Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pavis, -es, -ice, n. Also: paw- and -ys, -eis; plur. pavesis, pavises, paves, -eis. [ME. and e.m.E. payvese (a 1400), paves (c 1400), -eys, -ice, -ys(se (15th c.), pauish (a 1548), etc., OF. pavais, -eis (1337 in Hatz.-Darm.; mod. F. pavois), med. L. pavesis, -(i)us, -(i)um, etc., appar. f. Pavia, the Italian place-name.]

1. A pavis, a large shield used to protect the body against arrows, etc.; any large shield. b. Chiefly, One of a row of such shields set up along the side of a ship as a defence against missiles.(1) 1494 Loutfut MS. 131 a.
The chiftane … suld be … maistir of fechting with the suerd and to keip him with his bukler or paves 1513 Doug. vii. xii. 67.
A ballen pavys [Sm. pavis] coverys thar left sydis Maid of hart skynnys and thik oxin hydis(2) plur. 1502 Treas. Acc. II. 147.
To the wrichtis … at the making of Egilles pavises 1513 Ib. IV. 476.
To Lorence Doddis smyth for … the bandyng of lxxx of paves to the schippis, ilk paves ii bandis 1538 Ib. VIII. 158.
Twelf burdis to be pavesis to the main tope Ib. 160.
For pantrey to the pavesis 1549 Compl. 41/29.
And paueis veil the top vitht pauesis and mantillis c1575 Balfour Pract. 631 (see Pavie n.³).
Paveissing. 1622-6 Bisset II. 220/13.
The admirall beand requyred may put in the saidis schipis ane pund poulder for ilk tun, ane paveis [Balfour pavie Pavie n.³], ane fyre speir for thrie tun … the haill eftir competent wecht

c. fig. A defence or protection, a ‘buckler’. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxvii. 36 (B).
This lord … wes our mychte pavis and our scheild Ib. lxxxv. 65 (A).
Jhesu … Our wys pavys fro enemys a1568 Bann. MS. 218 a/14.
Scho is … Off flurist fame the strang pavice

2. A testudo; a ( ? chiefly, overhead) pavisade or screen for defence. 1513 Doug. ix. viii. 1.
A pavys of tre [L. testudine] Hesyt togidder abuf thar hedys hie Ib. 130.
That punȝe Quhilk thame assalȝeit thekit with pavys he 1565 Reg. Privy C. I. 360.
Ane hundrith geistis to mak plat formes, pawesis and utheris thingis necessar for defence of the hous