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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sturt(e, n. Also: stwrt, stourt, stowrt. [Prob. metathetic var. of north. ME strut (Cursor M.), strout (c1300). Cf. Norw. strutt obstinate resistance and Gael. stuirt (Dwelly) huffiness, anger.]

1. Trouble, vexation, difficulty, contention; contentious or troublesome behaviour. a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 424.
& the best … Brast in twa & scho but hurt Eschapit wele or ony sturt c1460 Thewis Wysmen 363.
Quhar-euir thai be thar is ay sturt, Thar blythnes is vtherys tyll hurt a1500 Prestis of Peblis 1109 (Ch.).
Now as my freind I … cum to thé For quhan I am in stryfe or ȝit in sturt [etc.] c1500 Rowll Cursing 35 (M).
Hunger sturt and tribulatioun And never to be without vexatioun c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 151/31.
Than Yre come in with sturt [M. stowrt] and stryfe; His hand wes ay upoun his knyfe 1513 Doug. xi Prol. 187.
Ane … Crystyn knycht Refusys to thoill traval sturt, or pyne, And but debait wenys till optene the fycht 1535 Stewart 5487.
With lytill sturt he wes sone tane in hand 1535 Stewart 26318.
And he did so, he said it wald … gender sturt and noy c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 267.
In eild, and ȝouth, blithnes, aduersitie: And all kin sturt c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5144.
Thay depart frome cair and cummer, Frome trubyll, trauell, sturt, and stryfe, Tyll joy and euirlestand lyfe a1568 Bann. MS 80b/11.
And oft of freindis it makis fais [sc. lending] And baith the pairteis haldis in sturt a1568 Scott xxxiii 14.
Quhat is thy [sc. Cupid's] manrent bot mischeif, Sturt, angir, grunching, yre, and greif a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 303/7.
Allace this is a miserable lyf Off sturte and stryfe c1575 Balfour Pract. 610.
Gif ony persoun of ather realme sall cum within the uther realme, to mak sturt, raise fire, [etc.] c1610 Melville Mem. 272.
The dochter in law haldis her gud mother in sturt, All ar inclynit to do till vther hurtproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1182.
Sturt payes no debt a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1422.
Tak na mair sturt nor staiks yow

2. Sorrow, misery, melancholy; disquiet, vexation of the mind. b. An instance of this. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 102.
My leiges … I am in sturt [Asl. instruct] quhen that ȝe ar in stryfe Quhen ȝe haue peace … Than I am glade a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1050 (Arund.).
Compacience perssis into my hert remanis With sturt and reuth and thirly stormy stoundis, Wounderly wirkand out throw all my wanis c1500 Rowll Cursing 37 (B).
And nevir to be without vexatioun Of vengance sorrow sturt and cair 1513 Doug. ii ii 59.
Dolorus my lyfe I led in sturt and pane, Hevyly weyand my innocent frende thus slane 1535 Stewart 41030.
This Williame … litill sturt than tuke of all that thing c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus Prol. 117.
Sum ar blait Sum curst, cankerit, and ay in sturt Sa sindrie men … Ar … geuin to sindrie inclinatiounis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5855.
A man to haue sturt inwartlie Of his nichtbouris felicitie 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5864.
Ane man that leuis … In sturt, inuy, anger and cair, continuallie In fyrie fumes, himself consumes, ay inwartlie a1568 Flemyng in Bann. MS 160a/2.
Be mirry … And sett all sturt on syd 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (STS) 401.
Fra that fyre rais sic ane stew, quhilk struke sic sturt to thair stomokis that thay rewit it euer efter 1596 Dalr. I 28/18.
A palice … named the mountane of Sturte, [L. Mons dolorosus] thaireftir Snawdoune hill 1596 Dalr. II 126/7.
Schortlie followis the … Bischop of Galloway, quhilke to mony was occasione of mekle sturt and hauines, because he was a man of sik vertue 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 3b.
Ane sorrowfull mynde with stwrt conwarte 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1681) ii 32.b. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7757.
I haue ane sturt and anger at mine hart a1570-86 Maitl. F. 423/131.
Ȝour cairfull caice, to his is sa conforme Greit caus ȝe haue lyk conforte to consawe Esteim this stourt, as ane wnstabill storme 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 125.
Scho … wald fane dissaif my lufe be wrytingis … borrowit from sum feat author to fenȝe ane sturt … Hir teiris, hir plaincts full of dissimulatioun [etc.]