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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.

Sted(e, v. Also: steid(e, steyd, sta(i)d. P.t. stad, sted(d)it. P.p. sted(e, stad(e, stadd(e, staid, steded(e, -it, -yt, steddit, etc.[ME and e.m.E. stede (c1425), p.t. and p.p. stad(de, stoad, staid (all Cursor M.), stedde (a1300), stedyd (c1325), sted (Rolle), stadded (c1400), steaded (1582), ON stadde p.t., staddr p.p. of steðja to make to stand, stop, place. ME also p.t. studed, stad, e.m.E. stedde (1571), steade (1573), steed (1591), sted (1619), p.t., etc. steeded, etc.; Sted(e n.¹]

I. 1. a. passive. Of persons, etc., in respect of their physical location: To be placed, put, situated in a position; to be settled, established, living in a place.p.p. a1400 Leg. S. ii 571.
In that towne wes a lele man sted [: had] a1400 Leg. S. iii 612.
Egeas commawndyt that he Thar in a frame suld sted be, And with scharpe schurgis befte a1400 Leg. S. iii 738.
With lyff I sall nocht be Of this croice lousyt fre be thé Fore now I se myn kinge … Here I sted ame in his sycht a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 283.
Thai ware sted in sic effray That thai becuth to fle away ?1438 Alex. ii 1192.
Amang thy fais I saw the sted In sic ane thrang amang thame set, That [etc.] ?1438 Alex. ii 2622.
I had bene slane withoutin faill—I was sa sted in the battaill—Na war he … Come 1533 Boece 501.
The king was … sted betuix the twa hoistis of inemyis … attempting all partis gif he mycht … brek out, finalie … he become randerit to inemeis(b) a1400 Leg. S. iv 83.
Thame, that ar in feteris stad, He lousis ?1438 Alex. ii 10858.
I am stad Heir into this cumpany That I lufe ouer all thing c1420 Wynt. ii 1602.
Thai war stad in stormys stout c1420 Wynt. iii 26.
Batht the left hand and the rycht He ewynlike oysyde quhen that he In were wes stade or in melle c1420 Wynt. iv 358.
Quhare Jupitere wyth rayne hym wete … Phebus … wytht sone hym het; He thoucht … That he [wes] stade betwene thai twa 1460 Hay Alex. 3721. c1475 Wall. xi 1091.
The lord Clyffurd … tuk him thar … In presoun him stad 1513 Doug. vi v 132.
I grippit … the scharp rolkis … In hevy wayt frog stad 1513 Doug. vi x 65.
Vndir the erth stad [: glaid; L. repostos] 1513 Doug. ii ii 17.(c) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 510.
A brassyng hors … Inne whom myght wele a thousand knyghtes Be steded c1400 Troy-bk. ii 524.
Thrught the which closoures at thar will The knyghtes steded hym in-till May ische a1500 Bk. Chess 2154.
And in mydfeild gif he [sc. the rook] be stedit still To four partis he passis at his will

b. active, reflex. and passive with agent. To establish, install, settle (a person) (in a place or situation); specif. to install a tenant or oneself as a tenant.passive 1449 Melville Chart. 33.
At the saide schir Androwe sal … ger be maryit … Margret, Cristiane and Marioune ful sisteris to the saide Alexander to the quhilkis mariage the saide Alexander … has gefyne [etc.] … Quhill his saide thre sisteris may be honorabli steddit be the saide his eme and thar touchqueris fullely payit 1513 Doug. viii vii 23.
Quhilk now by Jovys power stad [L. constitit] remanys Within the boundys of Rutilyanysreflex. c1420 Wynt. iii 568.
All thus quhen thir brethir thre Had stedede thame in thare cuntre And in tyll quiete and in pes Ilkane in his regnand wes 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 180.
Gif tha thynk tha ma sted them bettyr in vthir placis, warnand ws half a ȝer befor tha termeactive 1500 Caldwell P. 52.
The quhilk tenands the said lord erle promitte to steid in uthir place

c. active and passive. Of an object: To be placed or installed in a location; to be inserted in a surface; to be set in a setting.passive a1400 Leg. S. iii 1044.
And in the face the wittis all of the cors are stedyt, gret & smal a1400 Leg. S. xvi 222.
Thare tempil, … Quhare thare ydolis var stedyt c1400 Troy-bk. ii 618.
That he wald latt in the cite Thare hors of brasse steded be a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 905.
The bane … is stedit thar-in as iowel In fyne gold and cristel 1466 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V ii 834 (13 Sept.).
The patronage of Saynt Duthowys altar steddyt in the paroche kirk of Saynt Nicholaceactive a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 585.
The quhilk Sancte Tecle with hir tuke, … & stedit it honorably In the kirk of Marytany

2. passive. To be placed or situated in a plight or condition, also in an emotional state. Also, once, const. adj. and without const.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii 1444.
Hartis … That in ȝouth-hede and strenth is sted a1500 K. Hart 922.
Quhen I wes ȝoung and stede in tendir age(b) a1400 Leg. S. ii 26.
Sailand in Italy In parelis wes he stad sindry a1400 Leg. S. xix 333.
Thai, that here ar stad In dowt of ded ?1438 Alex. i 871.
This message do for ȝow I will … Bot my sheild … first shall be To-hewin … And I sall sie in grit fusoun The blude rin out of my body [etc.] … Quhan I am stad as I ȝow say, … This message glaidly will I do ?1438 Alex. ii 1303.
I saw ȝow now in sic ane neid Quhare that I wald nocht haue bene stad For all the gold that Pryam had ?1438 Alex. ii 2405.
Quhen I se hir … I am sa mouit … That I haue nouther strenth nor micht … Thus am I stad c1420 Wynt. iii 870.
And in sa staverand state ar stade c1420 Wynt. vii 3411.
Hyr hart stad in gret hewynes; Wyth honowre yheit scho ressawyd wes c1420 Wynt. vii 3626.
Cryst … Succoure Scotland … That stad [is in] perplexyte [C. That is stade in perplexite] c1420 Wynt. viii 2545.
The Scottis men than … fast Ware grettly in thare hart agast, And was stad in till gret payne [: slayne] c1420 Wynt. vii 141.
Stad [: made] 14.. Acts I 40/2.
Gif ony man … that tuk the lande in nede is stadd it to sell 1513 Doug. xiii ii 77.
Now stad In bettir hoip, return ȝour mynd, beys glaid 1535 Stewart 21552.
Honorius of Rome the emprioure That tyme with seiknes staid wes in ane stour(2) c1420 Ratis R. 1411.
This eild is joly proud and gay … And fore perell is nocht ful rad Thocht it be sumquhill nakyt stad(3) a1585 Arbuthnot in Maitl. Q. 88/28.
The blythest thing in bour The bonyest in bed Plesant at euerie hour & eithe for to be sted

b. active and passive. To settle, cause to be settled, to bring into (in) a certain condition.p.t. c1475 Wall. x 748.
Thus in gud pece Scotland with rycht he stadp.p. c1475 Wall. ix 1893.
For thai traistyt, and Scotland war weill stad, Wallace wald cum, as he thaim promyst had

c. active and passive. To (cause to) accept, be bound by (to, till) an oath.pres. 1494 Loutfut MS 112b.
The king of armes … suld stad thaim to the aithp.p. c1420 Wynt. viii 863.
Foure scor sum sayd … That thare ware stad till a gret ath

d. intr. To accept the authority of, be bound by (to) a council. a1538 Abell 108a.
At the generall consall … representis vniwersall kirk … and to it all staid, ȝe, the paip suld obey till it

e. Of a law, etc.: To be in place, to have effect. 14.. Acts I 110/2.
& that statute for disseysing maid sal sted [L. teneat locum] allanerly eftir the makying of the statute & nocht befor 1519 Reg. Panmure II 291.
Quhilk seasing sall sufes and steyd for the said William and his aris

3. tr., passive. To be (sa) (hard, straitly, etc.) pressed or beset (by difficulties, etc.). b. active. To affect, influence, beset (a person).(1) 1375 Barb. (1571) ii 47.
Sa hard mischeif him fell, That I hard neuer … Of man sa hard sted [E. frayit] as wes he 1375 Barb. iii 204.
Men that war Fer hardar stad then we yhet ar 1375 Barb. xiv 378. a1400 Leg. S. vii 650.
For the grete hungyre that thai had Full hard in that towne thai war sted a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 537.
Ony [that] ware herd sted … Trastand thru Hym [sc. God] to helpyn be ?1438 Alex. ii 4652. c1420 Wynt. viii 1571.
Makduff … wes hard stad be mony men c1420 Wynt. viii 6073.
He sayd, he suld tak on hand On othir halff thame for to warray: Sa apon bathe thai halfis than suld thai Be straytly stad a1500 Rauf C. 603. c1475 Wall. x 568.
My a fald freynd quhen I was hardest stad! 14.. Maner of Battale 231.
[The vanquished jouster may] be sa hard stad be eventuyr that he leif … wappinis with his hors a1500 Prestis of Peblis 1314. 1513 Doug. ix iv 112.
Sum frend … That gif at I war takyn and hard stad Or fra me reft the lyfe; … my body or banys ranson wald 1535 Stewart 46610.
He circulit him sone efter at ane seig, Into ane place quhair he wes sted rycht herd c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1249.
I salbe sone at ȝow agane; For ȝe war neuer sa hard staid(2) 1375 Barb. iv 169.
Thai within, that sa war stad, That na wittaill … had, Quhar-with thai mycht the castell hald 1375 Barb. iv 198.
He wes sa stad that he na mocht His aynd bot with gret panys draw, Na spek, bot gif it war weill law a1400 Leg. S. i 479.
Petir thar sa sted wase, That narowly cuth he purchase Audience till he had sad his will a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 852.
Thane had the basare mekil wa, Quhen he saw hyme-self sted sa ?1438 Alex. ii 1273.
Quhen Betys saw his men sa stad, To succour thame great will he had ?1438 Alex. ii 10368.
He of him-selfe na power had To stand vp richt; sa was he stad 1460 Hay Alex. 1534.
He saw the king sa sted into the pres(3) 1375 Barb. iii 379.
The King saw how his folk wes stad a1500 Rauf C. 136.
Sa troublit with stormis was I neuer stadb. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lv 12.
Sum of ȝour men sic curage hed, Dame Venus fyre sa hard tham sted, Thai brak vp durris … To [etc.]

c. To be beset with something. c1420 Ratis R. 461.
Quhen thow art stad ocht narowly With irous wyll and gluttony a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 542.
Now is my breist with stormie stoundis stad [Th. stadde] Wrappit in wo c1475 Wall. ix 901.
Sen we ar stad with enemys on ilk syd c1475 Wall. xi 563.
Thir gud men … With hungyr stad a1500 K. Hart 832.
Quhen thai thairout salbe with stouris stade

II. 4. tr. To supply (a person's, etc. needs). Also absol. See also Man-steid p.p. 1497 Treas. Acc. I 335.
For ane cabil tow to stede the well of Dunbar 1497 Treas. Acc. I 357.
To steid the pur folk for vij owkis xxj lib. 1497 Treas. Acc. I 374. 1519 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 190.
Mair [meal] nor will steid his awin hous 1535 Stewart 56184.
Wyne and flour to steid thame for ane ȝeir a1538 Abell 113a.
He gaif ilk Friday to the pure folkis in almws foure bollis of quheit in bakin breid & gife that steddit nocht the multitude at come he gart gife siluir almws to the laifabsol. 1535 Stewart 22251.
Victuall als to steid for fourtie dais

5. To avail, be of use, serve for (some purpose). 1531–2 Reg. Soltre 196.
As to sext part of the land of the Blair and it be kepit it will steide for part of horse corne 1562-3 Winȝet II 6/13.
A litle … instrument … that … may sted for a bricht lantern