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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Boddom, Bodom, n. Also: boddome (boldom, bodden), -oum, -ovmme, -um(e, -wm, -im; bodome, -oum, -owme, -wm, -um, -em; bowddum. [Irreg. variant of ME. bothom, -um, etc., and botom(e, bottom, OE. botm: see Bothom and Bottom. The d also appears in Du. bodem, OS. bodom, OHG. bodam.]

1. The bottom of a vessel, barrel, boat, bed, etc.Also with defining term, as caldron, lede boddum.(a) 14.. Acts I. 310/2.
The galloun suld be … in breid of the boddom viij inches and a half 1513 Doug. v. ix. 21.
Of the helmys boddom … Acestes lot furth past 1550 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 150.
Strikking of the caldroun boddome furth 1560 Stirling B. Rec. I. 74.
Thre standand beddis & twa of thame but boddwmes 1560 Rolland Seven S. 55/20.
The creddill ouir thay cast, With boddum up 1567 Inverness B. Rec. I. 146.
Four greit fatt stingis and boddum thairto 1572 Sat. P. xxxi. 102.
Intil a bait … But boddum, air, or ruther 1576 Edinb. Test. IV. 291.
Ane boddome of ane mader polk 1581 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 207.
Tuentie new pekis banddit with girthis of irne, ane in the mouthe and ane vther in the boddum 1595 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 570.
To ane cowper for mending of the irne bucket … and putting ane new boddome in the samyne 1603 Crim. Trials III. ii. 409.
He lay darnet on his face in the boddome of the said boit 1608 Melrose P. 42.
To haue bene buried in the boddome of the work(b) 1442–3 Ayr Burgh Ct. 28 Jan.
Vnder the payn of [having] the lede bodum strikyn out 1450 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 12.
The vnlaw [sal be] the lede tane vp and the bodome strukkin out a1500 Seven S. 757.
He … a tvme toun gart tak … And boryt the bodome in holis all 1552 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 166.
Dinging out of the calderin bodum 1566 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 102.
Ane tub wantand the bodem 1598 Black Bk. Taymouth 330.
A bodome of ane bed 1622 Wedderburn Compt Bk. 54.
A lite-camp bed … with v peces of a bodom 1681 Blackness Customs MS. 49 b.
Ane plait of brass & ane copper bodom containing eighty pund weycht

b. The fundament. 1681 Colvill Whig's Suppl. ii. 40.
Like aples in the Lake of Sodom, Like beautie clapped in the bodom

2. The hull or hold of a vessel; a vessel or ship.(a) 1513 Doug. vi. vi. 60.
The byg … Ené Within his veschell boddum ressavis he 1548 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 132.
The said aipillis … and vnȝeouns on the schip boddum 1576 Reg. Privy C. II. 505.
To … charge all and sindry the … merchandis of the saidis wynis … to keip the same within boddum or sellaris haill and undisponit 1596 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 165.
That na skippers or maisters of schips … ressave in thair schips, vessells or boddomes the said forbidden guids 1614 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 243.
Forraine schippis and boddomis for transporting of thair guidis 1630 Stirling Reg. Royal Lett. II. 435.
Dutie to be imposed upon everie tune of goodis which salbe imported or exported xxx in any stranger's bodden 1654 Conv. Burghs III. 394.
To import all comodities, … in what boddimes is most for the advantage of the merchand(b) 1522 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 99.
The gudis … wer inbrocht one ane Hollanderis bodum c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1382.
This Ark, quhilk was … Maid in the bodum lyke one bairge 1586 Conv. Burghs I. 227.
His Hienes awin sercheouris … sall … lois the guidis being in bodum als oft as thai sall think expedient

3. The bottom of a slope, etc.; a low-lying stretch of ground. 1490 Reg. Paisley 266.
Inter … finem varde vocatum the bodum of the ward ex parte occidentali, et [etc.] 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 57.
Bank, bra, and boddum blanchit wolx and bar 1523 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 143.
Per inferiorem partem le Lechis moss et le Schenocht ad le Boddoms

b. The bottom of the sea, a pit, etc. 1513 Doug. v. iv. 151.
Law fra the boddom of the seys deip Ib. viii. iv. 139.
Thocht the hellis bysme … War oppynnyt, that his bodum se men mycht 1543 Carte Northberwic 64.
The bodum of the [coal] pot

4. The bottom of the breast or heart. 1513 Doug. ii. v. 72.
Ane hevy murmour, as it was draw Furth of the boddum of his breste c1520-c1535 Nisbet III. 316.
His law requiris the grownde of the hart, and lufe fra the boddovmme thairof 1559 St. A. Kirk S. 17.
I … repentis the samyn fra the bodowme of my hart a1578 Pitsc. I. 22/26.
Seikand … with the boddome of my hairt ȝour peace 1596 Dalr. I. 296/15.
Seing ȝe … sa hard stickis in my breist, and bydes in the boddum of my harte

5. Attrib. with lok, nale, threde. 1494 Treas. Acc. II. 254.
Item, j^c bodwm nalys 1612 Bk. Rates 323.
Packthreid called boddome threid 1617 M. Works Acc. XV. 53.
For 6 bodome lokis