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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HAIRM, n., v. Also herm. Gen.Sc. forms of Eng. harm, used in all Eng. senses. See P.L.D. § 48.1 (2). For Sh. usage see also Harm. [he:rm, hɛrm]Sc. 1712 D. Warrand Culloden Papers (1925) II. 31:
I wish this wather herm him not, poor petter is still in assin.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 43:
I t'ought hid nee great hairm tae ca' her a leear.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Raiders xxxiii.:
There's nae hairm dune, for a gallant lad to tak a bit cheeper frae the maid on his way ben to the mistress.wm.Sc. 1920 H. Foulis Vital Spark 18:
You must not excite yourself, but take this gruel. It'll do you no herm.wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 4:
Hell's bells, if a neebor draps by fur tea
Or Missis asks visitors in for a wee swaree,
Where's the herm? Abd. 1991 Aberdeen Evening Express 8 Jan :
'At's far he wis. I mean, I like Frunkie. There's nae hairm in 'im, but '

Hence hairmless, hermless; hairmlessness.Abd. 1875 G. Macdonald Malcolm i.:
For ane 'at has the hairmlessness o' the doo i' this ill-wulled warl', there's a feck o' ten 'at has the wisdom o' the serpent.Edb. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 10:
A quait, hairmless man he was, an' never spak an ill word to onybody.wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 4:
Aye, hark at auld Narra-Mind and, afore lang,
We'd think ilka hermless thing we did was wrang
Them that wants to can aye funn faut.Edb. 1995 Irvine Welsh Marabou Stork Nightmares (1996) 143:
Ye cannae keep gittin oantae the laddie. Leave um alane. At least ehs poetry's hermless. No like some ah could mention, ...