Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1879-1908
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NAVER, n. Also naaver, -ar, naabar (Edm.). The nape of the neck, the uppermost vertebra in a sheep's neck (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 150, 1914 Angus Gl.).
Hence -naverd, -necked, as in t'ick-naverd, thick-necked. Also in place-names, as de Grind o' de Navir, Naverholm, etc.
Comb.: naver(s) ben, nafar-, njafer(s)-, id. (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), 1914 Angus Gl.). [′nɑ:vər]Sh. 1879 Shetland Times (17 May):
But 'ad I honly got 'old o' 'im dat night, by 'oly modder I'd tristed 'is navir like a sillick!Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
My naver is sare. He struck me ower de naver. He broke his naver.
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"Naver n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Aug 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/naver>
