DCHP-3

clumper

< Old English clympre
DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)

Spelling variants:
clumpet, clump, clamper, clampet, clumber,

n. — Atlantic Canada, especially Newfoundland, outdoors, rare

a chunk of floating ice or a small iceberg.

Type: 3. Semantic Change — The term clumper likely derives from the word clump, meaning 'a lump, mass' (see OED-3, s.v. "clumper"). The EDD (s.v. "clump") refers more specifically to 'a heavy misshapen mass of wood, stone, soil, &c.'. In Atlantic Canada, clumper has adopted the meaning of 'a chunk of floating ice' (see the 1978 and 1986 quotations). According to Clarke (2010b: 118), in Newfoundland many terms have developed narrow meanings relating to the maritime context.
See also COD-2, s.v. "clumper", which is marked "Cdn (Maritimes & Nfld)", DNE, s.v. "clumper", DPEIE, s.v. "clumpet".

Quotations

1835
I came out at Bay de l'Argent, by three P.M. down a rapid brook, which had a fall of water in it, and marks of a recent freshet in immense "clumpets" of ice, a yard and a half thick, which had been carried a hundred yards into the woods on each side.
1905
These iceboats are eighteen feet long and five feet wide and are commonly known as dories. They have two keels, which serve for runners. They are manned by strong, experienced crews, the passengers lending a helping hand. Each man is strapped to the boat, and, starting out from the shore, they drag the boat over the clumpets of hard ice.
1926
Now the old ship, quivering, lay a-grind in ice that squeezed. [...] 'It'm ahl rate, Cap'n! Ain't narr bit o'harm done. Clumper slid up an' gi'd us a whack, dat'm ahl. I seen un. No harm!'
1937
CLUMPER. A small floating ice-berg.
1978
There was a clamper I remember in the spring of the year. And when the ice was breaking up and the tides coming down this one clamper couldn't get through the strait and had to turn and come through edgeways.
1986
The early Newfoundlanders, most of whom were fishermen, fashioned such words as quarr, clumper, sish and slob to describe local ice conditions.
2003
Not surprisingly, Newfoundlanders have developed a huge lexicon to describe icebergs and ice in general. If a berg is heading toward your bay, you want to know if it is 10 million tonnes and hundreds of metres long or the size of a rec room fridge. There are bergy bits and growlers, clumper, ballycadder, pummy, slob, gall and pinnacle ice.
2012
Driving home, Kate asked, "What's a clumpet, anyway?" "Ah, now that's where the Newfoundland heritage gives the advantage," said Mary. "It's a bit of iceberg, of course, floating out in the bay."

References

  • DPEIE
  • DNE
  • COD-2
  • Clarke (2010b)
  • EDD
  • OED-3