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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.

Stern(e, adj. Also: sternne, steirne, steern. [ME and e.m.E. stiarne (a1175), stirne (Orm), sturne (Layamon), sterne (c1275), stern (c1300), OE styrne, *stierne, Gmc. *sternjo.]

1. Of a person or horse in battle: Bold, courageous, fierce, resolute.Freq. in alliterative use, esp. in the phrase stern and stout.Applied as an epithet to a god or hero. ?1438 Alex. i 1192.
King Alexander the sterne and stout c1420 Wynt. i 989.
Wemen wyld … all armyt for tyll fycht And in all pres war sterne and stowt, To fycht wytht men thai had na dowt c1450-2 Howlat 658 (A).
Stern c1475 Wall. iv 455.
Stern hors thai steik, suld men of armys ber c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 113.
Mars, the god armypotent, Aufull and sterne, strong and corpolent c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xxvii 81.
So stern he wes in steill 1513 Doug. ii iv 47.
Stern Pallas 1513 Doug. v vii 72.
Harnes and braseris … Of weght ful huge … Quhar with, … the stern Erix was wont To feght 1513 Doug. vii iv 199 (Ruddim.).
Twa sterne stedis … Cummyn of the kynd of heuinlye hors … At thare neis thyrles the fyre fast snering out 1513 Doug. vii xiii 93 (Ruddim.).
The trumpis blast and hornis made deray, And sterne stedis stamping for the dyn 1513 Doug. viii viii 145.
Twa hundreth walyt hors men, wight and stern, … sal I geif onto that bern 1513 Doug. viii viii 191.
Quhou mony scheldis, helmys and stern body Vndre thy fludis warpyt law sall ly 1513 Doug. ix v 6.
Flowr of fensabill ȝyng men stern and stowt 1513 Doug. x xiv 163.
Quhar is he now, Meȝentius, sa stern? Quhar is the fers stowt curage of that bern? 1513 Doug. xi i 109.
That lordly syre Vs monyst tobe war and avyse Becaus the men quhamwith to do had we War bald and stern

b. Of an expression, mood, action: Exhibiting boldness; indicating courage, ferocity, etc. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 616.
On twa stedis thai straid with ane sterne schiere c1475 Wall. x 78.
x thousand off douchty men … Quha couth behald thair awfull lordly wult So weill beseyn, so forthwart, stern and stult 1513 Doug. i Prol. 510.
Bot now the horribill stern dedys of Mart, The batalys and the man I will discryve 1513 Doug. xii i 17.
A wild lyoun … By the huntar wondyt … Than first begynnyng to rays hys stern moyd, Reiosyt of the bataill fers and wod … raschand the schaft in sundir And on the man liggand at wait … Hym to revenge

c. transf. Of a weapon, etc.: Wielded in a fierce, bold manner; ferocious. 1513 Doug. v viii 113.
Hys stern burdon … Persyt the harn pan 1513 Doug. x xiv 117.
Thus carpyt he, and with stern lance, but tary, Furth steppys forto meyt hys aduersary 1513 Doug. xiii v 118.
The ern, With hir strang tallonys and hir punsys stern Lychtyng, had claucht the litill hynd calf

d. Of a battle: Fiercely fought. 1513 Doug. viii iv 45.
Hercules, com at hand … New from the slauchter into stern melle [Ruddim. strang melle] Of Geryon

2. Of an occasion: Terrible. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 642.
Thus thai faucht … Quhen thai foundrit an[d] fel fey to the grund … Baith thair hartis can brist, braithly but beild, thair wes na staluart unstonait so sterne wes the stound

3. Of a person's constitution: Powerful, strong. a1500 Henr. Age & Yowth 59.
This breif thow sall obey, sone, be thow bald Thy stait, thi strenth, thocht it be stark and sterne, The feviris fell and eild sall gar thé fald

4. Of a person: Severe, austere. 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 79.
‘Quhat dois thou heir Vndyr my tre and willyst me na gude?’ Me thocht I lurkit vp … To spy this ald that was als stern of spech As he had beyn ane medicyner or lech a1561 Norvell Meroure 48b.
Ould father Noye … Shaikand his beird, with a steirne voyce did saye Of all sinnes excesse is principall

5. Of a person: Cruel, harsh. Only in Nisbet after Purvey. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke xix 21, 22.
For I dredde thee, for thou art a sternne [W. austerne, AV austere, P. sterne; Vulg. austerus] man: thou takis away that that thou has nocht settit … Wist thou that I am a steern man, takand away that thing that I haue nocht settit

b. Of winter: Harsh. 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 92.
With mychty drink, and metis confortyve, Agane the stern [Sm. storme, Ruddim. sterne] wyntir forto stryve

6. tr. L. glacie riget horrida barba, appar., stiff, rigid. 1513 Doug. iv v 143.
Furth of the chyn of this ilk hasard auld [Atlas] Gret fludis ischis, and styf ise schokyllis cauld Doun from his stern and grysly berd hyngis

7. absol. as noun. In alliterative verse: A bold or courageous man. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 19.
Farand on thair stedis, stout men and stabill, Mony sterne our the streit stertis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 108.
He wes sa astonayt with the straik in stede quhare he lay, Stok still as ane stane, the sterne wes sa sture! a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 822.
Be he stonayt, yone sterne, stout beis his stevin, He wourdis brym as ane bair a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 987.
Thus raithly the riche berne rassit his array; The tothir stertis ane bak, the sterne that wes stout