thrave, threave Chiefly Sc. and north. Eng.
(θreɪv, θriːv)
Forms: α. 1 pl. þreues; 4–6, 9 threve, 5 threfe, 6 threff, threif(f, threafe, 7 Sc. thref, 8 Sc. threive, 9 Sc. thrief, thrieve, 7– threave. β. 5 Sc. thraf, 5–6 thraue, thrafe, north. thrawe, 6 thrayf, thravffe, Sc. thraif, 9 thraive, 5– thrave. γ. Sc. and north. 3 traue, 5 trawe, 6 (8– dial.) trave (cf. med.L. trava in Du Cange), 9 dial. traeve.
[Of Scandinavian origin; in α, a. West Scand. *þrefe, Icel. þrefi, Norw. treve, træve; in β, a. East Scand. *þrafe, MSw. þrave, Sw. trafve, Da. trave (whence NFris. (Sylt.) traav). *þrefe and *þrafe were prob. ablaut variants.]
1. Two shocks or stooks of corn (or pulse), generally containing twelve sheaves each, but varying in different localities; hence used as a measure of straw, fodder, etc.
| α 963–84 in Birch Cart. Sax. III. 367 Swa man ær simle dide tioþunge æt ælcere sylh an foðer cornes þe eahte þreues cornes on weron. 1483 Cath. Angl. 384/2 (MS. A.) A Threfe [v.r. thrave] of corne, traua. 1512–13 Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 106 Pro xl threff straminis. 1556 Records of Elgin (N. Spalding Cl.) I. 30 The threafe or fodder, viij d. 1572 in Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 1576. 708/2 For ane threif of custome stray. 1618–19 N. Riding Rec. II. 189 A Thirske woman presented for stealing six threaves of Hempe value 10/. 1716 Parochial Rec. Stonehouse 17 July, To cause pull sixtie threive of heather for thatching. 1812 Sir J. Sinclair Syst. Husb. Scot. i. 330 A threave of wheat, consisting of twenty-eight sheaves, each sheaf measuring thirty inches round,..a threave of barley, oats, or pease, of twenty-four sheaves, each thirty inches round. 1822 Lights & Shadows of Sc. Life 214 (Jam.), I have thrashed a few thrieves in the minister's barn. 1851 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. XII. i. 129 An acre of good oats generally averages 32 threves (768 sheaves). |
| β 1423 Act 2 Hen. VI, c. 2 Endowé..dun Thrave des blees aprendre annuelment de chescun charue... Endowed..of a thraue of corn to be taken yerely of euery ploughe. c 1462 Wright's Chaste Wife 245 A thrafe of flex. 1537 Stanlowe Cell Inv. (Publ. Rec. Office), vj Thrayf of vnthrashen Barlycorne. 1551 in Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees) I. 134 A c. thrave of wheit and rye at ij s. vj d. a thrave. 1584 Shuttleworths' Acc. (Chetham Soc.) 19 Eighte thravffe of stroue sould at Houle viij{supd}. 1679 Filmer Freeholder 54 Their Living..consisted chiefly upon the having of a Thrave of Corn of every Plow-land. 1865 W. White E. Eng. I. 289, Reapers got sixpence a thrave for their reaping. |
| γ 1284 Acc. Exch. K.R. Bd. 97 No. 3 Pro .lxxij. Trauis litere emptis..pro eisdem [horses]. c 1447 in Jarrow & Wearmouth (Surtees) 242 Tho trawes and other arrerage of the said corn. 1504–5 Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 251 Pro xxxij trave de lyng. 1764 Museum Rust. II. xxxiii. 107 Some shock their sheaves setting them up in traves of six sheaves of a side, and two to cap them. Ibid., If the sheaves were dry when the traves were set up. 1868 Atkinson Cleveland Gloss., Thrave, pron. trave, treeav. 1900 Shetland News 22 Sept. (E.D.D.), What mak's doo o' da twartree [= two or three] traeve o' bare. 1905 Contemp. Rev. July 95, I learned how to build a trave (which is by interpretation a shock or stook). |
2. transf. and
fig. A large number; a company; a multitude, a ‘heap’, a ‘lot’.
| α 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xvi. 55, I have þouȝtes a threve of þis þre piles, In what wode thei woxen. 1610 B. Jonson Alch. v. ii, Gallants..[have] beene seene to flock here In threaues. 1635 J. Jones Adrasta iii. i. G j, Come, gi' me a threave of kisses. 1825 Scott Betrothed xxi, Minstrels singing ballads by the threave. |
| β 1486 Bk. St. Albans f vi b, A Thraue of Throsheris. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxvi. 55 Sum with ane thraif playis passage plane. a 1656 Bp. Hall Rev. Unrevealed §8 Tidings..of a thrave of Jews newly converted. |
† 3. A bundle or handful tied up like a small sheaf.
Obs.| 1606 Chapman Gentleman Usher ii. i. Plays 1873 I. 273 Lay me vm [rushes] thus In fine smoothe threaues, look you sir, thus, in threaues. 1656 Sir J. Mennis K. Oberon's Apparel in Musarum Del. 34 His Belt was made of mirtle leaves, Plaited in small curious threaves. |
Hence
ˈthraver,
ˈthreaver, a reaper who is paid according to the number of thraves he cuts;
ˈthreaving vbl. n., the practice of paying reapers at so much for the thraves.
| 1812 Sir J. Sinclair Syst. Husb. Scot. i. 329 About six years ago, another practice took place in that district, which..is called threaving. 1813 G. Robertson Agric. Surv. Kincard. 264 (Jam.) While a reaper cuts..at the rate of nine threaves a-day, a threaver will..cut ten threaves in the same time. 1844 Stephens Bk. Farm III. 1053 Threavers..have a strong inducement to cut the straw near the ground. |