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.
Step, Stop, Stap, n. Also: stepe, steip, stope, stoip, stapp, (stape), staip(p. [ME and e.m.E. steap(e (a1240), stape (c1290), step(p (both Cursor M.), stap, steppe (both Wyclif), OE stæpe, stępe. Cf. MLG, MDu. stap.]See also Fut(e)step n.
I. 1. The tread or rung of a ladder. Also fig.(a) 1375 Barb. x 361 (C).
Of hempyn rapis ledderis ma With treyn [E. irne, 1571 trene] steppis bundin 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3492.
Luife bene the ledder quhilk hes bot steppis twa Be quhilk we may clim vp to lyfe againe 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 294.
Ye sall prepare iiic men … with ane c with sordis [etc.] … with a x of ledderis of xj steppis beth 1628–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 260.
Tuelf stingis to be stepis to the ledderis 1629 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 296.
To the ledder stepis 100 half xx s. 1670 Lamont Diary 218.
She smote the execwtioner … and put in hir head betwixt two of the steps of the leather(b) 1548 Treas. Acc. IX 270.
Thre dosoun sparris to be ledderris for the assaying of the wallis in Hadingtoun … for gyrth styngis to be stoppis to the saidis ledderris 1600 Crim. Trials II 173.
They raschit at the dure with the ledder, and the stoippis of the ledder brak(c) c1590 Fowler I 65/185.
Than slipper hope and slyding trust wes in the ladder stapps 1666 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 9.
Ane ladder of aughteine moe or feuer stapes or theraboutfig. 1490 Irland Mir. III 30/33.
The third gre and step of the leddir is the haly blud of Jhesu
2. A step of a stairway, one of a flight of steps.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii 474.
The steppis [F. degrés] he saw, how thay war dicht, The quhilk neirhand ane thousand ware, Of fyue fute breid and lytill mare ?1438 Alex. ii 542.
Thay come doun ay tua and tua, Endlang the steppis c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2491.
He … fell doune ten steppis c1420 Wynt. i 948.
A symly cyte fayre, Wytht towre, and stepe [C., W. step], and hewyn stayre 1453 Misc. Spald. C. V 49.
To the masonys for the makyng of the key … for steppis to the key 1535–7 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 140.
For viii lang stanis of xii futtis lenth for steppis to the stair 1535–6 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 150.
xiiii lang stanis steppis and lyntellis 1559 Peebles B. Rec. I 254.
The tre briggis … to be mendit … and lay the steppis at the wicket 1561–2 Edinb. Old Acc. II 153.
Expenssis debursit … upon the kirk … for naillis to the standartis, steppis, bilȝeittis of the entre 1658 Peebles B. Rec. II 44.
To … help the calsay betwixt the trie bridges and the stepps of the bridges 1695 Banff Ann. I 98.
For … ane back to be steps to the gallowes(b) 1539 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXIII 96.
[Isobel Boyis ordered to remove the] stopis [of her stair at a house in Liberton's wynd] swa that the standand watter that consumis the sidwall thairof may haif passage throw the condite of the wattergang 1551 Edinb. B. Rec. II 160.
The owir stop of the said buith dur 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 165.
The twa stane stoppis quhilk is the entres to his littill hous in the Kingis wark 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 165.
Stoppes 1600 Acts IV 208/1.
As this deponer had passit vp fyve stoppis of the turnepyke he [etc.](c) 1571–2 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII 65.
Four lang stanis to be stappis to the kirkstyle 1578–9 Haddington Treas. Acc.
Stappis to stairis 1589–90 Mylne Master Masons 68.
Ane stair … with stappes round hewin 1629 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 253.
Tua stappis to the volt dores 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 336.
For the working and hewing the dyell in the northe yaird with the pillar, stapis, degries, and fundatioun thairof 1658 Elgin Rec. II 289.
Marjorie Man, … gave in a bill desyreing the stap that goes in to the readers dask to sit in to hear the word becos scho hes ane impediment in her hearingfig. 1609 Garden Garden 39.
I striue not to mount vp a stap To be two grees againe doun-throwne(2) ?1438 Alex. ii 7328.
Ȝeid doun the steipis of the Phare 1595 Edinb. B. Rec. V 132.
The rowme of the flesche stand [was] at sowth steppis of the awld Tolbuith 1666 Edinb. B. Rec. X 16.
To repaire the stepps of the Grayfreir Kirkyaird 1693 Soc. Ant. XIII 76.
To … stand at the Ladie steps and Tron kirk door(b) 1563 Edinb. B. Rec. III 173.
The entres to the hie kirk be the stoppis callit our Ladie stoppis(c) 1568 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 5.
For mending of the lok of the mekle kirk dure at our ladies stappis
b. Something functioning as a step in the above sense, perhaps with influence from sense 4 below, a means of stepping.1644 Shetland Witch Trial in Hibbert Shetland Islands 595.
He going down and stepping upon a stone which was ever a sure step befoir
3. A stave of a barrel, tub, etc.(a) 1587 Acts III 522/1.
The steppis of the said firlot be of the auld proportione in thiknes of bayth the burdis ane insche and ane half 1601 Sc. Ant. VI 156.
Nyne hundreth hogheid and ten barrell stepis 1627 Conv. Burghs III 243.
Of late thair is croppen in throw greid of the coupers, makers of the saids barrells, that they vse to ryve ane grit number of the steps brocht frome Yreland, [etc.] 1692 Conv. Burghs IV 153.
All casks be made of … the step or stave of a … sufficient thicknes of knaple 1693 Glasgow B. Rec. IV 73.
All casks to be made … of weill seasoned knappell or oake timber … the step or stave of a thrid part of ane inch at least in thicknes, and that nane of the staves be rift or clift(b) 1584 Acts III 302/2.
Ilk burgh … sall caus thair cowparis … to mak thair treis conforme to the said measure and the same to be brint be the toune irne and cowparis irne on baith the endis, and vpoun the stop [1619 Conv. Burghs III 80, step] beside the bung 1627 Dumbarton B. Rec. 17.(c) 1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 121.
To a couper for 200 cutting of stappis to be sklaitt pinnes 1638 Glasgow Trades House 191.
Stappis rungis stingis and vtheris belonging to the said traide [sc. cooperage] 1646 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 216.
For ersing off tua bukitis and inputing of tua staps 1668 Glasgow B. Rec. III 106.
The … abuse committit be the coupers in making of their herring barrelles of clovine staps 1680 Torry Coal & Salt Wks. 80a.
5 girds & 2 staps to his bucket
II. 4. The action or manner of stepping; a pace or stride. b. Progress made in this fashion, a person's movement of this sort.c1475 Wall. ii 407.
The tothir fled … With a rud step Wallace coud eftyr glide a1500 Prestis of Peblis 219 (Asl.).
Than come his son And enterit in the welth that he had won. He steppit nocht thre steppis in the streit To wyn this welth a1585 Polwart Flyt. 734 (T).
Lyk ane cran … That man tak ay nyne steppis befoir scho flie 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 139/2.
Because … that he foryette to keipe the expresse uordis of the lau in not stepping three steppis abake, & crying Goddis peaxeb. 1513 Doug. iii x 8.
Poliphemus … bekend draw towartis ws … With hys burdon, that wes a gret fyr tre, Fermand his steppis, becaus he mycht not se
c. transf. A place or piece of ground on which a foot lands or is likely to land in stepping.1706 Stirling B. Rec. II 108.
To sight the hieway where the toune race is to be run, and cause clear and dight the same … and cause helpe any ill steps in the way
5. fig. a. sing. A step or pace taken or move made as part of or in a (philosophical or moral) direction. b. pl. The direction itself, being the accumulation of such steps, a way or course; freq. with the notion of following in another's footsteps.a. sing. 1597 Calderwood V 658.
And surelie, my brethrein, if this be true, as is alledged, yee have stopped a low stop by the way at your first beginningb. pl. c1420 Wynt. v 1356.
That thai in honoure walde procede Than thai suld clyme as thai ware calde, And stedfastly thare steppys hald In to that hycht quhill thai ware set 1456 Hay II 145/28.
Tharfore suld all princis … folow his steppis and sett thame to conforme thame till his condiciounis a1500 Henr. Orph. 17.
The grete lordis … sett thair hert … Thair fadirs steppis iustly to persewe c1520-c1535 Nisbet Heb. xii 13.
And mak ye richtfull steppis [W. riȝtful goyngis or steppis, P. steppis] to your feet; that naman haltand erre, bot mare be helit 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3505.
Thay tyne thir steps all thay quha ever did sin a1568 Bann. MS I p. 32/4.
Off ony vertewis stait that evir thow be His stoppis persew 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 27/5.
That thaire personnes as bricht lampis of Godlinesse & uertu may going in & out before thaire peopill giue licht to all thaire steppis 1654 Stirling B. Rec. I 213.
To the effect that thair successouris may trade the same steppes and upoun no consideratioun whatsoever intervert that money … to any uther use
6. A stage (in a process).a1599 Rollock Wks. I 363.
Sa thou … mon clim … up be degreis. The first is the ministerie of reconciliatioun, the secund [etc.] … Will thou loup up and misse ane of thir steppis? 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X 191.
All the stapes and advances made towards our electione doe usualy follow upon councill dayes imediatlie succeideing on another 1693 Cramond Kirk S. III 28 Dec.
They desired … their present ruleing elder, to present the … call to the presbitry of Edinburgh, … this paroch haveing in the severall steps thereof walked according to order, and desired the said Sir Georg to prosecutt the said call 16… Highland P. II 269.
His proposition was that to adwance Torq: Con: … it were requisit that his brothr … should be mead out of the way [etc.] … This was the first stap mead easie for the McKenzies 1703 Rothesay Par. Rec. 171.
He was now goeing about to ordain some moe elders … and seing all the necessar orderlie steps preparatorie thereto were gone through
b. ? A stage in a journey.1616 Fraser-Mackintosh Lett. Two Cent. 3.
He [sc. Earl of Caithness] employett within this aucht dayis the name of Cadell to stay at lexr. Devisone & some uthers of the clan joine. The Cadels reveilitt the same, so that his lordship is very neir the secound staip to French Sie
c. Wide steps, nonce, with the implication of irregularity (in a person's way of life). Cf. 6 above.a1681 Hay Fleming Six Saints II 49.
[Notwithstanding of her great profession [of faith] he was always jealous of her … and several times said] whatever end she might make, there would be foul wide steps in her life
7. lit. and fig. The distance covered by a single step, a (particularly) small distance. Also, const. great, a considerable distance. b. So much distance or measure of land.(1) c1590 Fowler I 60/78.
But whome … such now is my mishapp That I can nather space nor pase nor forther go a stapp c1590 Fowler I 99/66.
With thame did Cincinnatus march, with him Serianus walk, Not distant be a stapp or pace from thame of whome we talk 1678 Mosman Christian's Companion Under Soul-Exercise 17.
If a lyon appeared to him and his father a stap or two from him, would he not cry for fear 1678 Mosman Christian's Companion Under Soul-Exercise 22.
O how many wild staps have I gone, they are past numbering; but now I will wander no more(2) 1600-1610 Melvill 222.
First we war callit a grait stope bak from our frinds, quhilk maid tham and us bathe to tyne hart a1681 Welsh Churches Paradox 12.
Some other acts … hath advanced the low work of God a great stapb. 1609 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 55.
Complaint by James Hunter against Henry Turnbull bayth tenentis to the toun and occupiaris of ane part of thair common landis … for not giving to the said James evin staipp of the said landis
