Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1875-1900, 1955-1996
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WEAVER, n. Also weiver (Rxb. 1752 Melrose Rec. (S.H.S.) III. 472), wyver (Abd. 1813 A. Jervise Epitaphs (1879) II. 368, 1825 Jam., 1884 D. Grant Lays 39; ne.Sc. 1973), weyver (Cai. 1869 M. MacLennan Peasant Life 255; Ags. 1897 F. MacKenzie Northern Pine 77), wiver (Abd. 1837 J. Leslie Willie & Meggie 35), wyever (Abd. 1884 D. Grant Lays 8); wiever (Ags. 1912 A. Reid Forfar Worthies 80). Sc. forms and usages. [′wivər; ne.Sc. ′wəivər (see P.L.D. §126.2); Fif. + ′wevər]
1. Sc. form of Eng. weaver. Ags. 1994 Mary McIntosh in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 152:
It's my haunds I notice maist, real fite an bonny wi the veins showin, a touch bluachie. Nivir thocht tae hae haunds like this. Weel, ye widnae efter forty years wyvin at the jute. I wis a guid wyver.
In phr. and combs.: (1) to be fashed wi the weaver, to be lazy (Dmb. c.1905), sc. of one who likes to sit, as a weaver does; (2) weaver-kneed, knock-kneed, with the knees bent inwards (m.Sc. 1973); having sensitive or ticklish knees (wm.Sc. 1973); (3) weaver-looking, small and stunted, as weavers freq. were (Kcd. 1929 Montrose Standard (1 March)); (4) weaver's glass, a kind of magnifying glass mounted on a loom so that the weaver can examine the cloth as it is woven (Fif. 1822 P.R.S. Lang Duncan Dewar (1926) 10); (5) weaver's weight, a system of weighing wool, in which 1 lb. was equal to 1½ lbs. avoirdupois and there were 16 of the lbs. in a stone (Bwk. 1809 R. Kerr Agric. Bwk. 450); ¶(6) weaverty-waverty, a derisory name for a weaver, partly in imitation of the noise of the shuttle. Cf. Shiedeldy-shadeldy.(2) Kcb. 1900 R. J. Muir Mystery Muncraig ii.:
He was somewhat weaver-kneed.(3) Kcb. 1897 A. J. Armstrong Robbie Rankine 22:
A wee, lang-faced, weaver-looking cratur ye could hae stappit in your breek-pouch.(6) Lnk. 1886 A. G. Murdoch Readings I. 83:
Oor Davie was nae langer a puir, half-starved weaverty-waverty.
2. A knitter, esp. of stockings (Abd. 1825 Jam.).Abd. 1973:
The wife'll mak a gansey til ye; she's a gran wyver.
3. A spider (Uls. 1953 Traynor; ne.Sc., em.Sc. (a), wm.Sc., Wgt. 1973). Also attrib. and in comb. wyver's wob, a spider's web.Abd. 1875 G. MacDonald Malcolm (1927) xxv.:
He wad gie a great skriech, and rin as fast as his wee weyver legs cud wag.Abd. 1955 People's Jnl. (26 Nov.):
The pailin' an' lang girse wis hingin' wi' wyvers wobs.Abd. 1959 People's Jnl. (14 Nov.):
'Is book Ah wis reading tells ma there's 584 different kin's o' wyvers an' in Englan' an' Wales 2,200,000,000 of 'em.Abd. 1963 J. C. Milne Poems 63:
Nae wyvers and their moose-wobs wid be hingin on the wa's.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web vi:
As a Scots screiver, I sit in the mids o ma culture, like a wyver in her wab. The wab is gossamer thin. It's fell intricate.
