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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.

Ster(e, v.² Also: steir(e, steyr, stear, steer, stir(re. P.p. also steirt, strede. [ME and e.m.E. sterenn (Orm), steoren (a1225), stiere(n (a1290), stere(n (Cursor M.), styre(n (Trevisa), steere(n (Chaucer), stirre (1574), stear (1590), OE stíeran, MDu. sturen, stíeren, ON stýra.]There is considerable ambiguity with Ster(e v.¹, esp. senses 1 b and c, some examples of which may belong here.

1. tr. To govern, rule (a country); to command, guide or control (an institution, people, etc.). Also absol. or intr., to reign.pres. 1375 Barb. i 43.
The barnage … Assemblyt … To cherys a king thar land to ster a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 14.
Lordis … That steris landis & haly kirke ?1438 Alex. ii 1974.
He … hes great lordships for to stere [F. Mais cilz est biaus et jones s'a grant terre a guier] c1420 Wynt. iv 576.
Thai … maid thame kyngis off [the] land, At thare lykyn it sterand c1420 Wynt. viii 2176 (W).
William Wallace in Scotland Wes the statis haill sterand [C. rewlande, R. rewland] 1456 Hay II 85/23.
Here I will touch to sum … poyntis of … philosophy abregit to help to stere thy peple and thy persone in way of governaunce a1500 Lanc. 1343.
He maid the king … Of realmys and of peplis sere Efter his loue thow shuld them reul & stere 1533 Boece 322b.
To men having realmez to stere, sic thingis war litill commodios(b) 1375 Barb. i 38.
Alexander the king … That Scotland haid to steyr and leid 1375 Barb. xx 142.
The gud erll of Murref, Thomas, With the lord alsua of Dowglas, Suld haue thame in-to gouernyng, Quhill thai had wit to steir thar thing. And than the lordschip suld thai ta ?1438 Alex. ii 1392.
‘Schir’ said the Bauderane … I am ȝour man … And thay of Bauderis ar with me heir, And Synodis, that I haue to steir a1500 Henr. Fab. 1578 (Ch.).
Ane prince … that takis na labour To reule and steir the land, and iustice keip c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxx 15.
Thy realme to reull and to defend, In peace and justice it to steir a1585 Maitl. Q. 11/33.
This realme to guyde and steir a1585 Maitl. Q. 28/23.
And geve the counsale how to reull and steir With wisdome all belangand to thy crounabsol. c1420 Wynt. iv 28.
Romule off eylde was twenty yhere And twa quhen he begouth to stere In Rome, and regnand was auchtene Yheris c1420 Wynt. iv 1103.
In oure story wryttyn is, Than in Scotlande the Scottys Begouthe to regne, and to stere [W. steire] ?a1450 Florimond 435.
Quha suld leid, governe or steir, Thus suddantlie gif deid ȝe war?p.p. a1500 Lanc. 611.
Of his tyme mekil haith conquerit; Ten kingis at his command ar sterit 1513 Doug. vii i 170.
Vnder thar feit and lordschip salbehald All landis sterit and rewlit as thai wald(b) 1460 Hay Alex. 14789.
That ȝe salbe lord anys of all the erde Quhilk hale be ȝow sall gouernit be and strede

b. specif. Of God: To rule (everything). 1375 Barb. xi 27.
Na manys mycht may stand agane The grace of God, that all thing steris c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xi 14.
All are gone At will of God that all thing steiris c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lx 3.
God, that all thing steiris, All thing seis [etc.]

c. Of a heavenly body: To govern or control earthly affairs, etc. 1456 Hay I 75/34.
All thir erdly thingis … ar governyt and sterit be the hevin and the corps celestialis 1456 Hay II 108/7. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 149.
The seuin planetis … Quhilk hes power … To reull and steir be thair greit influence, Wedder and wind [etc.]

d. To lead (a part of) an army. 1375 Barb. xx 401.
To the lord Dowglas gaf he The waward, for to leid and steir ?1438 Alex. ii 8076.
Thow sall haue, to keip and steir, The ferd battale a1500 Lanc. 2882.
The fift batell, whar xl thousand were, King Brandymagus had to led and stere c1475 Wall. v 920.
Craufurd … that mydward had to ster 1513 Doug. vii xii 4.
As gret man worthy sic ane ost to steyr

2. To guide or control (a person, etc.) in regard to his or her actions or conduct. Also reflex. Also const. to a purpose.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxv 4.
Sic thing in my ȝuthe to lere Quhare-with myn elde I mycht stere ?1438 Alex. ii 2119.
Sen ȝe me haue to keip and steir [F. vous m'avés a garder] 1513 Doug. xii i 91.
Quhou am I sterit thus in purpos seir? And quhidder flow I thus oft thar and heir? Quhat mad foly all tochangis my thocht? a1568 Scott xxxi 54.
Lat ressoun steir Ȝour hairtis … And nocht thoill … lust to leid ws c1575 Balfour Pract. 39.
Fra they be sa presentit to the bailȝie with lauchfull witnessis, then aucht he, in his court, thame to handle and steir as law willreflex. 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 6b.
Steir ye with stedfastnes(2) 1533 Gau 79/27.
The halie spreit be the quhilk the Fader callis steris lichtis and drawis me and al chrissine man to Hyme a1586 Lindsay MS 6b.
The King of Armes … suld ster thame to the ayth

b. tr. With non-material object: To conduct, guide (one's actions, a cause or plea at law); to control, wield (power, authority). 1375 Barb. vi 336.
And may na man haiff worthyhed Bot he haiff wyt to ster his deid [C. (prob. erron.) stede, 1571 the deid] & se quhat ys to leve or ta 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 114.
Gif the creditur tharof has na wede na ȝit na borowys bot anerly fath that is na pruff lauchful in court neuer the lattar apon fath wemmyt thar may mut be steryt in cristyn court of law c1475 Wall. ix 95.
The power is so strang he has to ster, May non eschaip that cummys in his danger 1524 Acts II 289/2.
Angus [etc.] … sall be lordis of the secret counsale to steir execut and put furth be kingis auctoritie in all materis

c. To control (one's tongue). ?1438 Alex. ii 3818.
And said wicked toung was euill to steir c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 194.
His tong for to reule[n] and to stere, That thy defautis helit may ben here a1500 Quare Jel. 402.
The first verteu … Is tong with wysedome to restreyne and stere

3. a. intr. To steer or navigate a course; to sail or row a vessel in a direction. Also in fig. context. Also proverb. Also reflex. b. Of a course or route: To take a direction. c. transf. To direct one's way (on land), to ascertain one's route. d. tr. To guide or control (the rudder). Also fig.a. 1375 Barb. v 25.
Thai na nedill had na stane, Bot rowyt alwayis in-till ane, Sterand [C. Stemmand, H. Steering] all tyme apon the fyr, That thai saw brynnand lycht and schyr 1549 Compl. 41/21.
The master cryit on the rudir man, ‘mait keip ful and by, a luf … steir clene vp the helme' a1568 Sempill in Sat. P. xlvi 52.
Steir be the compas, and keip hir rowt 1571 J. Maitland in Sat. P. xxvii 33.
Be war with strangearis in thy sterne to steir; Thocht on ane cours we can nocht condiscend, Suppois sum presentt perrell now appeir, And sum hes wyritt and will nocht with us wend 1596 Dalr. II 155/22.
The Prior of S. Androis … takeng al in ill parte, intendis in thair contrare to steir and row, with diligens [L. velis remisque nititur] a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlviii 151.
Steir studdie, mate … Thair is bod dead, or we mon throu betuene thame [sc. Charybdis and Scylla] 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas i 108.
The ile no sooner to their eyes appear'd Till thither Palinure their pilote steir'd 1667 Highland P. II 46.
The nixt morning … being ebb sea and thar boats all ebbed. … steired … to the Isle … and caused heise up his sailes 1667 Highland P. II 46.
Captain Kerniborick steired about and caused heise up his sailes 1679 J. Barclay Descr. Cath. Ch. 16.
Thy sails were hoysed, and thou seemed clear, Unto religion as thy port to steer 1699 Anal. Scot. I 337.
All night we altered our course, and steared southerlyproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 437.
D … made sutars schipmen could neither steir nor rowreflex. a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii 624.
The maistere gert the steris-man To the left hand stere hym thaneb. 1513 Doug. iii x 56.
The way that steris Mydwart betwix Charibdis and Scyllac. a1500 Lanc. 3428.
He goith one and frome the feld he socht And to the plan quhar that his ostis were; And Brandymagus chargit he to stere Efter hyme, within a lytill space 1540 Lynd. Sat. 659.
Let vs ly doun heir baith and spy Gif wee persaue him cummand by. Stand by the gait that I may steir. Aisay! Koks bons! How cam I heir? I can not mis to tak sum feird. 1572 Sempill in Sat. P. xxx 57.
In trublous time yow micht haif steirt the ruther(b) 1633 Rutherford Christ's Napkin 8.
As a pylot once with an untentive man at the rudder, stirring the ship on a sand-bank 1644 Boyd Garden of Zion Dedic. ii.
It is now time for you to begin to be busie, to learne to stirre the rudder before yee be made a pilot to undertake the … gouernment of three kingdomes