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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1925

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CANAIVE, v. To gossip, gen. maliciously. [kɪ′ne:v]Ags.10 (Broughty Ferry) 1925:
They're up tae nae gude fan they're canaivin'.

[Phs. a variant of Eng. connive, to shut one's eyes to a thing (early 17th cent.), later, to have a covert understanding with a person (1797), with further extension of meaning.]

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"Canaive v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 1 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/canaive>

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