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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STERVE, v. Also stairve (Ags. 1928 Scots Mag. (July) 271), stirve (Sh.). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. starve, to perish, esp. with hunger (Sc. 1711 W. Mitchel To Queen Anne 1; Per. 1725 T. L. K. Oliphant Lairds of Gask (1870) 79, Abd. 1868 G. MacDonald R. Falconer x., Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 60; Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables 13; Rxb. 1921 Hawick Express (29 April) 3; Rnf. 1925 G. Blake Wild Men i.; Slg. 1932 W. D. Cocker Poems 44). Gen.Sc. [sterv, stɛrv]Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 24:
I can tell hoo sair-duin-by Scotland is,
yet he's richt: he's got whit he needs
and it's a gey sicht mair nor monie anither.
Whaun bairns stairve whitna point in this?Sc. 1991 R. Crombie Saunders in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 29:
Then gantit the alder dochter:
"I'll no be stairvit here;
The morn the laird'll hae me,
He speird an has muckle gear."m.Sc. 1994 Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay Forever Yours, Marie-Lou 14:
It's only right thit the heid o' the faimly gits the lion's share! It's him caws his pan oot tae earn a wage tae keep yese aw. If ah wisnae here, yese'd sterve like rats ...Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 13:
Life's richt queer, is it no? Hauf the warld stervin, the ither hauf's overwecht an drappin doon in hairt attacks.

Sc. usages, of cold: tr. to affect with extreme cold, to make to freeze, gen. in pass. (Uls. 1953 Traynor). Gen.Sc.; intr. with o, wi (cauld): to be much affected by (cold), to feel chilled. Also absol., id. Gen.Sc. These usages have been considered dial. in Eng. since the late 18th c. though widely current. Hence stervation, bitter cold (Sc. 1904 E.D.D.), also attrib. with cauld. Gen.Sc. and Eng. dial.Sc. 1756 M. Calderwood Journal (M.C.) 151:
In summer she is like to starve of cold.Sc. 1763 D. Hume Letters (Greig 1932) I. 420:
Coming in at Midnight, starving with Cold.Sc. 1770 Hailes Ancient Sc. Poems 282:
To starve of cold is still a Scottish expression.Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 136:
Starv'd wi' caul', and stunn'd wi' heats.Sh. 1899 Shetland News (18 March):
A'm no gaein' to staand laanger here stirvin' wi' cauld.Bnff. 1923 Banffshire Jnl. (19 June) 8:
We wis baith gealed t' stervation.Abd. 1958 Huntly Express (30 May) 2:
It's ower caul', littlin'. Ye wid sterve yersel'.Abd. 1971:
He keepit me stannin newsin till I'm just stairvt o caul. It's clean stervation outside.