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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1754-1768

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†TARVEAL, v., adj. Also misprint taweal (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems Gl.). [′tɑrvel]

I. v. To drive (a person) hard at work, to harass, fatigue; to vex, plague.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Poems (S.T.S.) 143:
Gin ye anes begin, ye'll tarveal's night an' day.

II. adj. "Ill-natured, fretful."Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Journal 26:
The vile tarveal sleeth o' a coachman began to yark the peer beasts.

[In I. a met. form of Travail. The definition in II. is taken from Forbes's own gloss, and may represent a different word, or phs. an attrib. use of tarveal, Travail with sleeth, sc. "work-shy". O.Sc. has tarvaill, as a term of abuse, of uncertain specification, 1628.]

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"Tarveal v., adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/tarveal>

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