Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1808, 1865-1894, 1991
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1]
CATMA, CATMAW, n. In phr. to tumble (coup) (the) catma(w), to turn a somersault. Known to Ags. correspondents only (1938).n.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
"To tumble the catmaw," to go topsy-turvy.Ags. 1865 Arbroath Guide (28 Jan.) 3/6:
Syne cat ma [they] coup in slumber's lap.Ags.(D) 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) xi.:
Here's him tumblin' catmas, an' stanin' on his heid i' the middle o' the green.Dundee 1991 Ellie McDonald The Gangan Fuit 18:
a wheen o halliket herring gulls gae soopan and skreichan
...Their littluns, teeteran
alang the ledges, watch fair bumbazed, as grown-ups
jouk an weave an tummle catmaw through the air.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Catma n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 9 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/catma>
