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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CHAUVE, Chave, Chawve, v. and n. Cf. Kyauve and Eng. dial. tave. [tʃɑ:v]

1. v. To work hard, to struggle hard, often with little result. Known to Bnff.² and Abd. correspondents (1939). Ppl.adj. chauven, “worn out” (Bch. 1916 (per Abd.¹⁴)).Mry.(D) 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sketches iv.:
“Fat's daein' up the wy?” “Little o't. Aye chawvin awa'.”Abd.¹⁵ 1928:
The vratch [a pig] chauvt an' wammlet.Mearns 1932 "L. G. Gibbon" Sunset Song, Prelude 33:
Though well he might have taken the time instead of sweating and chaving like a daft one to tear up the coarse moorland.Dundee 1991 Ellie McDonald The Gangan Fuit 33:
Man i the muin he's staunan an chauvan
wi a graipful o breers he's warslan awaa.
Sic a wunner it is he disnae gang skitan
wi joukan an trummlan sae feart gin he'll faa.m.Sc. 1979 William J. Rae in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 80:
He began tae feel awfu tired anaa, and though he chaved himsel tae bide awauk, he couldna keep himsel frae noddin aff.

2. n. A hard task, a struggle. Known to Bnff.² and Abd. correspondents (1939).mn.Sc. 1931 I. Macpherson Shepherd's Calendar 250:
It's a sair chauve cairting that barrow-load o' guts aboot wi' him the whole time.Mearns 1934 “L. G. Gibbon” Grey Granite I. 15:
She put out her hand on that rail, warm, slimy, and paused afore tackling the chave of the climb.