A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1456, 1520-1598
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Craving, Crawing, Craifing, vbl. n. Also: cravyng, -eing, craiving, crayuing; crewing; craiffing. [ME. craving (c 1300), -yng(e, f. Crave v.]
1. Requesting or demanding; a demand.(a) 1456 Hay I. 30/8.
Romaynes … nocht will ces of craving quhill thai get graunt 1555 Mun. Univ. Glasg. I. 60.
All asking, cravyng, monyssing, and ledyng of proces … aganis the saidis personis 1582 Edinburgh Testaments XI. 349 b.
All vther chargis … or cravingis that can … happin to the said Richart 1590 Ib. XXII. 130.
He gaf thame ane discharge of all awaillis, dewteis, and craifingis preceding the dait heirof 1598 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 226.
[The council] discharges all maisters, … in thair grammer schole of all craving and resaving … of any bent sylver(b) c1520-c1535 Nisbet III. 337/13.
Thairfor is this … fre fromme the craiffing and dette of the lawe 1547 Stirling B. Rec. I. 46.
Gif thai fynd the way that thai ma have payment, thai sall mak na blaisnyng nor craiffing tharof 1561 Glasgow Protocols Abstracts II. 94.
All wthir maner of actioune and dettis craifing being betuex thame 1580 Inverness B. Rec. I. 287.
The said prowest … for his ernistfull craiffing … ordanis him to be actit … within our burrow buikis(c) 1566 Montgomery Mem. 201.
Of all dettis [and] crawingis the said Erle may lay to the said Iohnis charge 1579 Edinburgh Testaments VII. 157 b.
I ordane ilk ane of thame to be alyk diligent in crawing and inbringing of the samen [silver] 1595 Edinburgh Testaments XXVII. 353 b.
I ordane all auchtingis [and] crawingis to be payit
2. That which is desired; one's desire. a1585 Montg. P. i.151.
That, having my craving, Mirthfull I may remaine
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"Craving vbl. n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/craving>
