Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
CLIVVIE, Klivvy, Clevie, Clavie, n. [′klɪvi, ′kle:vi]
†1. “A cleft in the branch of a tree” (Bnff. 1825 Jam.2).
2. “An artificial cleft in a piece of wood, for holding a rush-light” (Ib.; 1883 Trans. Bnffsh. Field Club (April), clevie, clavie). Bnff.2 (1937) gives: “an artificial cleft in a piece of iron for holding a fir-can'le.”
3. A cleft instrument used for singling out and holding in position a whin-top about to be cut (Abd.5 1924).Bnff. 1921 Passing of the Laird in Bnffsh. Jnl. (9 March) 7:
I have talked to an old man who used the “hyeuck an clivvie” in cutting the green tops of whins.
4. “Place where a tide splits in two portions (on a skerry, etc.)” (Ork. 1929 Marw., klivvy).
[Marw. derives from O.N. klyf, prop. = a cleaving (cf. O.N. klyfja, to split, cleave (Zoëga)). It may, however, come directly from the root of Eng. cleave, to split, with vowel shortening, as in speak, Sc. spik, etc.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Clivvie n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 27 Dec 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/clivvie>
