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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.

WEAVE, v. Also waeve (Sh. 1916 J. Burgess Rasmie's Smaa Murr (September 6)); weyve, wyve (Abd. 1954 Banffshire Jnl. (26 Jan.)), wive; †wefe. Pa.t. strong wove; wuive (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 209, Bwk. 1942 Wettstein) [wøv]; weive (Bnff. 1782 Caled. Mercury (14 Aug.)), ‡weeve (ne.Sc. 1973), †weave [wi:v]; weak weaved (Rxb. 1942 Zai), weavt, wyved (Abd. 1943 W. S. Forsyth Guff o' Waur 58), weivt (ne.Sc. 1973). Pa.p. strong waven; wuven (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 209; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein) [wøvn]; wiv(v)en (Abd. 1880 W. Robbie Glendornie iv., 1933 J. H. Smythe Blethers 38, Abd. 1973), weiven (Mry. 1887 A. G. Wilken Peter Laing 26), w(e)yven [wɪvn; wivn]; weak weyvt (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 209; ne.Sc., Ags. 1973) [wivt; ne.Sc., Ags. wəivt]. Sc. forms and usages. [wiv; ne.Sc. wəiv, see P.L.D. § 126.2; Sh., em.Sc. (a) wev]

1. Sc. forms of Eng. weave. 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.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 40:
Bit Mains is in a bog o swyte, his winkers fite wi styoo.
He's stecht in's wivven draavers an sair hankit in's surtoo.
He's burssen, fool an yokie an crochlie i the queets.
The verra feet o him's roassen an fair lowpin in his beets.Abd. 2000 Sheena Blackhall The Singing Bird 9:
An fa can snib the door o Time wi feint a backwird teet
At sonsie simmer's reamin quaich wi barley bree replete,
Fin aa Cromar's a reeshlin loch o sweyin fuskered heids,
An douce Loch Davan's emerant waves wyve doucely roon its reeds?

Sc. usages: 2. To knit, esp. stockings (Abd. 1825 Jam.; ne.Sc., Ags. 1973). See also Shank, n., 3. Vbl.n. weavin, wyvein, the act of knitting, a piece of knitted wool (Sc. 1787 J. Beattie Scoticisms 106; Abd. 1882 G. MacDonald Castle Warlock xlix.; ne.Sc., Ags. 1973). Comb. weivin-weer, a knitting-needle.Ayr. 1785 Burns Ep. to J. Lapraik ii.:
On Fasten-e'en we had a rockin, To ca' the crack and weave our stockin.Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 47:
Her wark was shanks, that keepit up our store, I think she weeve them aye to Provost Moir.Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 61:
She taucht the bairns to read the carritches an' the Proverbs, an' weave stockins.Abd. 1879 A. F. Murison Memoirs (1935) 210:
He was a steady worker all day and weave stockings at times in the Evenings.Abd. 1882 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 230:
Dropping his big “wyv'n bonnet” over the toddling creature's head.Abd. 1905 W. Watson Auld Lang Syne 282:
This worsted they knitted into stockings which was called “wyvin' at the factory shank.”ne.Sc. 1915 W. S. Bruce Nor' East 33:
I houp it winna be throu' afore I get ma stockin' wuven for the sodgers.Abd. 1929 P. Grey Ravelled Yarn 18:
Samples o' yer verra best wyvein'.Ags. 1945 Scots Mag. (April) 39:
Fa keeps me eident weyvin' 'oo?Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick i.:
A'se tak ma shank an' weive in 'e glowmin. . . . Av'e tint ae loop an' A canna get ma weivin-weer in o' annidder een.Bnff. 1987:
Wyvin is knitting in general not only stockings. Bnff. 1993:
Ma mither used tae sit in front of the fire wyvin socks for ma faither.

2. To make a herring-net, to construct the mesh-work (ne.Sc., Ags. 1973).

3. Vbl.n. weavin, -en, †wefen (Ags. 1736 A. J. Warden Burgh Laws Dundee (1872) 458), †wiffin (Dmf. 1825 Jam.), in phr. †in a weavin, in a moment, in a jiffy (n.Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis; Abd. 1825 Jam.), sc. from the motion of the shuttle in a loom.Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Journal 29:
In a weaven the house wis gain like Lowren-fair; for you wou'd na' hard day nar door.