Sc. Forms: 5– crame; also 6 craym, creame, 8 creme, 9 craim, cream, kraim, krame. [Adopted in 15th c. Sc. from MDu. (Flem.), or MLG. krâme, kraeme, krâm, kraem, in mod.Du. kraam, LG. kraam, krâm, tent, booth, stall, stock of wares. A word common to continental WGer.: cf. OFris., EFris. krâm (WFris. kream, Wang. krôm); OHG. chram, cram masc., MHG. krâm m., krâme f., Ger. krâm m. dial., krame m., f. The original sense is shown by OHG. to be ‘tent-covering, awning.’ In the transferred sense ‘wares, merchandise, toys’ the word went with German traders to the north (Icel., Norw., Sw., Da. kram n.), and into Slavonic and Lithuanian (Pol. kram, Boh. krâm, Illyr. krama, Lith. krômas), and prob. entered Scotland in a similar way. There is no trace of it in Gothic, or in OE.]
1. A booth or stall where goods are sold in a market or fair. (In common use in Sc.)
1477. Jas. III., Charter, in W. Maitland, Hist. Edin., I. i. (1753), 8. The Cramys of Chapmen.
1531. Edin. Council Regul., in R. Chambers, Tradit. Edinb. (1846), 307. Ony maner of burdis or cramis to sell syklike stuff.
1692. Acts of Sederunt, 29 Feb. (Jam.). If they make any merchandise privily in a shop or crame.
1794. Statist. Acc. Scot., X. 207 (Lessuden, Roxb.) (Jam.). Booths, (or as they are here called, craims) containing hardware and haberdashery goods, are erected … at the fare.
1808. J. Mayne, Siller Gun, IV. 137. Kraims, tents, and stands were swept away.
1881. G. MacGregor, Hist. Glasgow, xiii. 113. Freemen whose ‘crames’ might stand opposite their own doors.
1884. Harrison, Oure Tounes Colledge, ii. 41. The ‘Old Kirk’ is barnacled round with ‘krames.’
† 2. A pack or bundle of goods carried about for sale; a pedlar’s stock of wares. Obs.
1560. Aberdeen Reg., V. 24 (Jam.). To help him to ane craym, that he may trawell to win his lifing in the cuntray.
1597. Skene, De Verb. Sign., s.v. Pede pulverosus, Ane pedder, is called an marchand, or creamer, quha bearis ane pack or creame vpon his back.
a. 1706. Mare of Collington, in J. Watson, Collect. Sc. Poems (1706), I. 40. Oft have I turst your hether crame.
3. Comb., as crame-folk; crame-ware [Ger. kramwaard], goods sold in a crame.
1701. J. Brand, Descr. Orkney, Zetl., etc. 131 (Jam.). Set up booths or shops, where they sell … several sorts of creme-ware, as linen, muslin [etc.].
