▪ I. chirm, n. arch. and dial.
(tʃɜːm)
Forms: 1 cirm, cyrm, 3 chirm, 6 chirme; 5–6 chyrme, cherme, 6 chearm, charme, 6–7 churme, 7 churmne: cf. also charm n.2
[Immediately connected with chirm v.]
1. Noise, din, chatter, vocal noise (in later times esp. of birds).
| a 800 Corpus Gloss. 925 Fragor, suoeg, cirm. c 975 Rushw. Gosp. Matt. xxv. 6 æt middere niht þa cirm geworden wæs. a 1000 in Wr.-Wülcker 205 Clangor, tubarum sonus..dyne, geþun, cyrm. a 1250 Owl & Night. 305 TheȜ crowe bigrede him..And goþ to him mid heore chirme. 1513 Douglas æneis iii. vi. 14 That wnderstandis the..chirme of every birdis voce on fer. 1806 Train Poetical Rev. 79 (Jam.) A chirm she heard..out o' a hole she shot her head. |
2. esp. The mingled din or noise of many birds or voices, the ‘hum’ of school children, insects, etc.
| 1530 Palsgr. 617 What a cherme these byrdes make [jargonnent]! 1547 Brend Lett. in Tytler Hist. Scot. (1864) III. 379 Words confirmed with a churme of those that stood about. 1556 Hoby tr. Castilione's Covrtyer (1577) G ii a, Then was there heard..a cherme of loude speaking. 1556 J. Heywood Spider & F. lv. 1 With this a chirme in mumering there fell: Amongst them [insects] all. 1600 Holland Livy vi. 235 Grammer schooles ringing againe with a chirme of schollers. 1622 Bacon Hen. VII, 186 [Perkin] was conueighed leasurely on Horsebacke..through Cheape-side..with the Churme of a thousand taunts and reproches. 1841 Fraser's Mag. XXIII. 457 A coming tempest announces itself by the birds subduing their song to a chirm. |
† 3. A company or flock (of finches). Obs.
| c 1430 Lydg. Hors, Shepe, & G. (1822) 30 A chyrme of fynches, a swarme of bees. 1486 Bk. St. Albans F vj, A Cherme of Goldefynches. 1688 in R. Holme Armoury ii. 311/1. |
▪ II. chirm, v. arch. and dial.
(tʃɜːm)
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 Cumbrld. 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 A. Smith Summ. 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. n. 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 Phemie Millar 33 A chirming..foolish woman. 1877 Ouida Puck xxix. 359 Sounds of..stirring bees and chirming birds. |