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 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ravin, Rawin, Revin, n.¹ Also: rew-, reav- and -ine, -yn(e, -en(e. [ME (c1220) and e.m.E. rauen, -on, -yn(e; reafne (Ancr. R.), reven (c1300), rewyn, reuyn (1486), OE hræfn, MDu. rāven, OHG (h)raban (MHG raben), ON rafn, Goth. *hrabn-s.]

a. A raven.Freq. in fig. or allusive use.Also attrib. and comb.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvii 359.
A rewand rawine come in hy c1420 Wynt. i 410.
Than Noe fyrst send furth the rawyn a1447 Bower Chron. vi xii in Fordun (1759) I 327.
Quod quia, dæmoniaco instinctu, effigie corvino deformaverant, rawyn vocabant c1450-2 Howlat 215 (A).
The ravyne rolpand rudly in a roche ran Ib. 809. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1160 (Bann.).
Schir corby rawin … Sommond the scheip befoir the wolf a1500 Seven S. 2656.
The hie ravyn … The scho ravyn a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 423.
Quhen that the ravyns sall ryve out bath thine ene c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 164/114. 1531 Bell. Boece I xlii. a1538 Abell 108b.
& his body hing on the gallus to the rawenis 1549 Compl. 39/12.
The ropeen of the rauynis gart the crans crope 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8529. 1570 Sat. P. xxii 51.
Or rauinnis thé rug with bludie beik in bittis 1558-66 Knox I 107.
The Hammyltonis … repaired to the Courte as ravenes to the carioun 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Rauine a1658 Durham Clavis Cantici 306.
They are compared to the blacknesse of a raven(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 153/117.
Thae tarmegantis … Full lowd in Ersche begowth to clatter And rowp lyk revin [M. revene] and ruke 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 661.
The reuin come rolpand quhen he hard the rair a1605 Montg. Flyt. 282 (T).
[They] Saw revinis [H. reavenes] ruge at this rat a1585 Polwart Flyt. 559 (T).
Rewinis 1682 Irvine Nomenclatura 180.
Eggs of an ill-omen, such are the reven's eggs(c) 1558-66 Knox I 256.
The freiris rowping lyik reavins upoun the bischoppes 1611-57 Mure Psalmes cxlvii 9.
Reavensattrib. and comb. 1531 Bell. Boece I 111.
In Carrik was ane child borne with ane ravin heid a1582 Sir Colling 196.
The steid … was rewin blak

b. As the first element of a place-name. c1140 Liber Calchou 297.
Rauendenam a1190 Liber Melros 141.
Rauenesfen a1238 Lindores Chart. 65.
In Rauengille uilla mea 1275 Liber Dryburgh 109.
In Revenysden infra villam de Berwico 1491 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 71.
Ravinniscrag

c. As the name of a ship. 1506 Treas. Acc. III 340.
The schip callit the Rawin 1508 Ib. IV 109.

d. Applied to a person having the (supposedly) vicious and self-seeking characteristics of the raven. a1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvii 71.
Ȝe latt rukis and ravynis rin throw the nett, And saikles dowis makis subiect to the law 1669 Jus Populi 449.
This man who is a black raven of the same nest