LL-L "Etymology" 2001.12.08 (02) [E/S]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 08.DEC.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Etymology"

> From: "Julian MacLachlan Frullani" <italian at newitineraries.it>
> Subject: Gumption and swinnen
>
> Hello all,
> In Lallans, at least in my south of Scotland native village,
> we used a word: -
> " swinnen ", which meant a sudden hunch, or
> a sneaky feeling that something was about to happen.

Julian,

I can't find this in the Scottish National Dictionary. Could it be a
variant
of the quite common word "swither", when it's used to describe a state
of
mind?

>>From Burns's "Daith an Doctor Hornbook":

I there wi Something did forgather,
That pat me in an eerie swither;

> We also used the word " gumption ", which means " pure and solid
> common sense."
>
> The etymology of these two words is unknown to me.

And me! I believe the etymology of the "gumption" group of words is
anybody's guess:

gumption ['gVm(p)S=n]  "horse sense"
gumptious ['gVm(p)S at s]  "inclined to object/argue"
rumgumption [rVm'gVm(p)S=n] "common sense, pro-activeness"
rummlegumption [rVm=l'gVm(p)S=n] (same as rumgumption)
rummlegumption ['rVm=lgVm(p)S=n] (note different stress) "an uproar"

"Rumgumption" might just be "gumption" with a rhyming prefix.

"RummleGUMption" is probably just an extension of "rumgumption" by
analogy
with "rummle" (rumble).

"RUMmlegumption" is probably just "rummle" extended by frivolous analogy
with "rummlegumption".

But where "gumption" comes from seems to be a mystery - the SND
describes
the etymology as "obscure".

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'

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