What does tawing mean?
Tawing is the present participle of the archaic verb taw, meaning to make something tame through gradual training or familiarization. The word is most closely associated with falconry, where a handler tawed a wild hawk or falcon by habituating it to human presence, food, restraint, and controlled movement. The process made the bird both manageable and bold, qualities essential for hunting with it. In broader, older usage, tawing could refer to rendering any wild creature or a frightened person less apprehensive and more accustomed to human control. Today the word rarely appears in ordinary conversation, though specialized histories of falconry may preserve it in its original sense. Its survival gives modern readers a vivid glimpse of the vocabulary of historical bird training. The related noun tawing can refer to the practice itself, while the shorter verb taw remains its base form.
verbTo make tame, especially by gradual habituation; historically, to train a wild bird of prey to become bold and manageable.
- To make a wild bird of prey tame, bold, and accustomed to human handling.
- To make something or someone tame through gradual training or habituation.
"The falconer spent weeks tawing the young hawk before beginning its training."
"After months of patient tawing, the wild hawk accepted food from the falconer's gloved hand."
"The account describes the gradual tawing of the frightened captive."
Tawing preserves an old falconer's technique: turning a wild hawk into a bold companion through patient training.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tawing come from?
Tawing comes from Middle English tawen, meaning to make tame. The word was borrowed from Old Norse tamr, meaning tame, and belongs to the same Germanic word family as English tame. Its modern sense developed particularly in falconry, where tawing described the early process of making a wild bird of prey bold and manageable.
Related word forms
How tawing is actually used
Tawing is archaic in general English and is encountered chiefly in historical writing or specialized falconry contexts. In modern usage it usually has a markedly literary or historical tone.
Easily confused with tawing
Tawing means making something or someone tame, whereas towing means pulling or hauling something along.