Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

YAMPH, v., n. Also yamff, y(ea)umph. [jɑmf]

I. v. 1. (1) intr. To bark, yap, yelp (Sc. 1808 Jam.); to bark in a suppressed manner (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., yumph). Hence yampher, a barking dog.Sc. 1718 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 80:
Gart a' the hale Town Tykes Yamph loud that Day.Gsw. 1784 Caled. Mercury (20 Oct.):
Tho' yamphin' curs shou'd a' unite.Abd. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 114:
Has some bit lammie stray'd ayont the knowe? Or has some deadly yampher fell't a yowe?Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 45:
Dogs yamff'd and youll'd outricht.Dmf. 1828 W. McVitie Jamie Tod 36:
To come yamph, yamphing, and bow-wowing, at people's heels.Edb. 1897 W. Beatty Secretar xxxix.:
A small dog, whilk ran up and down the other bank yamphing at me.

(2) tr. To drive out with barking.Edb. 1829 G. Wilson Sc. Laverock 115:
The tykes'll yamph ye out o' the town.

2. Transf. To rampage about noisily.Ayr. 1890 J. Service Notandums 104:
I mysel' saw you yamphin' through the vittal.

II. n. A dog's bark (Sc. 1905 E.D.D.), a suppressed barking.Peb. 1817 R. D. C. Brown Comic Poems 29:
Shouts! yamphs! and ba-as!wm.Sc. 1841 Whistle-Binkie 69:
She kend wha it was by the yamph o' his tyke.