Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1897-1991
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CHAUVE, Chave, Chawve, v. and n. Cf. Kyauve and Eng. dial. tave. [tʃɑ:v]
1. v. To work hard, to struggle hard, often with little result. Known to Bnff.2 and Abd. correspondents (1939). Ppl.adj. chauven, "worn out" (Bch. 1916 (per Abd.14)).Mry.(D) 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sketches iv.:
"Fat's daein' up the wy?" "Little o't. Aye chawvin awa'."Abd.15 1928:
The vratch [a pig] chauvt an' wammlet.Mearns 1932 "L. G. Gibbon" Sunset Song, Prelude 33:
Though well he might have taken the time instead of sweating and chaving like a daft one to tear up the coarse moorland.Dundee 1991 Ellie McDonald The Gangan Fuit 33:
Man i the muin he's staunan an chauvan
wi a graipful o breers he's warslan awaa.
Sic a wunner it is he disnae gang skitan
wi joukan an trummlan sae feart gin he'll faa.m.Sc. 1979 William J. Rae in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 80:
He began tae feel awfu tired anaa, and though he chaved himsel tae bide awauk, he couldna keep himsel frae noddin aff.
2. n. A hard task, a struggle. Known to Bnff.2 and Abd. correspondents (1939).mn.Sc. 1931 I. Macpherson Shepherd's Calendar 250:
It's a sair chauve cairting that barrow-load o' guts aboot wi' him the whole time.Mearns 1934 "L. G. Gibbon" Grey Granite I. 15:
She put out her hand on that rail, warm, slimy, and paused afore tackling the chave of the climb.
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"Chauve v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/chauve_v_n>
