▪ I. crame, n.1 Sc.
(kreɪm)
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. Edin. (1846) 307 Ony maner of burdis or cramis to sell siklyke 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 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. kramwaare], goods sold in a crame.
| 1701 J. Brand Descr. Zetland 131 (Jam.) Set up booths or shops, where they sell..several sorts of creme ware, as linen, muslin, etc. |
▪ II. † crame, n.2 north. dial. Obs.
[cf. Du. kram cramp, cramp-iron, hook.]
| 1614–5 Vestry Bks. (Surtees) 165 Pd. for iron crames for the Church coffins. |
▪ III. † crame, v. north. dial. Obs.
[cf. Du. and dial. Ger. krammen to fasten with cramps, f. Du. kram cramp, hook, fastening.]
trans. To fasten or mend with cramps or hold-fasts.
| 1614 Vestry Bks. (Surtees) 165 P{supd} for craminge our church leades with iron, viij d. 1667 Ibid. 223 For crameing the shovell, 2 d. |