Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

S(c)havin, -en, ppl. adj. Also: schaw-, schev-, schew-, scheav-, saw- and -yn. [ME and e.m.E. schauen (Manning); Schave v.]

1. Shaved; freq., tonsured, as in the schavin sort, the clergy (of the pre-Reformation church).A schavin berd, ? a closely cropped beard, or no beard at all.(1) ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 167.
Off preistis that bair schawin croun c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 151/28.
Preistis … with bair schevin nekkis 1533 Boece 310b.
Constantine … with schavyn hede he professit religioun 1540 Lynd. Sat. 800 (B).
Thow hes wat all my new schevin croun 1562 Reeves Sc. Prose bef. 1600 79.
Abrahame with thre parsonis with him … with schawin swyngeoris about him syngand te deum 1563 Ferg. Answer in 1563-72 Tracts 20.
Where are ye commanded to dissagyse your selues lyke players or fooles with shauen crownes? — 1560 Bk. Disc. 253.
The foirsworne schavin sorte 1567 G. Ball. 177.
Baneist is faith now euerie quhair Be the schauin sort a1578 Pitsc. II 57/20.
Chanonis monkis, preistis and the sawin [1814 shavin] sort(2) a1585 Polwart Flyt. 590 (T).
His schewin schoulderis schawis the merkis … Of tarledderis … and vther tawis(3) 1601 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 184.
The forme of it [sc. a spirit] … wes lyke ane litill bodie, haiffing a scheavin berd

2. Shaven latten, see Lattoun n. 2.