Also 4 tavernyer, tavarnere, 5 tawerner, -yrner, tavernere, 6 -ar, Sc. -eir, 7 -o(u)r; (5 taberner). [a. AF. taverner = OF. tavernier used in senses 1 and 2 below (c. 1200 in Godef., Compl.), f. taverne, TAVERN, or:—post-cl. L. tabernārius shopkeeper.]
1. One who keeps a tavern; a tavern-keeper. arch.
13[?]. Sir Beues (A.), 4357. He askede at þe tauarnere, Þat armede folk, what it were.
1340. Ayenb., 44. And zelleþ ontreweliche, ase doþ þise tavernyers þet uelleþ þe mesure myd scome.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xxvi. 28. The tauerner shal not be iustified fro synnes of lippis.
14[?]. Nom., in Wr.-Wülcker, 688/19. Hic tabernarius, taberner.
14[?]. Lytyll Thanke, 19, in Ritson, Anc. Songs (1792), 78. They callyd the tawyrner to ffyll þe quarte, And lette note for the coste.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxxiv. 46 (R. MS.). ‘Be Godis bluid,’ quod the taverneir, ‘Thair is sic wyne in my selleir As neuir come in this cuntrie.’
1530. Palsgr., 279/2. Tavernar a wyne sellar, tauernier.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 46. Are you become indeed a Tavernour, Whose father was a woorthy governour?
1720. Strype, Stow’s Surv., II. 194/1. This Company anciently consisted of … The Vinteners, who were the Merchants that imported Wine…, and the Taverners, who kept Taverns for them, and sold it out by Retayl.
1760. J. Adams, Diary, Wks. 1850 II. 85. [He] may … multiply taverns and dram shops, and thereby secure the votes of taverner and retailer.
1808. S. Freeman, Town Officer, 302. A taverner … who suffers any dancing or revelling in his house … forfeits 30s.
1868. E. Edwards, Ralegh, I. iv. 66. Under the powers of the assigned patent, [he] considerably increased the number of licensed taverners.
1921. G. Moore, Héloïse & Abélard, 10. Thy words, taverner, bring the flavour of thy shad to my mouth.
† 2. One who frequents a tavern or taverns; a tippler. Obs.
1340. Ayenb., 51. Vor alþeruerst he becomþ tauernyer, þanne he playþ ate des.
1579. Twyne, Phisicke agst. Fort., II. xc. 278 b. There is … nothyng more vayne then typplers and Tauerners.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus i. 7 (1619), 129. So should I be a swearer? a taverner? a drunkard?
