The original meaning of drumly is given in the Dictionary of the Scots Language as “Of streams or water: turbid, clouded, muddy, especially of a river in spate.” DSL then shows that the meaning expanded to describe weather: “Of the weather, etc.: dark, gloomy, sullen”.

The word then widens to acquire the figurative meaning: “Of persons: muddled, confused, thick-headed; giddy; gloomy; clouded (of eyes)”. Allan Ramsay writing in 1728 uses this figurative sense: “Fatigu’d and drumbly from the Down he flies, With skinny Cheek, pale Lips and blood-run Eyes.” The Edinburgh Poet, Robert Fergusson writing in 1773 also captures the sense of obscurity in thought when seeking inspiration with: “…the Muse ne’er cares For siller, or sic guilefu’ wares, Wi’ whilk we drumly grow, and crabbit.” While Walter Scott, in an entry in his Journal of 13 February 1829, describes how his long hours of work affect his mood: “I wrote for several hours . . . but was nervous and drumlie.”

In the twentieth century the DSL records that W D Cocker in his 1932 work Poems in Scots and English describes the following unfortunate individual: “His chafts are clappit in, his drumlie e’en Are faur ben sunken.” 

As with many Scots words it still has currency in the Traveller community. Betsy Whyte in her biographical Yellow on the Broom shows how venting her anger makes her drumly: “I was tired and still drumly after my outburst of temper. I knew that I couldn’t concentrate on playing [the bagpies]”.

The origin is perhaps from the earlier ‘drubly’ which in its turn is perhaps from Middle English ‘trobly’.

Scots Word of the Week is written by Pauline Cairns Speitel of Scottish Language Dictionaries 9 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 7AL (0131) 220 1294,  www.scotsdictionaries.org.uk,  mail@scotsdictionaries.org.uk.