Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1882-1990
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SHOORMIL, n. Also -mill, -mal, -mul, shourmel, shurmil, shoremil; sjurmol (Jak.), -mal. The line of a beach on which the surf breaks, the foreshore, the water's edge (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 197, 1908 Jak. (1928), 1914 Angus Gl., sjurmal, Sh. 1970). [′ʃurməl]Sh. 1882 Gentleman's Mag. 363:
Water out of the 'third die', that is, the wavelet that reaches your feet when you come to the 'shoor-mil', namely, the edge of the water, was reckoned of great virtue, and could be used either in working mischief, or preventing it, or in retaliation.Sh. 1899 Shetland News (18 March):
Twa lairge planks ridin' hedder-kindunk i' da shoor mil.Sh. 1948 New Shetlander (March–April) 9:
We kerried him ower da sjurmal, An laid him dreepin dere.Sh. 1958 New Shetlander No. 46. 13:
Wi tochts o Rasmie's body lyin i da shoormil.Sh. 1990 Observer 11 Mar :
... like 'shoormil', the part of the shore washed by the waves when the tide is ebbing or flowing.
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"Shoormil n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 9 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/shoormil>
