sb. Obs. Forms: 3 swalm, 4 sualm, 6 swalme, Sc. swame, 7 swawme. [ME. swalm, f. swal-: swel- (see SWELL v.); cf. QUALM.]

1

  1.  Swelling.

2

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 274. Drinc þeonne atterloðe, & drif þene swel [MS. C. swalm] aȝeanward urommard þe heorte.

3

1508.  Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 167. I sall … me assuage of the swalme, that suellit wes gret.

4

a. 1583.  Montgomerie, Flyting, 336 (Tullibardine MS.). The stane worme, þe ringworme, not slaiking of swame.

5

  2.  (An attack of) faintness or sickness. (Cf. SWEAM.)

6

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 20758 (Cott.). ‘Ga to þaa men þat lijs in sualm,’ He said, ‘and rine on þam wit it.’

7

1601.  Holland, Pliny, XXIII. Proeme II. 146. Women who being newly conceived and breeding child, have many swawms come over their heart. Ibid. (1609), Amm. Marcell., XXIV. vi. 255. A cold swawme of feare that quickly came over his heart.

8

  So † Swalm v. intr. and trans., to faint or cause to faint; also in vbl. sb., swooning.

9

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, XVII. 648. Sum ded, sum hurt, sum swavnand [sic; ? read swavmand; v.r. swonand].

10

c. 1440.  Bone Flor., 770. Hur fadur nere hande can talme, Soche a sweme hys harte can swalme.

11

a. 1583.  Montgomerie, Flyting, 311 (Tullibardine MS.). With swaming to swelt.

12