[‘ A great quantity, an abundance; plenty. a murth of cold: a severe cold. Cf. mort n.6’]
Pronunciation: Brit. /məːθ/, U.S. /mərθ/
Forms: lME *morth*; /Eng. regional/ (north.) 16– *murth*, 17– *morth*, 18– *merth*, 18– *mirth*, 18– *muth*; /Sc./ 18– *morth*; /Irish English/ (north.) 18– *morth*.
Etymology:Probably < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic /mergð/ < /margr/ many). Compare mort n.6
Now Eng. regional (north.), Sc., and Irish English (north.).
A great quantity, an abundance; plenty. a murth of cold: a severe cold. Cf. mort n.6
?/a/1450 in /Neuphilol. Mitteilungen/ (1972) *73* 201 Ȝyt wonnyth strang morth of Iowys þar, And so schall þay do euyr mare.
1674 J. Ray /N. Countrey Words/ in /Coll. Eng. Words/ 34 A Murth of corn: abundance of corn.
a/1728 W. Kennett /MS Coll. Provinc. Words in /Eng. Dial. Dict./ (1905) IV. 94/2 [Durham] It is a morth of cold.
1819 ‘P. Bobbin’ /Sequel to Lancs. Dial./ 4 They put’n hur ti o’ murth o’ pene.
1835 ‘S. Oliver’ /Rambles Northumberland/ 70 (note) He had bidden ower lang i’ the water when he was out fishin’, and he has getten a murth of cauld.
1855 W. Brooke /Eastford/ 76, I think we should have had a murth of it this year, but the summer has been a little too cold, and Indian corn must have a hot sun.
1882 J. H. Nodal & G. Milner /Gloss. Lancs. Dial./, /Murth/, a large quantity or number. Another form of mort.
a/1895 J. Arlosh /MS Coll. Dial. Words in /Eng. Dial. Dict./ (1903) IV. 94/2 [Northumberland] ‘Oh! you’ve got a morth of cold.’ To a sneezing child with watering eyes.
1996 C. I. Macafee /Conc. Ulster Dict./ 227/2 /Morth o cowl/, a heavy cold.
2007 /Leaflet/ (Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland), Dinnae lann wi yins in tha ospittle gin yersel or anither bodie in tha hoose is no weel with tha like o a morth o coul, flyue, boakin or tha skittèrs.