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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ster(e, Sturr(e, n.¹ Also: steir(e, steyr, steer, steear, stur(e, stoure, stir(r)(e. [ME and e.m.E. stere (once, Destr. Troy), sturre (a1547), stirre (1549), ONorthumb. ᵹestir (once, gl. L. actio), ON styr; Ster(e v.¹]

1. Movement, passing into sense 3.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 2066.
I trow ȝe haif bene tussillit with sum tyke, That garris ȝow ly sa still withouttin steir a1540 Freiris Berw. 475 (B).
Quhat evir it be ȝe owdir se or heir Ȝe speik no word nor mak no kynd of steir(b) 1604-31 Craig ii 53.
That ichthiophagic Æthiopian slaue, Who boyls his angled fish by Phœbus beams Vpon a rock no other stire may craue; … but these my gliding gleams 1604-9 Grahame Anat. Hum. 31.
Her chamber-pot filled with sweet flowers (to stay the stur of water)

b. ? An instance of sense 1 above; the quantity of cloth to be stirred or agitated (cf. Ster(e v.¹ 4) at one time. 1711 Dundee B. Laws 570.
[The laws of the dyer lads … he that enters a] steear [without the ring, 2 d.; he that enters the drest side uppermost, 2 d.; he that leaves a] fatt [with a] steear [of cloth, 2 d.]

2. On stere, in a state of movement, activity or commotion; astir (cf. Asteir adv.), specif. a. Of an army, person and the like: On the move, moving purposefully; active. Also transf. 1375 Barb. vii 353.
Into full gret effray thai rais, And ilk man till his baner gays, Swa that the oyst wes all on ster. The king and thai that with him wer, Quhen on ster the oyst saw sua, Towart thar warand gan thai ga [etc.] 1375 Barb. xix 581.
That lord and other war on ster, And quhen the Douglas wyst thai wer … He blew his horne for to rely His men and bad thaim hald thar way Towart the water c1475 Wall. vi 543.
The Inglis wach, that nycht had beyne on steir Drew to thar ost rycht as the day can per a1500 Sir Eger 1401 (L).
While day come that the fowles sang He was riseing and soon on steer c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxii 121.
Than swyth Contritioun wes on steir, And did eftir Confessioun ryntransf. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xlii 78.
Sik straikis and stychling wes on steir; The semeliest wes maid assege To quhome that he wes presoneir

b. Of a place, community, etc.: In a state of tumult, commotion or civil disorder. a1400 Leg. S. xi 343.
Nere al the land Of Babylone one stere mad thai, & the apostolis to sla assay c1420 Wynt. vii 398.
Thus thai twa persownys fyve yhere Mad all the kynryk than on stere 1460 Hay Alex. 152.
The sey wox red, that birnand was on steir The erd trimblit, and all the housis schoke a1500 Rauf C. 411.
He vmbekest the countrie … He saw na thing on steir Nouther fer nor neir c1475 Wall. (1570) xi 1116.
Allace Scotland … With sorow sone, thow man be left in steir [McD. set in feyr] 1513 Doug. xii v 120.
With sik affray and hydduus dyn and beir The wardis all and ostis war on steir 1513 Doug. xii xiii 35.
Thou mycht … Deform the howshald, and bryng all on steir [Sm. steyr] 1535 Stewart 4066.
Within schort quhile he maid it all on steir, Hereit and brint oure all 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1341.
Scho cryit, schoutit, and murnit monyfald That the palice scho causit be all on steir a1568 Scott ii 112.
Eftir denner rais the din And all the toun on steir a1570-86 Maitl. F. 237/55.
Thy mischevous actis The quhilk hes maid Scotland all on steir

c. Of a person, his body, feelings, etc.: In a state of physical or mental turmoil, upset; ? shaking, trembling or suffering from spasms or the like. c1420 Ratis R. 776.
Baith thocht and wyll is set one stere, And al thi spretis set vnricht 1460 Hay Alex. 15379.
This ansuering made the king on stere That to Candeolus he made no chere Bot drerely his leif has fra him tane a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 774.
Now he is mait, now he may do no mair, Now flesch, blude & banis is all on steir. Now dede fra pane hes tane him presoneir 1513 Doug. xi ix 19.
With a felloun dreid all on steir Thai hynt to harnes 1535 Stewart 28324.
Sair seiknes, … He tuke that tyme, quhilk maid him ay on steir Continuallie tua moneth and ane ȝeir 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6063.
The stewartis hart gif it was than on steir, As I beleue thair neidis na man to speir

d. To hald (an enemy, enemies, an army) on ster, ? to keep (him, them) unable to settle, off guard or ? going backwards (cf. Stere n.² 2 b, also note to Hay Alex. quot. in STS ed.); also, in Wall. IV 643, ? on the point of movement, ready or ? as above. 1460 Hay Alex. 454.
Ryd sarralie … Luge in full land … And neir sum wode hald ay thi fayis on steir a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 830.
Quhen he is stuffit, thair strike, and hald hym on steir, Sa sal ye stonay yone stowt suppose he be strang; Thus may ye lippin on the lake, throu lair that I leir c1475 Wall. iv 644.
The Scottis war hurt … So fair assay thai couth nocht mak agayn Be this the host approchand was full ner; Thus wrandly thai held thaim wpon ster [1570 Thus thai thame held full manly upon steir]. Quhen Wallace saw the Sothroune was at hand Him thocht no tym langar for to stand

3. (A) commotion, disturbance, upset; tumult, affray; a public disturbance, riot, insurrection. Also pl. Also transf.sing. (1) c1475 Wall. vi 142.
Ma Sotheroune men to thaim assemblit ner. Wallace as than was laith to mak a ster ?a1500 Rosw. & Lillian 660.
At each stroak he dang down a man. Sir Roland and Sir Oliver In their justing made no such steer a1605 Birrel Diary 25.
The King of Spaine, … having an armado, … came to sea, … and … put all this part of christendome in a steir(b) a1578 Pitsc. II 99/13.
The hieland [men] heirand the noyse of the artaillȝe and the great stur that was amangis thame 1591 Crim. Trials I ii 357.
The Earll of Bothuell made a stoure in the abay of Holyroudhousse … the said Earll … with his complises strake vith ane hammer at his maiesties chalmber dore 1607 Reg. Privy S. VII 352.
Sall tak oceasun … mak sum sture and unquietnes at that meeting 1641 Spalding II 26.
He being disturbit by the people, he said, what is the mater? … Sum replyit, the soldioris keipt most sturr. If thay (said he) wold be quyet, all the rest wold be quyet 1644 S. Leith Rec. 51.
That no servants … should make ony tumult or sture in the church 1662 Rec. Old Aberd. I 102.
Vpon the apeirance of any fray or sture betwine pairties [etc.] 1666-7 Blakhall Narr. 27.
He tould me that I had made great sture for that letter, which he could not dispatch sooner, haveing other things to doe than my letter(c) 1568 Cal. Sc. P. II 536.
[The danger of the king's person … if any] sturre [compelled his sudden return] 1608 Crim. Trials III 46.
The lairdis horse making some sturr, his girdis brack, and the laird fell 1638 Baillie I 99.
This our correction of that clause made such a sturr at all the tables … that they all resolved to quitt us in the cause 1639 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 271.
A great wonder to sie Scottsmen going through other, and in such a sturre for the space of two years 1645 Baillie II 310.
Savill's business … made a fell sturr among us c1650 Spalding II 20.
Gryte rumovris of sturr in England(d) 1617 Acts IV 540/2.
Vpone the apperance of anye fraye or stirre betuix pairties the constable may [etc.] 1654 Johnston Diary II 226.
Ther was a great stirre among the … people of … Lithgow against their ministers 1679 Edinb. B. Rec. X 367.
When any stirr or uproar hapned [in the city](2) 1570 Sat. P. x 196.
Brother, allace, had ȝe bene heir, I had not cum in all this sturt and steir 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 33.
Quhill materis and mennis affectiounis wer in this steir, the parliament assembilit(b) 1639 Information Good Christians 4.
This sturre hath been contrived and set forward by some ill-affected powers in both kingdoms 1660 Inverurie 319.
No collection be reason in the sture of the church, occasioned by sore offence some persons touke at the excommunication of the said Elizabeth Leslie(3) 1513 Doug. x i 46.
The Rutilianys makis gret derray and steir [Sm. steyr, Ruddim. stere](b) 1586 Rait & Cameron King James's Secret 81.
We ressaved your Majesteis lettiris … whereupone grit sturre hathe arising heir 586 1667 Dumbarton B. Rec. App. i 9.
They made such stirr as it appeared they war in the act of uncleannesspl. 1596–7 Cal. Sc. P. XII 513].
[The king being highly offended with these late stirs on the Borders] 1625 Garden Kings 54.
Both witt and valor in this king concurres To preache his praise In stabled state and sturrs 1630 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III 650.
They have maid often and dyverse sturres and trublis in our kirk-sessioun and disturbit our peace and discipline be thair insolencies and pryd 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 186.
Now give me leave to shew you what sturrs and commotions happened about the tyme 1637 Annandale Corr. 296.
Give him good counsell to be wyse in these stirrs at home 1650 Misc. Maitl. C. II 469.
The inward affectione of all his good people to his royall persone, authoritie and government, after so greatt distractions and troubles, and notwithstanding the appeirance and apprehensions of new sturrs and dangers 1664 Argyll-Lauderdale Lett. 8.
Our nebours … discourse much of the stures they expect, and doe buy store of gunes [etc.] 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1681) i 33.
Sturrs in streets by grooms and pages 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 77.
When the stirs began first, there was a whistling heard both within and without the housetransf. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 155/172.
In to his stommok wes sic ane steir, Off all his dennar quhilk he coft deir His breist held deill a bitt