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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.

Stif(f, Steif, adj., (adv.). Also: stif(f)e, styff(e, styf(e, steve, steave, stuiff. [ME and e.m.E. stif (a1200), stiue (c1200), stijf (Cursor M.), steve (a1300), stef (c1300), styf (Piers Plowman), stiffe (Trevisa), stuffe (c1450), OE stif, MLG stïf, MDu. stijf.]OED conjectures stef, steve forms may be cognate with LG, Du. stevig or v.rr. of stif. Cf. also SND Stieve, Stiff.

A. adj. 1. Rigid, not pliable or flexible. Also stif standand. Also fig.(1) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 95.
As birs of ane brym bair his berd is als stif 1513 Doug. i ix 123.
Ane rych garmont brusyt with stife [Sm. stif, Ruddim. rich] gold wyre 1513 Doug. iv v 142.
Styf ise schokyllis … cauld Doun from his … grysly berd hyngis 1513 Doug. vii viii 69.
A burdon of ane lang stif tre, The poynt scharpit 1513 Doug. viii x 61.
The styf hawbryk of steill … Of huge weght 1513 Doug. xi ii 36 (Sm.).
Eneas syne twa robbis furth gart fold Of rich purpour and styf burd of gold 1582 Misc. Stair Soc. I 119.
The ane with ane stiffar and cleinar pen nor the uther 1602 Tailor's Acc. Bk. 19b (see Stif(f v.1 (b)). 1687 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXVII 147.
I found that peices of … whale bone would do verie well to be putt in gravatt strings to hold them out stiffe(b) a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 62/28.
Ane lekand bott, nocht nalit fast To beir the saill nocht havand ane steif mast(c) 1637 Johnston Diary I 251.
Extream coldnes seased on al my joints especyaly on the roots of my haire quhilk stood al steave, bent up fra the croun of my head(d) 1632 Edinb. Test. LV 177.
Ane stuiff gold beltfig. a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 386.
Forgeit faultis was so devysit aganis manie of them, that they wer compellit … to resigne ther heritable tytlis unto him; and geve he had a steve purse and no rent, then was sum cryme devysit aganis him wherby he was compellit to lose ather half or haill therof(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 486.
Sum stalwardly steppis ben with a stout curage And a stif standand thing staiffis in mi neiff

b. lit. and fig. Of an offensive weapon: Rigid, not pliable or weak; hard, powerful, fierce.The Treas. Acc. example may refer to a particular type of sword.Cf. Doug. vii viii 69 in 1 (1) above. c1475 Wall. vii 1012.
Men that prewit weill, Amang thair fais with wapynnys stiff off steill c1475 Wall. ix 1649.
With a styff suerd to dede he has him dycht a1500 K. Hart 959.
This brokin speir sum tyme wes stiff and stout 1502 Treas. Acc. II 38.
For gilting and grathing of the kingis stif sword x s. 1513 Doug. iv iv 5.
Huntyng sperys styf with hedis braid 1513 Doug. ix ii 24.
Wapynnys styfe of steill

2. Of (a part of) the body: Unable to move freely. Also (? fig.) stiffe bound, stiff lithed. b. Of the body in death.(1) Arundel MS 256/55.
Thy wofull moder swonit stif and calde Quhen thou inclynit with ‘Consummatum est’ a1568 Bann. MS 158b/71.
His faice als stiff is for scleip & his ene swowin His heid ay vnkemmit 1681 Red Bk. Menteith II 194.
The continouanc of this gutish howmer in both my hands feete and knies is so styfe that I am not able either to ryd or goe aney way off(2) ?1665 M. Bruce Six Dreadful Alarms 17.
What is then the reason that there are so many stiff lithed professors in Scotland ?1665 M. Bruce Six Dreadful Alarms 17.
A sudden cool upon the back of a great heat, makes folk stiffe bound and sweir to gangb. 1460 Hay Alex. 3860.
To the erde dede stiff he strak him doun 1513 Doug. ix vi 95.
To ded he duschis down bath styf and cald 1535 Stewart 38915.
The Kent men, that war baith stiff and cald, La deid

3. Of the earth: Stable, not liable to exhibit movement. b. Of a particular sort of ground: Stiff, heavy in texture. 1587-99 Hume 20/113.
Why oft the earth, quhilk of it selfe is stable, firme, and steif, With trimling and with awfull quaiks, in twa is like to cleifb. 1684 Symson Descr. Galloway 72.
Baked peits, which they take out of a stiff black marish ground in the summer time

4. Of a person a. Firm, unyielding, steadfast, stalwart. 1460 Hay Alex. 3316.
Thay wald nocht ȝeld, bot held thame stiff and stout 1535 Stewart 49068.
In the defence ay of the commoun weill, At his purpois far stiffar na the steill 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10189.
Wald ȝe not than with ane styf hart and stout Richt weill consent [etc.] 1567 G. Ball. 104.
Thay now conspyre … With ane consent togidder in ane band Quhilk neuer befoir culd gre amang thame sell … contrair Thé togidder stiffe thay stand 1570 Sat. P. xix 82.
That infant babe, that ȝe haif taine in cure, Saif him from skaith and stif togidder byde 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 162.
He [sc. the Earl of Westmorland] promeist that he sould find the moyane to caus Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmureland to cum vnder the dominioun of Scotland, gif thaj wald be stiff in thair maisteris opinioune and that the marches betuix Ingland [and] Scotland sould be at Newcastell a1582 Sir Colling 96.
This alreche knycht [was] stif and stuir And stiflie culd he ryd

b. Obstinate, stubborn, recalcitrant. Also stif hartit, stridand.(1) a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 877.
Men of pride, Quhilkis standis stif be inobedience 1533 Boece 62b.
This man … detesting all … of stiff and doure ingyne 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8045.
And spair hir nocht, thocht scho war stif as steill 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 262.
A day being apointed to him to give a ressone why he came not to the said Mr. Knoxis sermond as he was apointed … the said Mr. Archbald baid styfe, and said, that he was greived to sie the place (meaning the pulpet) so abused as it was 1652 Scotland and the Commonwealth 355.
The old Malignants have all laid by their bucklers, but the Kirkmen are still stiffe 1690 Cramond Kirk S. III 27 Feb.
The session considering the stiffe and rebellious carriage of John Macpheggans(2) 1551 Hamilton Cat. 82.
The sone quhilk was inobedient, stifhartit and thrawart a1605 Montg. Flyt. 111 (T).
Stif stridand stikdirt, I'se gar thé stink

c. Of an opinion, purpose, etc.: Firm, unyielding; unbending; merciless. Also to hald steue the pleuch, to keep (a purpose) firm and unwavering.(1) 1490 Irland Mir. I 112/26.
I, ȝour luffit dochtir, Dame Misericord, has hard the cruell entent and stiff argumentis of my scisteris, Dame Verite & Dam Equite 1535 Stewart 48703.
At his opinioun, stiff as ony wall, Rycht still he stude a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 161.
Ane stiff nego is ane good poynt of law 1614 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 275.
Some stiffe opposition will be geven unto your majestie's profitt in that kinde 1661 Cramond Kirk S. 8 Sept.
The said Isbell always standing to a stiff denyall that ever thair was any such thing(2) 1581 Sat. P. xliv 124.
Sen for loun Villox … That vas in Scotland … Quhen as he draue and Knox held steue the pleuch

5. Of a conflict, etc.: Fierce. b. Of natural phenomena: Fierce, strong. Also stiffe stream'd, having a strong current. 1460 Hay Alex. 3721.
And as thai saw cumand thare emprioure Than war thai stad in to the stiffast stoure a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 538.
Quhen Cresseid vnderstude that it was he, Stiffer than steill thair stert ane bitter stound Throwout hir hart 1535 Stewart 21671.
That stour it wox baith stalwart stif and strang 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9544.
Styf straiks they strykeb. 1535 Stewart 39630.
So stiff ane storm into the se thair blew, … Furth befoir Tay tha drownit thair ilkane 1632 Lithgow Trav. ix 380.
The stiffe stream'd Dolf

B. adv. a. ? Tautly. b. Unyieldingly. = Stif(f)ly adv. 2 a.a. 1549 Compl. 40/36.
Al the marynalis ansuert of that samyn sound … boulena boulena darta darta hard out steif hard out steif afoir the vynd, afoir the vyndb. 1581 Sat. P. xliv 177.
Vnder the schaddou lat Louson fut it steue [: preue], Scurgar of Christ, quhilk is ane odius thing