haviourn.

Etymology: Originally < French aveir, avoir ‘having, possession, property, estate, wealth, etc.’, substantive use of avoir , Old French aveir to have. First used in English in the Norman form aveyr (see aver n.); the Central French form avoir appeared about 1400, and displaced aver, except in the northern dialect, where that form survived in a specific sense. In 14–15th cent., association with the English have, having, introduced the variants haver, havoir, havour, and the h was established before 1500. At the same time the parallel behavour was formed on the English behave; and in 16th cent. havour, beside its original sense of ‘possession’, took also that of behavour. Subsequently the termination of both words passed through -eour to -iour (compare saviour, and nonstandard lovier for lover); the original sense ‘possession’ became obsolete; and, in the new sense, haviour came down alongside of behaviour, of which it may often have been viewed as a shortened by-form.