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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Welcum, -com(e, adj. and interj. Also: velcum, -com, wellcum, (vellcum), weilcum, -com, weillcome, veilcome, weelcome, weallcom, wylcum, -come, willcum, -come, walcum. Compar. welcom(m)er, wellcummer, veilcumar. [ME and e.m.E. welcume (a1200), wulcume, wilcume (both Layamon), wel come (1297), welcum (Cursor M.), OE wilcuma, welcume (c1150, north.). See OED for development from OE.]

A. adj.1. Gladly received, acceptable, pleasing (as a guest, visitor, companion, etc.) (here (hame, etc.), onto (throwout, in) a place or to a person). Also compar. and proverb. Also to make (a person) welcome. Cf. Wele adv. 9.(1) 1375 Barb. vi 467.
Schyr Amery [etc.] … war … Assemblyt for to sek the king That wes … In Cumnok quhar it straitast was. Thidder went James of Dowglas & wes rycht welcum to the king 1375 Barb. vii 246.
Scho said, ‘All that trawailland er … ar welcum [C. velcom] her' 1375 Barb. xviii 536 (C).
Velcum a1400 Leg. S. v 57.
All the puple … Sad he wes rycht welcum hame ?1438 Alex. ii 3175.
The king … said … 'Ȝe ar richt welcum [F. Bien veigniez], be Marcus!' c1420 Ratis R. 1222.
Quhat is wertew [etc.] … Dame Resone bringis with hir ay Quharfor scho suld be rycht welcum a1500 Henr. Fab. 1378.
Maister Esope … ȝe ar full deir welcum to me a1500 Colk. Sow iii 40.
Throw out the warld alway welcome wes it [sc. the penny] 1490 Irland Mir. I 140/19.
Welcum be ȝe, my blist lord c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 109/6.
In Scotland welcum be thyne excellence To king, queyne [etc.] 1513 Doug. iii v 134.
Al our Troianys … welcum war Onto thar frendly cite 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 139.
Ȝe cannot be sa welcum to thame as ȝe left sum body this day … that will neuer be blyth quhill he se ȝow agane 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 136.
They callit him into thair assemblie Bot not so welcome thair as hamelie 1629 Haddington Corr. II 158.
The man quhom your lordship lykis best shalbe most welcom to me 1662 Wemyss Corr. 109.
Yestirday I hed your Setordays letir, which was most welcom(b) ?1438 Alex. ii 6816.
Quhen euir ȝow lykis to gang ȝour way, The ȝet sall opnit be … Quhare weilcum heir mot euer ȝe be, And wele cum and wele gane 1568 Q. Mary in Ellis Orig. Lett. 1 Ser. II (1824) 253.
And ȝe send oni to ȝour wiff ȝe mey asur her schu wald a bin weilcom to a pur strenger 1605 Misc. Hist. Soc. II 247.
As to yow[r] braig to come heir ye sal be veilcome com quhan ye pleise 1686 Dunlop P. III 23.
I do not doubt of my being weallcom to my heartsome loaffer(c) a1540 Freiris Berw. 169 (M).
Wylcum a1568 Scott xxvii 38.
Quhen schow growis meik and tame, Scho salbe wylcome hame a1578 Pitsc. I 250/7.
The bischope … passit … to France quhair he was wondrous willcum baith to king and quene a1578 Pitsc. I 365/2.
Willcomeproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 450, 451.
Of untymous persons: He is as welcome as water in a rivin ship. He is as welcome as snaw in harvestcompar. c1610 Melville Mem. 12.
The bischop was the welcommer for my saik 1613 Haddington Corr. 123.
Gif the haist of your haimcuming defraud me of al thir, ye salbe veilcumar to me 1623 Mar & Kellie MSS Suppl. 186.
The soonner she cumme she wilbe the wellcummer 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 219.
Therefore that he might be the welcomer ther, he … devysed [etc.](2) 1632 Lithgow Trav. i 13.
Tyber … impetuously inunding his bankes to make him welcome 1639 Baillie I 238.
He was made weelcome in the presbitery 1643 Tayler Hist. Fam. Urquhart 32.
Where they were made welcum and soupit merrilie 1646 Aberd. Council Lett. III 26.
To mack thair freinds and comrads weilcom c1650 Spalding (BC) I 148.
Weillcome

2. Of an event: Pleasing, agreeable (to a person). 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 170.
Sone our the feildis schynys the lycht cleir, Welcum to pilgrym baith and lauborer 1567 Cal. Sc. P. II 390.
Quhilk I pray God may to this state be moir commodious nor to me it is wellcum or pleising

3. Invited, freely permitted to do (something). c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1924.
To get that gold … Thai said he suld be richt welcum 1439 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 6.
[They] sall be welcum to sell thair victuale … gif thai list a1500 Rauf C. 71.
Thow suld be wel-cum to pas hame with me a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 185.
Ye ar welcum, … quhil you … list, to luge in this leid c1530-40 Stewart in Bann. MS 265a/14.
Wylcome ȝe bene to beir me cumpany

B. interj.Expressing good will, pleasure or acceptance at the arrival of (a person, state, etc.). Also proverb.(a) 1375 Barb. xiii 530.
‘Welcum schyr Marmeduk,’ said he a1500 Henr. Fab. 1366.
With reuerence I salusit him agane, ‘Welcome, father,’ and he sat doun me by a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 105.
Welcum to me, thow art full deir ane gest a1500 Henr. Orph. 155 (Bann.).
Fair weill my place … And wylcum woddis wyld 14.. Orphius 133.
He … said to him in all degrie Deir vellȝum [? erron. for vellcum] thow artt hame to me c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 169/79.
The Devill said, welcum all att anis; Renunce thy God and cum to me c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 42/51.
Tak me by the hand; Wylcum, my golk of Maryland c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 142/61.
The birdis did … cry … welcum day 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1621.
Wylcum, my lord, wylcum ten thowsand tymes, Till all faythfull and trew men of this regioun a1570-86 Maitl. F. 206/16.
Welcum eild for ȝouth is gone a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 206 (Wr.).
Then came I groning to the ground: ‘Friend, welcome home!’ quoth he(b) a1568 Bann. MS 212a/25.
Fair weill all joy and walcum steidfastnesproverb. 1558-66 Knox I 378 marg.
In contemplatioun of these articles arose this proverb, ‘Gud day, Sir Johne, whill Januar. Welcum, Sir Johne, quhill Januar’