Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
HAVER, n.2 Also hauver; havour; heffer, hever. The oat, Avena sativa (Slk. 1825 Jam.; ‡Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); †specif. the bearded wild oat, Avena fatua (Sc. 1684 R. Sibbald Scotia Illustrata ii. vi. 24). Occas. used attrib. Also in n.Eng. dial. [′he:vər]Dmf. 1862 Carlyle Fredk. the Gt. xii. x.:
The hay, straw, barley and haver, were eaten away.
Combs.: (1) haver-bannock, oatmeal bannock (Slk. 1825 Jam.; Dmf. 1956); (2) haver-brose, oatmeal Brose; (3) havour craw, the carrion crow, Corvus corone, or the rook, Corvus frugilegus; (4) haver-meal, oatmeal (s.Sc. 1825 Jam., s.Sc. a.1920; Dmf. 1956); (5) haver-sack, a horse's nosebag (Fif., Rxb. 1825 Jam.); (6) haver-seed, oatseed; (7) haver-straw, oatstraw (Dmf. 1825 Jam.; ‡Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).(2) Dmf. 1893 J. McVittie In Memoriam 191:
We seldom hear o' guid Scotch kale Or Scottish haver brose.(3) Ags. 1784 Gentleman's Mag. II. 506:
Havour Craws, Hoody-Craws and Corbies, correspond with the English Crows, Ravens, Royston Crows, etc.(4) Sc. c.1689 Roxburghe Ballads (1895) VIII. i. 453:
Where got thou the haver-meal Bannock?Dmf.5 1925:
In Canonbie . . . the people always referred to oatmeal as “heffer or hever meal.”(6) Sc. 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' the Ling 46:
The plooman cast abreid The haver-seed, An' hapt it i' the yerd.(7) Dmf. 1820 Blackwood's Mag. (Nov.) 154:
Gin they had to hurkle down on a heap o' haver straw, wi' a couple o' cauld sacks on their riggin', as I have done.
