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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

YAMMER, v., n. Also yamer, yammir, ya(u)mo(u)r, yaum(m)er, yawmer, and back-formations yamm, yaum. Intensive form yam-yammer (Ayr. 1927 J. Carruthers A Man Beset i. i.). Now only dial. in Eng. [′jɑmər]

I. v. 1. To whine, fret, whimper, to groan, lament, cry out in vexation, to grumble, complain (Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 693; Sc. 1825 Jam.; Per., Fif., Lth. 1915–26 Wilson; Sh., Cai., Rnf., Uls. 1939; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Ags., Per., wm.Sc. 1974). Also fig. of wind (Ork. 1974). Hence yammerer, a whining, fretful child, yammering, a whining, complaining (Uls. 1953 Traynor).Sc. 1722 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 30:
Sae wil a sucking Weanie yell, It to its Yammering faws again.Ags. 1776 C. Keith Farmer's Ha, 15:
The lasses yamour frae their wheel.Kcb. 1806 J. Train Poet. Reveries 21:
The lee-lang day, wi tearfu' e'e, It yamor'd on its mither's knee.Sc. 1820 Scott Monastery iv.:
She is aye seen to yammer and wail before ony o' that family dies.Slk. 1824 Hogg Tales (1874) 366:
The whaup yammered abune the flower.Sc. 1874 J. Brown Letters (1909) 237:
Another Inf[ant], a yaumerer, not a yeller.Fif. 1898 S. Tytler Mrs Carmichael's Goddesses i.:
I will not cross a tavern doorstep, however the bairn yammers.Lth. 1920 A. Dodds Songs of Fields 8:
A yammerin' wind comes oot the east.Abd. 1949 Scots Mag. (Sept.) 457:
The fearsome chance o' death That droons the silly, yammerin' breath.m.Sc. 1991 Tom Scott in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 36:
The yowl o a wolf in the vast Siberian nicht,
A blin bairn's yammerin for the licht,
A beggar's chap on a tuim mansion's door,
Or a candle in the mirk, is aa man's lore.

Comb. yammer youl, a bell in the Paisley Wee Steeple, which acquired its name by being rung when a funeral was passing.Rnf. 1840 J. Mitchell Wee Steeple 42:
My yaumer youl, which used to share Ilk mourner's sign.

2. (1) intr. To make a loud noise, raise a clamour, to talk volubly or incoherently, to chatter, harp on, to assert doggedly and persistently. Gen.Sc.; to urge importunately (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 212); to rail, nag (Ags. 1974).ne.Sc. 1768 in A. Ross Works (S.T.S.) 5:
And teach wi' melody The rocks to yamour.Slk. 1829 Hogg Tales (1874) 300:
Ye're waur than ony deil that's yammering and cursing i' the bottomless pit.Per. 1835 R. Nicoll Poems 144:
If I wi' a cronie be takin' a drap, She'll yaumer, an' ca' me an auld drucken chap.Lth. 1856 J. Ballantine Poems 108:
E'en wee buffy Jock, an' his daft titty Bess A' yaummer for Patie the Packman.Fif. 1894 J. W. M'Laren Tibbie & Tam 117:
The tongue o' a yammerin' woman's just as bad.Sh. 1901 Shetland News (22 June):
Da street is foo o' Dutchmen waerin' clogs, an atween der yammerin an' da Lerrick boys yellin' doo niver heard da laek.Kcb. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 288:
She wudna listen tae reason nor nocht else, but joost keepit yammerin awa.Mry. 1914 H. J. Warwick Tales 91:
She yammered on the hale wy, so that Jock cudna get in a cheep.Ags. 1928 Scots Mag. (July) 272:
“Laird, laird,” she yammered, “look ben, look ben!”Sc. 1949 Scots Mag. (Mry) 114:
Twa worms, lyin' close thegither, Were yammerin' to ane anither.

(2) tr. To stammer out (words) (Ags. 1974).Ags. 1892 A. Reid Howetoon 94:
Yammerin' oot wirds she didna oonderstand.

¶(3) tr. To drive away by an incessant flow of chatter, to rout by a profusion of words.Kcb. 1932 L. G. Gibbon Sunset Song 25:
She had a fell tongue, they said, that would clip clouts and yammer a tink from a door.

3. Of a bird or animal: to utter repeated cries or calls, to chatter (Lnk. 1958, yamm; Per. 1974).Sc. 1887 Stevenson Underwoods 88:
The birds they yammert on stick an' stane.Per. 1894 I. Maclaren Brier Bush 176:
He's fleein' ower the glen, yammerin' and haverin' like a starlin'.Dmf. 1894 R. Reid Poems 2:
Wheesht! Did the saft win' speak? Or a yaumerin' nicht bird cry?Gsw. 1935 F. Niven Flying Years i.:
A web of yammering gulls.

¶4. Extended usage: to pour out in profusion, to come tumbling out.Kcb. 1932 L. G. Gibbon Sunset Song 75:
Weeds yammered out of Blawearie soil like bairns from a school at closing time.

II. n. 1. A lamentation, wailing, a whining, importunate nagging, cry, whimper (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Sh. 1974); grumbling, complaining (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 212).Edb. 1787 W. Taylor Poems 58:
At times withoutten feyk or yammer She smiles at Vulcan an' his hammer.Abd. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 40:
Water-wraiths at intack drear, Wi' eerie yamour.Rnf. 1814 A. Wilson Poems (1844) 153:
The weans, wi' mournfu' yaumour, Round their sabbing mother flew.Sc. 1865 R. W. Buchanan Inverburn 128:
A yaumer weak Was heard throughout the night.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Raiders xlvi.:
Wi' a kind o' elricht yammer that near feared mysel' as I made it.Abd. 1927 E. S. Rae Hansel Fae Hame 49:
An' fient a compleen, sair heed nor peelt skin, But a yaumer for brakfast.

2. A great outcry, a clamour, a loud, disagreeable noise; incessant talk, of a rambling or nonsensical nature (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 212; Ork., ne., m., s.Sc. 1974).Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 14:
The cries an' yaumers gar'd the thief let gang The sakeless beast, but not without great wrang.Rnf. 1835 D. Webster Rhymes 25:
Then on droll instrument did blaw Some hellish yaumer.Per. a.1843 J. Stewart Sketches (1857) 72:
Sic yaumor an' clamour.e.Lth. 1876 J. Teenan Song 41:
In Workshop, Kirk, an' Cooncil Cham'er, They keep up an eternal yammer.s.Sc. 1898 E. Hamilton Mawkin xviii.:
Whist, man, haud your yammer.Bnff. 1927 E. S. Rae Hansel Fae Hame 28:
But haud yer weesht fae sillert fowk an' a' sic Bolshie yaum.Abd. 1971 Buchan Observer (1 June) 2:
If you was to listen to all their yammer you would be awake for twenty-four hours a day.

3. The plaintive cry of a bird, esp. when prolonged or repeated.Dmf. 1915 J. L. Waugh Betty Grier i.:
The quivering yammer of a startled whaup.Bnff. 1933 M. Symon Deveron Days 40:
The very peweet's yammer.Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 69:
The lee-lang day, a squalloch o spurgies, a yammer o yities, a caain o corbies an a craikin o capercailzie chimed in wi a cheepin o mavis, merle and blackie tae gledden the braes wi music.