Sc. Also 9 taiver. [freq. of TAVE v.] intr. To wander vaguely or aimlessly; to wander mentally, to talk incoherently as one delirious; to talk idly and foolishly. Hence Tavering vbl. sb. and ppl. a., wandering, etc.; Tavert ppl. a., fatigued or exhausted with wandering, or with toil or struggle; incoherent, confused, stupefied, stupid; also Taversome a., fatiguing, exhausting.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (Rolls), III. 420. Fra hill to hill rynnand as tha war hyrit, In mure and mos so tavert war and tyrit.
a. 1598. Rollock, Serm., Wks. 1849, I. 435. He callis our warkis tavering, going out of the way. Ibid., 436. His actiounis ar taverings, all wandring out of the way. [So ed. 1599; ed. 1616 wauering, wauerings.]
1808–18. Jamieson, Taiver, to wander;… to rave as mad…. Taiversum, tiresome, fatiguing. Taivert.
1822. Galt, Sir A. Wylie, xxx. Ye wouldna hae me … to sit till I’m taver’t?… I fin’ the wine rinnin in my head already. Ibid. (1823), Entail, xviii. I would na trust the hair o’ a dog to the judgment o’ that tavert bodie, Gibby Omit.
1887. J. Service, Dr. Duguid, xxii. The taivert tenets of the Antiburgher Kirk.
