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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Thraf(e, Thraif(f, Thrave, Threif(f, Threv(e, n. Also: thraff(e, thraw(e, thrauf, thraive, thraiwe, thref, thrieff, threiv(e, thr(i)eave, threafe, threeve, thrive, traif(f, treyf, treav, trey. [ME and e.m.E. threve (Piers Plowman), thraue (1423), trawe (c1447), thrafe (c1462), threfe, thrave (both Cath. Angl.), trave (1504-5), threff (1512-13), thravffe (1584), threave (1618-19), appar. of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. þrefi, Norw. treve, traeve, MSw. þrave, Dan. trave.] A quantity of cut unthreshed grain, straw, lint, heather, etc. Also uninfl. pl. and pl. as sing. Also transf.In the later dial., two stooks or shocks of, on average, twelve sheaves each (SND, s.v. Threave n. 1). For the weight of a thrafe in the 17th c., see the quot. 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 77, in sing. (f).The pl. as sing. example may represent an erroneous expansion of a final flourish.For many further examples, see M. Works Acc. II Index, s.v. Thraves. 1331 Exch. R. I 359.
In falcacione trescentarum travarum cooperturesing. 1450–1 Reg. Episc. Brechin. II 85.
Ylke husband an thraf of corn and half an ferlot of meil 1515 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 34.
The bere was all schorne … extendand to xxxvi thrawes estimat ilky thrid thraff to geff the boll 1665 Edinb. Test. LXXII 42.
Thraffe(b) 1483 Acta Aud. *113/1.
lx of thrafis of stray price of the thraif vi d. 1562 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 19 Dec.
To deliuer to Alexander Cagear ane thraif stray 1605 Tailor's Acc. Bk. 36b.
Beir stray at viij s. the thraiwe(c) 1512 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 17.
[In exchange] for ilk ane fuder of muk ane thrauf of stra(d) 1556 Elgin Rec. I 30.
The threafe of fodder, viij d.(e) a1605 Birrel Diary 36.
Everie thrieff had ane boll of beir and ane peck(f) 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 77.
The pryce of the threive stra to be fourtein shilling Scotts … each treav to be fourscore pound troise weight 1672 Lauder Jrnl. 209.
And for his paynes was to have a threiv of straw of each husband-land yeirly with some other dueties 1676 Corshill Baron Ct. 136.
Threive(g) 1674 Cunningham Diary 37.
For a threeve of straw to the stoned horse(h) 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 77 (see (f) above).
Treavinfl. pl. 1164 Liber Scon 14.
Decem thraves avene 1478 Acta Aud. 60/2.
A stak of aitis extending to ij c & thre score of thravis of fothir 1483 Acta Aud. *113/1 (see (b) above).
Thrafis 1495 Acta Conc. I 399/2.
For xxviij thraiffis of aitis & xxviij thrawis of ber & quhete reft & takin fra thaim 1502 Acta Conc. MS XII 84.
Foure thraiffis of lynt … the price of the thraif ij s. 1520 Dumfries B. Ct. 24b (27 Feb.).
xiiii threiffs of corn xiiii schaiffs les or thairby of ane ruide of land off the kirkland 1567 Edinb. Test. I 3b.
In the barnȝard … threscoir thraves of quheit estimat to thre thraves the boll 1584 Burntisland B. Ct. 31 July.
Certane thrawis of aitt stray quhilk the said Johine Bankis coft … fra … Johine Woly to theik ane hous with all 1616 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 53.
For four threaves aitt strae to the horssis … Mair for thame 14 threave peis stra at xxiiii s. the threave 1620 Orkney & Shetl. Test. 50b.
xviij thraives aittis price of the thrave xx s. 1671 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III 406.
Threives 1672 Old Ross-shire I 168.
His sheep and other bestiall did eat and destroy fyve threvs oats comprysed to 10 firlots 1697 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 679.
Thrives(b) 1525 Wigtown B. Ct. 182b.
Haldyne fra hyme of iii schore of treys of fodir(c) 1601 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 394.
Traiffisuninfl. pl. 1467 Misc. Spald. C. V 23.
The man that he come borch for … for xxxii thraw of thak hathir 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 165.
Sex thrave of ate fothyr in a turs of gud and freis thyng with aucht and wunt seruys 1475 Acta Aud. 40/1.
lxxiij thrafe of atis xxiiij thravis of quhete 1482 Acta Aud. 109/1.
viij bolle of threschyne corne, xij thrafe vnthreschin corn 1503 Lanark B. Rec. 13.
To John Crayll for thre dusan … threif off heder to the belhous 1504–5 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 50.
Nyne thraif of aits and fyve thraiff of beir 1513 Reg. Cupar A. I 291.
vj thraf of et foder 1513–14 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 26.
Jhone and his sone … that scher and band the said corne … be thair gret aicht depones that tua thraiff or litel mor wald geiff the boll 1513–14 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 26.
Thraff 1550 Prestwick B. Rec. 61.
For the wrangus away taken of ane certane beyr furth of the hen akyr, estymet to ij thref 1616 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 8.
For tua turse of ait stray at xxiiii s. the thraif being ii thraif in the turse with the binding 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 68.
For 20 threve peis stra at 2 merk threve for interteynment of 12 cart horsis … For a threve of quhit stra to bind it with 1620 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 251.
Ane litill beir stak of 24 traif 1654–6 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 601.
12 thrave of strae for thecking of laigh houses 1668 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 226.
With fourscoir threave good strae as steilbow to ly upon the saidis lands dureing this present take or else 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 10b.
For 4 thrave straw to be rops to the lumes [sc. of a house] 1671 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 101.
Thrieave 1690 Foulis Acc. Bk. 129.
For … 2 thrave of thack for the hey stack 1698 Edgar Old Church Life I 39.
To thatch the manse wholly over is needful, which will take of straw sixty threave(b) 1532 Wigtown B. Ct. 268b.
Tre treyf of covrnepl. as sing. 1562 Liber Dryburgh 301.
Vno lie thravis pabulitransf. 15.. Lord Fergus' Gaist 18.
To coniure the littill gaist ȝe mon haif Off tod tailis ten thraif

b. transf. A large number; a group, company, crowd. a1500 Colk. Sow i 352.
Curris kenseis and knavis Inthrang and dansit in thravis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 120/55.
Unwourthy I … Ane kirk dois craif and nane can have; Sum with ane thraif playis passage plane