝe ar thre For to schute at me apon fer a1500 Henr. Fab. 710 (Bann.).
I schame [v.rr. eschame] to beg c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 206/13.
Sum schames to ask 1549 Soc. Ant. XI 95.
The said … Erle of Cathenes schamis nocht to allege vntrew saingis [etc.] 1550 Knox III 48. 1567 Sat. P. iv 77.
How that thay bucheouris blew me in the air … I shame for to declair 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 952.
I schame to tell Sa oft as I misvsit my sell a1605 Montg. Devot. P. iv 63.
And shame not for to say Peccavi [etc.] 1607 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 73.
The egill schamms against a flie to freatt(2) 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 295.
Schame ȝe nocht to be Christis seruaturis And … hes gret temporall landis?

c. With clause, introduced by that, expressing the cause of shame. c1475 Wall. x 491.
Schamys thow nocht that thow neuir ȝeit did gud

2. impers. Me schamys, I am ashamed. Const. infin. a1400 Leg. S. xviii 415.
Fadir, me schamys suthfastly to tel thé al

3. tr. To feel put to shame; to feel shamed of (= by something). Only in Nisbet, after Purvey. c1520-c1535 Nisbet 2 Tim. i 8.
Tharfore will thou nocht schaam the witnessing of … Crist

4. To make (a person) feel ashamed; to cause to feel shame. a1400 Leg. S. ii 631.
The fer mare he his strinthis gat, And schamyt faste the Jowis fele [L. et confundebat Judæos] Ib. xlvii 185.
Bot God … schamit sa the presydent Ful gretumly in his entent 1633 Johnston Diary I 137.
Ane speatch quherin schamfastnes wald schaim me

b. reflex. To be ashamed. Const. of or infin. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 90.
The wysman … louis al men that hyme blamys, Swetly argowis, and nocht hyme schamis

c. passive. To be ashamed (of something). a1400 Leg. S. v 431.
And quhen that ȝounge man saw that he come prekand in sic degre, He ves schamyt, & ves schone Ib. xxxvii 255. a1570-86 Maitl. F. 127/62.
Quhen this was said the Inglismen War schamit of thair wourdis than

5. To put (a person) to shame; to subject to dishonour, ignominy or indignity; to disgrace. Also absol. in it schamis (to do something).(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii 521.
For he schupe tham all to schame, That euir trowit in Cristis name Ib. xxxiv 266. ?1438 Alex. i 569.
For fare hecht wald ȝe change my mude And shame me for hope of geuing Ib. ii 1557, etc. c1420 Wynt. vi 1508. 1456 Hay I 263/15.
To ly with his [sc. the other's] wyf agayn hir will to defoule hir and schame hir a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1036.
Me think farar to dee Than schamyt be a1500 Seven S. 1252.
Scho wald be schamed wtterly c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 211/39. 1530 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 29.
That … scho sall nocht … blasfeme nor schame Dene Alexander Creichtane … in word nor deid 1540 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. ix 17.
[If any lord … defend in any way] ane theif or resettair of thift … he salbe haldin and repute as infame and schamyt, and culpable of that thevis deid c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 100.
Ȝit is it nocht bot mennis drame, The peple to confound and schame 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2388, etc.
That thyself thow hes schamit 1567 Sat. P. ii 3.
Dowbell addulltre hes all this land schamit a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 101.
A fair wed schamed never the maister 1631 Red Bk. Menteith II 138.
If the brut hold … I am schamit and cassirit for euer 1667 Dumbarton Kirk S. in Dumbarton B. Rec. App. i 8.
Jonet Allan pulled David Smith by the breeches and besought him not to shame hir 1700 Kingarth Par. Rec. 214.
Quhoever refuses intertainment to the said person shall be publickly rebuked and shamd(b) 1533 Gau 10/11.
Scheyme(c) 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 86.
Thow … said … , Weill haif ye schemit me(2) a1500 Colk. Sow ii 152.
And thairthrow schent and schamit a1500 Bk. Chess 1505.
Sayand he micht nocht thole an innocent for his trespas be other schamit or schent a1497, 15.. Gray MS iv 57.
Baith pure, nakit, schamit, and schent, Of freindschip mycht thou no thing fynd a1568 Bann. MS 14b/46.
Ȝe mak thame schemd and schent 1570 Sat. P. xviii 81, 82.
Schamt is that sort, with schame thai wilbe schent; Schamt schameles, schame hes schawin vnto this natioun a1599 Rollock Wks. II 161.
He suffered extreme shame; as we say, he was shamed and schentabsol. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4015 (Ch.).
It schamis [B. It is schame] to pische into a widdie

b. transf. With a thing as object. 1456 Hay II 109/10.
Quhat be poysonis, quhat traisonis, quhat othir wayis undone, and thaire dayis schortit and schamyt

6. To put to shame by superior excellence; to outdo. 1600-1610 Melvill 434.
I … am sure gif Chryst war pretched amangs tham [sc. the Highlands] they wald scham monie Lawland professours