α. Middle English feme (transmission error), Middle English fleem, Middle English flemme, Middle English flemne, Middle English fleueme, Middle English flewm, Middle English 1500s flewne (transmission error), Middle English–1500s fleum, Middle English–1500s flewme, Middle English–1500s flume, Middle English–1600s fleme, Middle English–1600s fleume, 1500s flowme, 1500s–1600s fleam, 1500s–1600s fleame, 1700s fle'me, 1900s– flame (U.S. regional (south Midland)); Scottish pre-1700 fleume, pre-1700 flewme, 1800s flim (south-western), 1800s floom (south-western), 1800s– fleem (chiefly southern), 1800s– floam (south-western), 1900s– fleam, 1900s– fleum (Orkney and Shetland), 1900s– fluim (southern). c1250 in Englische Studien (1935) 70 239 He was in perlesie þe vallinde & spitil uuel, feme [perh. read fleme] & dropesie..Mo uueles he hede þen i conne tellen. ▸ a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1869) II. 147 Þey hadde moche fleem and were ofte boistousliche ilete blood. ▸ a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) vii. 451 The moiste fleume with his cold Hath in the lunges for his hold Ordeined him a propre stede. ▸ a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add.) f. 67 For maistrie of colde flewme & moist brediþ hoornes.c1425 tr. J. Arderne Treat. Fistula (Sloane 6) 77 Þe egestions, wheþer it be blode or putride flemme &c, or wormes or squiballez indurate.a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 219 Fleme is colde and moysti aftyr the kynde of the watyr. ▸ ?a1513 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen in Poems (1998) I. 43 Ane bag full of flewme.1541 T. Elyot Castel of Helthe (new ed.) i. i. 8 b Natural fleume is a humour cold and moyst, whyte and swete, or without taste.1567 T. Palfreyman Baldwin's Treat. Morall Philos. (new ed.) ii. iii. f. 70v The reste of him fleme and choler.1586 T. Bright Treat. Melancholie ii. 5 The second is fleume, next to bloud in quantitie.1645 J. Milton Colasterion 12 What if fleam, and choler..come instead.1650 J. Howell tr. A. Giraffi Exact Hist. Late Revol. Naples 130 They answered prudently and with fleme.1711 A. Pope Ess. Crit. 38 Our Criticks..judge with Fury, but they write with Fle'me.1894 Trans. Dumfr. & Galloway Antiq. Soc. 148 Fleem. I was surprised to hear this word used in the sense of phlegm, spume, but my surprise ceased when it was found as far back as in Chaucer.1901 R. De B. Trotter Galloway Gossip Eighty Years Ago 3 She's joost dune wi' hosstin, and fair chokit wi' the clocher an' the floam.1951 J. A. Fotheringham in Sc. National Dict. (1956) IV. 108/2 [Orkney] Fleum.
β. late Middle English fleuma, 1500s flegma, 1500s fluma, 1600s phlegma. ▸ a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add.) f. 316 Here substaunce..echeþ fleuma and bredeþ feueres cotidian.1527 L. Andrewe tr. H. Brunschwig Vertuose Boke Distyllacyon sig. Bvij Onely the flegma of the grene herbes is dystylled.1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum xix. lii. f. 401v But their substaunce is fleeting, and abateth thirst with moysture and colde, and quencheth Cholera, and heat, and increaseth Fluma.1657 Physical Dict. Phlegma..is used for any distilled water which hath no spirit, as rose-water.
γ. 1500s phleugme, 1500s–1600s phlegme, 1500s–1600s phleume, 1600s phleame, 1600s phleum, 1600s–1700s phleam, 1600s–1700s phleme, 1600s– phlegm, 1800s– phleem (U.S. regional (southern and south Midland)); Scottish pre-1700 phlegme, pre-1700 1700s– phlegm. ?1541 R. Copland tr. Galen Terapeutyke sig. Giv To purge ye humours coleryke or melancolyke, or els phleume [Fr. phleume].a1592 R. Greene Mamillia (1593) ii. sig. H2v The naturall constitution of women is Phlegme, and of men Choller.1617 Janua Linguarum 100 Phleame expelleth choler.1669 J. Worlidge Systema Agriculturæ 5 Phlegme distilled from Salt of Tartar.1684 Earl of Roscommon Ess. Translated Verse 19 Write with fury but correct with Phleam.1754 R. Brookes General Practice Physic 43 Some of the Ancients regarded only the Fluids, which they determined to be four; the Blood, Phlegm, Choler, and Melancholy..; hence there were four Kinds of Temperaments.1860 W. Whewell Philos. Discov. iv. vi. 35 The doctrine of the Four Humours (Blood, Phlegm, Yellow Bile and Black Bile).1981 B. Ashley Dodgem iii. 55 Simon swallowed the phlegm of his misery.
δ. 1500s–1600s fleagm, 1500s–1600s fleagme, 1500s–1600s flegme, 1600s fleghme, 1600s fleugme, 1600s–1700s flegm. ?1550 H. Llwyd tr. Pope John XXI Treasury of Healthe sig. f.iii Masticatorium is a confection whiche is held in the mouth & chewed to purge the head of flegme.1587 Sir P. Sidney & A. Golding tr. P. de Mornay Trewnesse Christian Relig. x. 162 Agarick purgeth Fleagme.a1618 W. Raleigh Sceptick in Remains (1651) 8 Abounding with Fleagm.1660 T. Stanley Hist. Philos. III. i. 134 Hence are generated Choler and Flegme.1726 G. Leoni tr. L. B. Alberti Architecture I. 24/2 The superfluous Flegm and Humidity.