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.
Quotation dates: 1499-1513
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Stare, Stair, n.2 Also: stayr. [ME stare (14th c.) power of seeing, 17th c. Eng. (Shakespeare) in this sense; Stare v.] A state of astonishment, musing or wonder, indicated by staring. Chiefly in Douglas. — a1500 Henr. Fab. 737 (Ch.).
Quhen he saw the watter and wallis wod, Astonist all still in to ane stair he stude 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1460.
Thus in a stair [L. stare] quhy standis thow stupifak, Gouand all day 1513 Doug. i viii 3.
Eneas To se thir nyce figuris thocht wonder was, And as he musyt, studyand in a stair [Ruddim. stare] [etc.] 1513 Doug. i xi 46.
Scho with hir sycht and all hir mynd rycht thar Hym to behalf sat musand in a stayr 1513 Doug. iv ii 58.
Half myndles, agane scho langis sayr For tyll enquyre and heir the sege of Troy, And in a stair behaldis hym for ioy 1513 Doug. xi iii 48.
Of hys speche so awondrit war thai … Athir towartis otheris turnys … And can behald his fallow in a stair
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"Stare n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/stare_n_2>
