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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
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Story, Storie, n.¹ Also: storye, storrie, store, stoury. Pl. also storysse. [ME and e.m.E. storie (Ancr. R.), store, stori (both Cursor M.), story(e (Manning), AF estorie, OF estoire (both OED), f. as Historie n.]

1. A factual or allegedly factual account of persons and events in the (chiefly, remote) past; a historical or quasi-historical narrative.Freq., auld (auncient) stories. Also const. of or possess., and in parenthetic clauses with as.(1) 1375 Barb. i 3, 13.
Than suld storys that suthfast wer … Hawe doubill plesance in heryng … Tharfor I wald fayne set my will … To put in wryt a suthfast story a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 48.
Bot thocht to here it ware delyte, [sc. of the Exaltation of the Cross] c1420 Wynt. i Prol. 18.
Gwido de Columpna … Omere, and Vyrgylle … curyowsly dytyde thare storis c1420 Wynt. ii Prol. 23.
Off hys [sc. Orosius's] storys tha wyll I Compyle, that me-thynk mast lykly c1420 Wynt. v 1433.
Off all the warlde the storys Fra Nynus kyng … Till … Octovyane … This Pompeyus in Latyne Cornykyld and dyvysyt … in fourty bukys and foure 1456 Hay I 62/26.
And treully I fand never storye, thus sais the maister of storyes, hydirtillis that ever callit Julius Cesar Emperour of Rome, bot consul ever quhill he come than last out of Spayne c1460 Thewis Wysmen 4.
Vysmen … before our dawis Studyt in … Cornykils, romans and storys Mayd diuers compilaciounys … Sum of myraclys & halynes [etc.] a1500 Henr. Robene & M. 90.
Thow hes hard soung and say In gestis and storeis auld [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. I 103/23.
The auld storyis tellis and Arestotiles beris witnes that Eleyne of Troy was sa lusty that [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxi 4.
Me thocht my chalmer … Was all depeint … Of all the nobill storyis ald and new, Sen oure first father formed was of clay c1543 Misc. Bann. C. I 11.
Scotland … was inhabitede, as we reide in auncient Yrische storeis, with gyauntes 1549 Compl. 63/8.
Sum var storeis, and sum var flet taylis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 529.
In to the Buke of Genesis That storye [sc. of the Fall] thare thow sall nocht mis 15.. Clar. v 59.
And riche arras … With auld stories depaint and figurate How Troy be slaughter was depopulate [etc.](b) a1578 Pitsc. I 4/23.
Auld authouris … In Latin or Frensh that in thair deuers suite So and wrettaris hes … Sett thir auld storries in ordour diligentlie(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxv 229.
[Y]hete in this stoury find we ane, That als wes callyt Julyane(2) a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 23.
To red … Storysse of sere haly men That to ples God vs ma kene a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 633.
Thai can hym pray That he wald lewe tham to say The story of Sancte Nicholas c1420 Wynt. i 490.
Quha lukys the Bybille increly Off this [sc. the sons of Noah] may fynd a fayr story c1450 Cr. Deyng 58.
The gret faith and paciens of marterys ande vthire haly men … as men may reid in thar storeis 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1552.
The storyis of Esras and of Neemy, And Daniell in the Lyounis caue saw I a1568 Bell. in Bann. MS 370a/93.
My work … Quhair he may see … So notable storeis baith of vice and glore … Quhairthrow he may … his realme decore And be ane vertewis and ane nobill king 1528 Lynd. Dreme 33, 39.
I haue at lenth the storeis done discryue Off Hectour, Arthour … And of leill luffaris storeis amiabyll(3) 1456 Hay I 471.
xij ȝeris he visyte his conquestis, as sum stories sais c1475 Wall. v 473.
Than Auchinlek weddyt that lady brycht, And childyr gat, as storyes will record 1490 Irland Mir. I 79/12.
Foure nobile and gret riueris … as storis sais … haue thar springe first out of paradice a1500 Seven S. 2519.
All the worthy of the cite Maid gret ioy as the story tellis 1494 Loutfut MS 30a.
And as the store sais thai [sc. sirens] had wingis & nales in taking of the amour that fleis & strikis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7503.
Ane richt courtes knicht That deit schortlie, as I in storie reid For [etc.]

b. The maister of storyes: Petrus Comestor, author of the Historia Scholastica (see Hay I 62/26 in 1(1) above).

c. A future event which is destined to become of quasi-historical or legendary significance. 1513 Doug. viii xi heading.
Quhou that Wlcanus thar, amang the laif, Storys tocum dyd in the armour graif

d. Used of a religious office or service for a saint, and presumably based on that saint's legend or putative history.Cf. Dunb. (OUP) 318/f.n. 12, ‘The commune sanctorum is the office for saints who have no individual office (proprium sanctorum) of their own’. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 122/12.
Off sic hie feistis of sanctis in glorie Baithe of commoun and propir storie Quhair lairdis war patronis oft I sang thame Charitas pro Dei amore

2. History as preserved in writing; the written historical record. Const. with and without def. art.In the Colk. Sow quots., possibly referring to oral rather than written history. a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 38.
I hafe translatit symply Sume part, as I fand in story Of Mary & hir sone Jhesu a1500 Colk. Sow ii 131.
I reid nocht this in story autentyfe I did it leir at ane full auld wyfe a1500 Colk. Sow ii 135.
My grit graundame … knew the lyfe of mony faderis ald Notable gestis of peax and weiris in storye 1535 Stewart 40893.
And euir moir in storie as I reid, The Normond blude sensyne hes done succeid Into Ingland a1578 Pitsc. I 278/15.
I nevir read in trageddie nor storie At on journay so money nobillis slaine a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 368.
The Church for the space of 300 years … was under persecution, … which is evident from story a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 368.
A second thing clear from story, is, [etc.](2) a1400 Leg. S. ii 812.
And ithandly it [sc. Rome] brint sewin dais But cessinge, as the story sais ?1438 Alex. i 2508.
I trow he sall sone do sum thing, Bot gif the story mak gabbing, [F. Et l'estoire le dit se la letre ne ment] c1420 Wynt. iii 678.
He kyng wes, and in hys dayis That scisim fel, as the story sayis 1456 Hay I 46/34.
And the story sais he [sc. Alexander the Great] deid be poysoun 1490 Irland Mir. III 159/2.
And the story sais that nane couth expone or declar this visioun outane Daniell 1535 Stewart 82.
Syne efterwart quhen that tha wreit the storie Ald eldaris deidis to put into memorie Tha maid thair buikis thair tractatis and thair tabillis Part be ges and part be fenȝeit fabillis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3943.
Thir Jowis … gaif no credens tyll his sawis, As at more lenth the storye schawis

b. A historical work, a history (of a time, place or person). Also with possess.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2359.
The thre and thretty buke als fast How that Pirrus frome the feist past [etc.] … Of Pirrus … The story ȝit maid no memor [L. de Pirro … nichil dixit presens hystoria] c1420 Wynt. ii Prol. 6.
Bathe the eldys has tane ende, As in all storys welle is kende c1420 Wynt. ii 137.
The paganys made in thaire storys, That is bot fabyll or fantys, That Jupyter gat on Electra, Sere Dardane lorde off Fregya c1515 Asl. MS I 153/11.
And this witnes Sanct Jerome in the translacoun of the storye of Eusebii libro 2^o cap^o 2^o 1535 Stewart 102.
Intill ane place callit Ecolumkill … thair wes thir storeis fund Sum in lows quarris and vther sum weill bund As Beid, Torgot [etc.] 1535 Stewart 68.
‘Madame,’ I said, ‘quha wes it drew that storie?’ … ‘Ane Hector Boyis’, said scho(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 552.
As the cornicle of Euseby, & of the kirk als the story Sais, that hedit wes Sancte Johnn [etc.] 1456 Hay I 216/34.
Quha will behald and se the stories and cronykis of thai tymes [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. III 120/24.
He chesit the name … pater patrie as writtis Titus Liuius and the storeis of Rome 1490 Irland Mir. III 157/2.
The storiis of Rome sais that the noble empriour Scipio Affricanus [etc.](3) a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 17.
I wil declare his [sc. Nicholas's] story, In haly wryt as it fand I 1533 Bell. Livy I 3/30.
As na wrangis nor iniure war done Amang the Romanis but punycioun Richt so ȝe may in to thare storie rede Conding rewarde for euery nobil dede 1535 Stewart 79.
Our ald storeis … war distroyit all with Inglismen, In Wallace weir c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4185.
Be his [sc. Hannibal's] power wer mony one thousand slane, As may be red at lenth in tyll his storye c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4398.
Efter the deth of Peter and Paull … Thare successouris … As … thare storye beris, Full craftelye clam to the heycht 1576 Facs. Nat. MSS III lxvi.
I am besy wyth our story of Scotland to purge it of sum Inglis lyis and Scottis vanite

c. attrib. Storie cusheon, ? a cushion with historical or legendary scenes embroidered on it. 1643 Edinb. Test. LX 281b.
Twa storie cusheones estimat to xl lib. Item ane schewed cusheone estimat to xl s.

3. A work dealing with nature or natural phenomena.The Asl. MS quot. may be a further instance of 1 (1) above. c1515 Asl. MS I 153/5.
Julius Cesar be counsall of the senatouris … lukit and serchit storyis and bukis of his eldaris and ordanit wys men to meit & discrive all the warld abowt ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 83.
Certane banes [etc.] … alledgit to be the banes of the saids pygmeis, quhilk may be licklie according to sindrie storeis that we reid of the pygmeis 1568 Charteris Lyndesay Pref. Adhort. 74 (cf. Natural(l adj. 3 b).
[This book] With scripture and with storyis naturall, Richelie replenischit from end to end

4. A recital or narrative of events, or of a person's deeds; a series or sequence of events (as material for narration). Also, to put (something) in story, to narrate, give an account of (appar., in writing).(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 654.
Sayand, he wald be na way Ony new story [sc. about himself] thole tham say That than befar lykare ware to be Warldly sang and vanyte Thane thing that suld deuocione Inbryng a1538 Abell 1a.
Ane story or narratioune is maire sickir & attentik quhen nocht alanerlie the namys of the doaris of it ar expremit bot alswa the tyme determit the place … schawin 1535 Stewart 59184.
Me think it is nocht meit With thame my storie for to intertryik a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 403.
(As we said before in laying down the series of the story at our entry to Chap. 6) the seventh trumpet bringeth in the last plagues of the seven vials … Although the seventh chapter interveen yet the series of the story leadeth us to joyn the seventh seal after the sixth(2) c1420 Wynt. ii 141.
To tell yhowe thaire-off the story Walde … forthir noucht Purpos [etc.] a1540 Freiris Berw. 566 (B).
This is the story that hapnit of that freir(3) c1475 Wall. v 543.
Maister Jhone Blayr … And Thomas Gray … with him … war, and put in story all, … mekill of his trauaill

5. A tale (chiefly, or only, fictional) told for entertainment, or for moral or other instruction. Also comb. 1375 Barb. i 1.
Storys to rede ar delitabill Suppos that thai be nocht bot fabill c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lvii 7.
Sum singis, sum dancis, sum tellis storeis 15.. Sym & Bruder 5.
Thair is no story that I of heir Of Johine nor Robene Hude That me thinkis half so gude As [etc.] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4908.
I sall ane storie to ȝow schaw Quhairby ȝe may weill and perfitelie knaw To reule ȝour realme 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8052.
Efter that the seuin maisters … Had sauit this chyld of all danger and dout Be gude ressounis, of storeis red and sene 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8344.
Ane vther volume … Of lychter dyte, and storyis of the ald That seir auld men befoir in tymes had tald a1561 Norvell Meroure 62a.
If I had treated of … how that men … bene … subiect to his soueraine fair laidie, I could have showne many trim storeis That wolde haue pleased persons … Hauing delite into suche vaniteis a1568 Bann. in Bann. MS (STS) II 1/17.
This … buik … in fyve pairtis … is … devydit … The fyift ar tailis and storeis weill discydit a1568 Bann. MS 298b/1.
My freindis thir storeis subsequent Albeid bot fabillis thay present Ȝit … thair ar hid but dowt Grave materis a1568 Gyre-carling 36.
The laif of the story to morne To ȝow I sall tell 15.. Lord Fergus' Gaist 8.
And he hes writtin vnto me Auld storeis for to se … How he sall coniure the spreit 15.. Lord Fergus' Gaist 15.
And ane story haif I to reid … To coniure the littill gaist ȝe mon haif [etc.]comb. 1681 Dauney Anc. Sc. Melodies 23.
We renounce … Story-books and Ballads, Remances and Pamphlets

6. An account of an incident, real or allegedly so, involving a particular individual; an anecdote. 1656 Johnston Diary (1940) 30.
[A mad woman having insulted him,] ther was som malignants in the Kirk interteaned the storye with laughter ?1677 Misc. Hist. Soc. I 292.
Thes ar … the hops off disorder that ille peopell hier have, with the product off the magasene off lies and maid stories hier 1689 Leven & Melv. P. 282.
[I] still found that I was jealousied, and that ther wer som … malitious people who made it ther busines to make stories of me

b. Anecdote, anecdotal material. 1600-1610 Melvill 69.
Bot a piece of storie I man report, steirit upe in particular against him in my persone