dial. Forms: 6– clem (clemmed), 7– clam. Mod. dial.: Lancash., Cheshire, Shropsh., Huddersfield, Derbysh., Leicestersh., clem, clam; Whitby, Staffordsh., S. Cheshire, Hereford, Flint, clem; Westmrld., Mid Yorksh., Holderness, Lincolnsh., Northampton, clam. [cogn. with MHG., modG., MDu., Du. klemmen to pinch, cramp, compress, Da. klemme, Sw. klämma to press, squeeze, pinch. In the older stages evidenced only in composition: OE. beclemman to restrain, confine, shut in, OS. biklemmjan to pinch, OHG. bichlemmen to clutch, compress, squeeze (modG. and Du. beklemmen to pinch, distress); OS. also antklemmjan to burst open. These indicate a Com. Teut. *klammjan, f. klamm-, OE. clamm, clǫmm sb. ‘fetter, cramp, constriction, confinement’; see CLAM sb.1 ME. has forclemmed in E. E. Allit. Poems. The simple vb. hardly appears before 1600, but is widely spread in the forms clem and clam over the northern half of England from Westmorland to Leicester, and from Lincoln to Hereford. Its distribution makes it possible that it is here of Norse origin.]
1. trans. To pinch as hunger or fasting does; to waste with hunger, starve. (Also sometimes with reference to thirst.)
c. 1540[?]. Scott. Feilde, in Percy Folio (c. 1650), I. 225. Their company was clemmed: and much cold did suffer; water was a worthy drinke: win it who might.
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, I. ii. I cannot eat stones and turfs…. What, will he clem me and my followers? Aske him an he will clem me.
1626. Massinger, Rom. Actor, II. i. (Gifford). My entrails Were clemm’d [Nares has clamm’d] with keeping a perpetual fast.
1674. Ray, N. C. Words (E. D. S.), Clem’d or clam’d, starved, because, by famine, the guts and bowels are as it were clammed or stuck together. Sometimes it signifies thirsty.
c. 1746. Collier (Tim Bobbin), Gloss., Clemm’d, famish’d, starv’d.
1821. Mrs. Wheeler, Westmorld. Dial., 13. He may lick the … or clam the, nay sell the.
1839–48. Bailey, Festus, xix. 211. Some burned, some drowned, some maimed, some clammed themselves.
1857. Sir F. Palgrave, Norm. & Eng., II. 413. He was clemmed by self-imposed vigils and starvation.
1887. Hall Caine, Son of Hagar, I. vii. 131. She was like to clem me.
2. intr. To suffer the pangs of hunger (or thirst); to pine with hunger, starve.
1599. B. Jonson, Ev. Man out of Hum., III. vi. 64. Hard is the choise when the valiant must eate their armes, or clem.
1781. J. Hutton, Tour Caves, Gloss. (E. D. S.), Clam, to pine to death for want of water.
1831. E. Elliott, Corn L. Rhymes, Sqr. Leech, ii. Will is clamming—bread-tax thrives.
1854. Mrs. Gaskell, North & S., xvii. Think of that first strike … how we all had to clem.
Hence Clemmed ppl. a., Clemming vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1674. [see sense 1].
1773. J. Ross, Fratricide, II. 574. Like a Tygress couch’d … to spring upon her prey … to relieve her clamming young.
1851. Sir F. Palgrave, Norm. & Eng., I. 438. Violet and snowdrop were nipped in their clemmed buds.
1854. Mrs. Gaskell, North & S., xvii. Too much dazed wi’ clemming to know when they’re put upon.
1868. B. Brierley, Fratchingtons, iii. 35, in Lanc. Gloss. (E. D. S.), s.v., Theau fastened on me like a clemmed leech.
