The word occurs twice in page 61. vol. ii. of the Sportsman's Cabinet, in the article on the Stag or Red Deer, where it is printed Heavier; and it will be found also as Hever, in Mr. Jesse's Scenes and Tales of Country Life, at page 349.
WM. YARRELL.
Ryder Street, St. James, Feb. 11. 1850.
Mr. Halliwell gives the words haver and havering, in the same sense as havior. Are not these words identical with aver, averium, in the sense of cattle, tame beasts? Averium, from the old French, aveir, i.e. avoir, originally meant any personal property; but like catalla, chattels, it came to signify more particularly the most important part of a peasant's possessions—namely, his live stock. Thus, in the laws of William the Conqueror (Thorpe's Ancient Laws, vol. ii. p. 469.), we find:—
"Si præpositus hundredi equos aut boves aut oves aut porcos vel cujuscumque generis averia vagancia restare fecerit," &c.
The word may naturally enough have been applied to deer reduced to the state of tame and domesticated cattle.
C.W.G.
[TREBOR furnishes us with a reference to Pegge's Anonymiana, who endeavours to show that the proper term is "halfer;" on the same principle that an entire horse is spoken of, the word being pronounced "hâver" by those who call half "hâfe," while those who pronounce half with the open a say "hauver:" while J. Westby Gibson suggests that Havior is Evir, from the Latin "Eviro, Eviratus, Eviratio," but admits that he can give no authority for the use of Evir.]
Sir W. Hamilton (No. 14. p. 216.).—Douglas says, that this Sir W. Hamilton was not son, but grandson and brother of the 1st and 2nd earls of Abercorn, his father having died vitâ patris. I therefore doubt that the inscription has been miscopied. "He was," Douglas says, "resident at Rome, on the part of the Queen Dowager;" but this could hardly be the service alluded to.
C.