A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1513, 1567-1626
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Ourquhelm(e, v. Also: orquhelm, or(e)whelm, -uhelm. P.p. also ourquhelmd. [Var. of Overquhelm(e v., at first confined to texts of Douglas.] tr. To overwhelm.a. To overturn, tip over. b. To cause (the sea) to turn over in waves. c. fig. To produce suddenly, as if by inverting a container (night in place of day). d. To engulf, swamp, smother; also transf. e. To overthrow in defeat or ruin.a. 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 16.
Quhen brym blastis of the northyn art Ourquhelmyt had Neptunus in his cartb. 1513 Doug. i. i. 78.
Iuno … Ourquhelmyt [L. evertit] the sey with mony wyndy wallc. 1513 Doug. i. xii. 15.
The hevin ourquhelmys [1553, ouer quhelmys] the donk nycht [L. nox humida caelo praecipitat] 1513 Ib. xi. v. 45.
Quhill at the hevyn ourquhelmyt the dirk nycht [L. nox humida donec invertit caelum]d. 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 131.
[I] Persauyt … With clowdy gum and rak ourquhelmyt the ayr a1568 Bannatyne MS Index (fol. 370 b).
Being ourquhelmd with dolour and with cair c1590 Fowler I. 275/8.
My bodye with al euils oruhelmd 1611 Mure Early Misc. P. iv. 6.
Icarus … by the raiging force of floods o'rquhelm'de. 1513 Doug. ii. i. 63.
To confound and ourquhelm our cite 1513 Ib. ix. ix. 106.
Ceneus ourquhelmyt Ortygius also 1626 Garden Worthies 19.
O'rewhelm'd
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"Ourquhelm v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/ourquhelme>
