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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.

Stane, v. Also: stain, staan, staen, sten, stone. P.t. also stanned. [ME and e.m.E. stane (Orm), stain (Cursor M.), stone(n (Wyclif); Stan(e n.] tr.

1. To pelt with stones; also, formally, as a punishment, to cause a person's (or animal's) death in this fashion; to put to death by stoning; also, to stane to (the) dede.(1) a1400 Leg. S. i 478.
Than cryit all … Reson will Petir stanyt be a1400 Leg. S. ii 13.
He wes … Presonyt and put in stokis, And eftere that vndir gret lokkis Stanyt a1400 Leg. S. vii 203.
In gret fellouny com hym abowte, & stanand hym sad [etc.] c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1157.
Gregeois, … Gert hyre … be tayn, And bad that scho suld staned be c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 216.
We sall … stane thé up the calsay quhair thow gais a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 901.
Sum wer heidit, sum stanit, & sum slane, Thai thocht all sueit with hevinly to wyn 1549 Compl. 138/11.
Quhiddir thai suld stane hyr … or gyf thai suld thole hyr to depart onpuneist 1554 Knox III 191.
The handis of the haill pepill stane him with stanis that he may die 1570 Sat. P. x 130.
Scho … turnit day in nycht … All the nycht lang to sport [etc.] … Till at the last baith Cupido and Venus Furth of the Court gart baneis, chais, and stane vs [sc. Honour, etc.] 1588 King Cat. 169a.
His prayer … was hard in the middes of thame quha stanned him 1596 Dalr. I 123/11.
Gif a sou eit his ȝoung, stane him, and eit nocht his flesche(b) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxiii 37.
Staanys 1573 Sempill in Sat. P. xxxix 220.
Part cryde ‘Quhair is he? lat vs se the loun; Go to and staen him; lat him tak na rest’(c) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1149.
She hurt als sere with stones cast Of Gregeois, which so wondre fast Sho stoned thame in offendand Rytht gretumly and not cessand(2) a1400 Leg. S. xii 404.
Twa fals witnes had hym tane, & gert the layfe to dede hyme stane 1513 Doug. ii ii 47.
Quham Grekis … Throw corrupt witnes stanyt to ded 1531 Bell. Boece II 164.
Ane swine that eitis hir grisis sal be stanit to deid and hir flesche forbodin a1538 Abell 11b.
Jeremy reprefand the ydolatre of his pepill … thai stanit him to deid 1549 Compl. 79/11.
The vemen … stanet Cyrsilus to deitht be cause of his euil counsel 1551 Hamilton Cat. 82.
The sone quhilk was inobedient, stifhartit and thrawart to his father and mother, was led to the port or place of jugement, and be the peple was stanit to the deid 1551 Hamilton Cat. 91.
In the auld law all adulteraris bayth men and wemen was stanit to the deade c1610 Melville Mem. 52.
Tok hir fourth and stanith hir to death 1622-6 Bisset II 287/25.
Sanct Philip … wes staned to death be the Phrigians(b) a1400 Leg. S. xli 307.
Thai … Stainyt hyr fellonly, Til stark ded(c) 1533 Gau 74/6.
The iowis vald haiff stenit hime to deid(d) 1548 Knox III 7.
Steven (who was stoned to death)

2. To furnish or pave with stone or stones. 1616 Inverurie 200.
At the peit furd, to stain the fuird, and stain the gett, and big in the cowmond watter of the mill dam