colmey north. dial.
(ˈkɒlmɪ)
Also coalmie, colemie, colmie, colmy, and in various dial. forms: see quots. Colmous (quot. 1654) is prob. due to confusion with coalmouse.
[Perh. the same word as colmie, colmy, culmy ‘sooty, grimy’; but the early variants are difficult to explain.]
The coal-fish.
| 1654 Blaeu Atlas, Scotia, Orcadum Descr. 138 Piscium variorum, præcipue silurorum minimorum majorum et maximorum (vulgo Sellaks, Kuythes, Colmouses) captura felix. 1808 Jamieson, Colemie, Coalmie, the Coal-fish. [1887 Supp. gives also Colmoth, colemoth, colmouth, colm, comb, and of the young fish comamie, colminie.]. 1863 Couch Brit. Fishes III. 84. |