A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1438, 1496-1565, 1618
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Limmour, Lymmour, n. Also: lym(m)our, -owr; lymmar, (lymnar, lummar); limmer, lymmer, -yr. [e.m.E. lymour (1480), -ore, lymer (1578), limmer (1580); origin obscure.A connection with F. limon has been suggested, but without a convincing explanation of the change of ending.]
The shaft of a cart, gun-carriage etc. Also in plur., a pair of these, also ? the detachable fore-part or limber of a gun-carriage.(a) ?1438 Alex. ii. 9160.
He lichtit betuix the limmouris [F. limons] tua 1496 Treasurer's Accounts I. 290.
To Dande Achinsone … to get cart lymmouris to bring hame quhelis fra Melros xj s. vj d. 1511 Prestwick B. Rec. 43.
j car lymmour 1513 Doug. ix. vi. 23.
The cartis stand with lymowris bendyt strek 1513 Ib. xii. viii. 58. 1517 Treasurer's Accounts V. 157.
For ane hors … put in the gun cart lymmowris(b) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. i. xxxiii.
Ane chariote … The lymnaris wer of birneist gold 1513 Treasurer's Accounts IV. 512.
iiij duson greit sparris to be lummaris [sic] to thaim [carts] 1527 Ib. V. 321.
For tymmer wrocht in the stokkis of the gunnys, quhelis, lymmaris and extreis 1543–4 Ib. VIII. 253.
For ane new lymnar to ane of the clos carttis 1544–5 Ib. 360.
For carage hyer of tua pair of lymmarris furtht of the castell … to … Leith to tua carttis of cutthrottis quhairof the lymmarris brak be the gait(c) 1529 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I. 10.
Ane band to ane of the lymmyrris of the hurle cartis 1529 Ib. 26.
Lymmeris 1565 Reg. Privy C. I. 403, 1585 9th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. ii. 193/1. 1618 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) II. 126.
For … tua bandis to the limmeris of the cart
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"Limmour n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/limmour>
