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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CRAVE, v. and n. Used as in St.Eng. The following uses are peculiar to Sc.

I. v.

1. Sc. law: to ask (as of right) from an ecclesiastical or legal court.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xii.:
The crown, says he, canna be craved to prove a positive.Sc. 1936 Session Cases 67:
The pursuer is entitled to decree . . . as craved.w.Sc. 1869 A. Macdonald Settlement (1877) xi.:
Craving extracts means, that the clerk is to furnish, for a fee . . . a copy of such part of the proceedings as may be asked for.

2. To dun for payment of a debt (Sc. 1752 D. Hume Scotticisms, 1779 J. Beattie Scotticisms 5, 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial29, 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 32; Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.). Also in Eng. (Nhb.) dial. (E.D.D.). Known to Cai.⁷, Bnff.², Abd.⁹, Ags.¹⁷, Fif.¹⁰, Edb.¹ 1940.Abd. 1923 in Bnffsh. Jnl. (30 Jan.) 6:
There is in fact only one slip in dialect, viz. “dunned them for debt,” which should be “craved.”Edb. 1872 (2nd ed.) J. Smith Habbie and Madge (1881) 77:
Ye wasna a week at yer wark again when ye was craved an' hunted for't by nicht an' by day.

Hence (1) vbl.n. craving, “the act of dunning” (Sc. 1825 Jam.²); (2) n. craver, (a) a dun, (b) “a note demanding payment of a debt” (Cai. 1905 E.D.D. Suppl.; Bnff. 1980s); (3) craving card, a begging letter.(1) Abd. 1812 W. Ingram Poems 75:
[He] . . . strives to pay what he is due, Without repeated craving.(2) (a) Abd. [1844] W. Thom Rhymes and Recoll. (1845) 154:
Ye Debtors deft, — ye Cravers keen, Ye Lovers, too, wha roam alane.(3) Rnf. [1850] A. McGilvray Poems (1862) 260:
To write petitions for the rabble With craving cards and threatening letters.

3. Used absol.: to long for food or drink. Also in w.Som. dial. (E.D.D.).Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 245:
Trade was sae low, and meal sae dear, That aft his stomach crav'd in vain.Rnf. 1850 A. McGilvray Poems 117:
Gill after gill ye drink, and crave aye Till ye get fou.

Hence vbl.n. cravin', craven, in phr. caul(d) an' cravin', — craven, cold and hunger.ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays (1908) 81:
Shelter baith fae caul' an' cravin' Lay within his ridin' coat.Ags. 1852 Montrose Standard (5 March) 8/2:
My faither's hodden-grey coat keepit oot cauld an' craven.

II. n. Used = craving, in sense of:

1. A request or petition, esp. in ecclesiastical or legal language: “in Sheriff Court practice part of the initial writ, for example, is called the crave” (Sc. 1946 A. D. Gibb Legal Terms 25).Sc. 1938 St Andrews Cit. (26 March) 2/2:
Sheriff-Substitute D . . . . S . . . . granted declarator in terms of the crave.Sth. 1707 in C. D. Bentinck Dornoch Cath. and Par. (1926) 252:
They might deem it to be their duty to grant Mr Bowie's crave for an Act of Transportability.

2. A desire, hankering (after) (Bnff.², Ags.¹⁷ 1940). Not in gen. use in Eng. (N.E.D.).Ayr. 1821 Galt Ann. Parish 28:
The natural crave of their young appetites.