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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TAW, n.², v.² Also taa; tya; t(y)aave, tya(u)ve (ne.Sc.); dim. forms tawa, -oo (Ork.), see -O, suff. [tɑ:, Mry. tjɑ:v; Ork. ′tɑ: wə, -wʊ]

I. n. 1. A fibre or filament of a plant or tree, a fibrous root (Sh. 1825 Jam.; Cai. 1905 E.D.D.; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., Sh. 1972), esp. of an embogged conifer (Mry. 1921 T.S.D.C.), the root of sorrel (Ork. 1929 Marw., tawoo, -a), the exposed withered roots of grasses and sedge in sand-dunes (Id.) (but see 2. and Toose). Also attrib. Adj. taaie, -ey, made up of tough roots or fibres, fibrous (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 216; Cai. 1905 E.D.D.; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Sh., Ork. 1972). Comb. taave-taes, fibres of bog-fir twisted to make ropes (Mry. 1808 Jam.)Mry. c.1850 Lintie o' Moray (1887) 30:
A handy wee cairt . . . Wi' a stiff timmer axtree an' tough tya slungs.Inv. 1883 Trans. Inv. Scient. Soc. II. 345:
The twisting of a “Tyauve” tether.ne.Sc. 1888 P.S.A.S. XXIII. 21:
Tyaave Knives, for splitting fir candles.Bnff. 1902 Trans. Bnff. Field Club 10:
The cattle were bound up in the byres to stakes, the youngest by “tyave” ropes put round their necks. The “tyave” was made of bog or moss fir, first peeled off into strands, and then twined into a rope.Cai. 1957:
A root of weed with long taas to it.Sh. 1964 Folk Life II. 8:
Taa-ey peat, full of tough roots.

2. A stolon, as of couch-grass, sedge, etc. (Cai. 1905 E.D.D.), sometimes in pl. = couch-grass (Cai. 1956).

†3. A piece of fibrous tissue in the body, specif. in the liver; the fibrous part of the fish-liver, gen. extracted before cooking (Sh. 1905 E.D.D.).Sh. 1900 Shetland News (2 June):
Doo sees foo he can be peeled, an' da taas taen oot afore I pit in da floo'r.

4. Fig., a narrow streak of light (Sh. 1972).Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 32:
It wis just aboot da first taws o' day licht.Sh. 1952 J. Hunter Taen wi da Trow 126:
Noo in da first taas o da night.Sh. 1969 New Shetlander No. 88. 17:
Da hindmost taas o' daylight wid be dön.

II. v. 1. To cut off the tap-roots of turnips (Kcb. 1910–70).

2. To tease out, as oakum (Mry. 1825, Sh. 1880 Jam.), to break into strips. Comb. tyauven-skate, a dish of dried skate filaments (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 202; Abd. 1867 A. Allardyce Footdee 8; Kcd. 1880 Jam.).