arch. and dial. Forms: 1 cirm-an, cyrm-an, 3 chirmen, 5–6 chirme, chyrm(e, 6– chirm, (9 churm). [OE. cirm-an to cry out, shout, make a noise. Cf. Du. kermen, MDu. kermen, karmen, to mourn, lament, MLG. kermen. The ulterior history is uncertain.]
1. intr. To cry out, vociferate, roar: originally used widely; but in Middle and modern English, chiefly restricted to the melodious chatter or warbling of birds, or of human beings compared to birds.
a. 1000. Judith, 270. Hi ongunnon cirman hlude.
a. 1000. Guthlac (Gr.), 880. Swa wilde deor cirmdon.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 152. Sparuwe … cheatereð euer ant chirmeð. So ouh ancre … chirmen & cheateren euer hire bonen.
c. 1475. Partenay, 878. Briddes … meryly chirmed in the grene wod.
1595. Duncan, App. Etymol. (E. D. S.), Repr. Gloss. XIII, Cantillo, to chante or chirme.
1623. Cockeram, II. To Chirme like birdes, Gingreate.
1700. Wallace, Acc. New Caledonia, in Misc. Cur. (1708), III. 417. We have a Monkey aboard that chirms like a Lark.
a. 1774. Fergusson, Poems (1845), 12. Linties, chirmin’ frae the spray.
1808. R. Anderson, Cumbld. Ball., 31. Then he wad chirm and talk, And say, Ded, ded; Mam, mam, and aw.
1840. Galt, Demon Dest., etc. 63. Admiring wonder churm’d from all the throng.
1860–80. Ferguson, Cumbrld. Gloss. (E. D. S.), Chirm, to chirp.
1865. Alex. Smith, Summer in Skye (1880), 345. The fairy sits … chirming and singing songs to the cows.
2. trans. or with cognate object.
1728. Ramsay, Gentl. Sheph., I. i. To hear the birds chirm o’er their pleasing rants!
1832–53. Whistle-Binkie, Ser. I. 98. The corn-craik was chirming His sad eerie cry.
Hence Chirming vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1481. Caxton, Old Age. And knewe the thyngys to come by the chyrmyng and by the song and by the countenance of foulys and birddys.
1595. Duncan, App. Etymolog. (E. D. S.), Augur, a gesser be the chirming of birds.
1854. ‘Sarah Tytler,’ Phemie Millar, 33. A chirming … foolish woman.
1877. ‘Ouida,’ Puck, xxix. 359. Sounds of … stirring bees and chirming birds.
