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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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DEAVE, De(e)ve, Deive, Da(i)ve, De(a)v, v., n. [di:v Sc., but Cai. + deiv, Ags. deɪv; de:v Sh., Ork., Per., Fif.]

I. v.

1. To deafen (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), dev, 1914 Angus Gl., deav; Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. Ork. Par. (1922) 150, dave; Cai.⁷ 1940, deive, deeve; Lnk. 1949 (per Mearns ⁶); Uls. 1934 Dial. Words in Mid-Uls. Mail (Dec.), deave). Also ¶deaven (Abd. 1868 W. Shelley Wayside Flowers 177). Ppl.adj. and vbl.n. deavin', deevin', deafening (noise). Gen.Sc.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems 33:
But dinna wi' ye'r Greeting grieve me, Nor wi' your Draunts and Droning deave me.Abd. 1932 R. L. Cassie Sc. Sangs 21:
An' noo an' than we hear a flist, A reerd wud deeve Van Winkle.m.Sc. 1917 J. Buchan Poems 60:
But in a' that deavin' din Like the cry o' the lost in Hell.wm.Sc. 1988 Christine Marion Fraser Storm over Rhanna (1990) 261:
' ... I'm thinkin' he was maybe pleased to be rid o' it for it's fair deeved my own lugs all mornin' wi' its shoutin'.' em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 7:
Oceans an bens will flee awa,
Deaved wi the dour trumpet's rummle, ... Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 12:
The howlet screamt, the liche fowle's hoarse Did sairly deave her ear.

Hence deavesome, deivesome, davesam, deafening, noisy.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 134:
The davesam brats wur hungry aye.em.Sc. 1913 J. Black Gloamin' Glints 76:
Keep quate, and sae be strong, Nae clish-ma-claver heedin', Nor deavesome ding-a-dong.Edb. 1915 T. W. Paterson Auld Saws 102:
That's the saecret o' the scrammie, An' this deivesome steer.Lnk. 1853 W. Watson Poems 27:
Workin' awa frae morn till e'en, Wi' deavesome clatter.

2. Hence extended to mean to bother, to annoy; esp. to annoy or weary by constantly talking or asking questions, to bore (Ork. 1929 Marw., daive; Cai.⁷ 1940; Mry.¹ 1925; Bnff.², Abd. correspondents, Fif.¹, Slg.³ 1940).Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian v.:
Houts, Mrs Saddletree . . . dinna deave me wi' your nonsense.Sc. 1989 Scotsman 7 Jan 7:
But by the end of Ne'er Day, anyone listening non-stop to Radio Scotland would be quite deaved with monotony. Sc. 1995 Scotland on Sunday 18 Jun 10:
More than once I have deeved you with news of bickering and grievous bother over the theft of songs - pinched, as it were, from the public domain of traditional folk music, .... Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 56:
Lass, dave na dy faider wi a lock o' dirt.Ork. 1908 J. T. S. Leask in Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 320:
Wir M. Pay jeust daves folk teu wi' 'is clatters aboot da trallers 'at am sheur never deud 'im ony herm.Ags. 1889 J. M. Barrie W. in Thrums vii.:
We'll be hae'n Tibbie ower here on Saturday to deve's to death aboot it.wm.Sc. 1986 Robert McLellan in Joy Hendry Chapman 43-4 26:
Ye dinna need to deive me wi't. wm.Sc. 1987 Anna Blair Scottish Tales (1990) 65:
Apart from his insufferable vanity there were three matters on which he deaved Glasgow citizens so, that they could barely stomach him. em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 70:
'I'll no deave ye wi the details ... 'Lth. 1928 S. A. Robertson With Double Tongue 19:
Tam's deavin me aboot the cries, And some day I'll say "Aye."Ayr. 1789 Burns Tam Glen (Cent. ed.) iv.:
My minnie does constantly deave me, And bids me beware o' young men.Kcb. 1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders v.:
As sune as the breath o' yin gaes oot, the ither yin'll tak' up the tale, and the deevin' will juist be eternal.

Hence deavement, a worry, a trouble.w.Dmf. 1920 J. L. Waugh Heroes in Homespun (1921) 60:
Ye're on the young side to be trauchled wi' an auld man's deavements.

II. n. An interminable talker (Abd.² 1900; Abd.⁹ 1940).Abd.⁷ 1925:
He's a rale deeve.Mearns 1933 "L. G. Gibbon" in Scots Mag. (Feb.) 332:
Once in a blue moon or so he'd come round, he fair was a deave as he sat by your fire.