What is "a'rovin"?

Question

I have been listening sea chanties and I found one named The Maiden from Amsterdam, but in the lyrics it says

A rovin', a rovin'
Since rovin's been my ru-i-in,
I'll go no more a roving,
With you fair maid!

So the question, is what is a roving ?

roving (adj): going to many different places. The a is just a lyrical addition. — Ian MacDonald, Mar 12 '15 at 20:57
I wonder if the shanty might be younger than, and alluding to, Byron's "So we'll go no more a-roving." — Brian Donovan, Mar 12 '15 at 22:56

score 3 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

3

Rovin' is short for roving.

Adjective:

going to many different places

M-W

A rovin' employs an artistic device in music to fill the meter. Without the stylization:

Oh Roving, Oh Roving

Since Roving's been my ruin,

I'll go no more roving,

With you fair maid!

He'll not be rovin' with this "fair maiden" anymore!

edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

Community

1

answered Mar 12 '15 at 21:34

ScotM

30,572

2

Or maybe, he is married to another, and he's done a rovin' with this not-so-fine woman? – Good A.M. Mar 12 '15 at 23:10
1

And so it is! @GoodA.M.! – ScotM Mar 12 '15 at 23:50

WS2 · Answer 2 · 2015-03-13T06:43:41.880

Oxford English Dictionary.

Roving adj

Of speech, thought, etc.: moving from one thing to another; treating of many subjects unsystematically; rambling, unstructured; (also) constantly active; rest

Of a manner of doing something, a person's life, etc.: characterized by roving (roving n.1 2) or an inclination to rove; esp. (of life, a period of time, etc.) spent roving. Cf. roving n.1

3.a. Of a person's eyes, gaze, etc.: moving in changing directions, esp. in appraising or searching for something, spec. with allusion to a tendency to flirt or be constantly looking for new potential sexual or romantic partners, esp. when one is already in a relationship (chiefly in roving eye). Cf. rover n.2 2b.

b. Of a person or a person's mind: inclined towards sexual promiscuity or adultery; adulterous; promiscuous.

a. Esp. of a person or animal: that travels from place to place without fixed route or destination; wandering, roaming; nomadic; (also) marauding.

b. Of a person in relation to his or her job: required to travel to various locations; peripatetic. Freq. in roving reporter.

c. Sport. Having the freedom or propensity to move about the field of play at will rather than remain in a set position. Cf. roving commission n. 3

Made or held on the basis of incomplete information; conjectural. Cf. rove v.2 3a. Obs.

There are multiple examples of each use starting from circa 1560.

I’m going to have The Gypsy Rover stuck in my head all night now. :) — tchrist, Mar 13 '15 at 03:31
@tchrist Interesting that the OED describes it as an adjective. It presumably isn't regarded as a verb, because it is not used in any other form. Though I think I have heard things like would you rove around and see who's there.... — WS2, Mar 13 '15 at 06:48

What is "a'rovin"?

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