▪ I. steven, n.1 Obs. exc. dial.
(stɛv(ə)n)
Forms: 1 stefn, stæfn, stemn, 2 steffne (Ormin), 3 stefne, stevne, stevone, 2–4 stephne, 3–5 stevene, 4 steovene, 4–6 stevyn, (4 Sc. stewyn(e, stewin, 6 Sc. stevyne), 5–6 stevin, (5 stevenne, 6 steeven), 6–7 steaven, 8–9 dial. stevvon, 2– steven.
[OE. stefn, stemn fem. corresponds to OFris. stifne, OS. stemna, also stemnia (MLG. stemne, stevene), MDu. stemme (mod.Du. stem), OHG. stimna, stimma (MHG., mod.G. stimme), Goth. stibna; not in ON. (the Sw. stämma, Da. stemme are prob. from LG.). It is uncertain whether the Teut. root is *stem- or *steƀ-.]
1. = voice in various applications. In mod. dial. use chiefly: A loud voice (cf. 5).
| a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iv. xxvi. [xxv.] (1890) 354 Ond swa swa he cuþre stefne wæs to me sprecende: Wel ðu dest, cwæð he, þæt [etc.]. c 1000 ælfric Gen. xxvii. 22 Witodlice seo stemn ys Iacobes stefn. a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 656 Þa stod seo kyning up to foren ealle his ðægna & cwæd luddor stefne Ðancod wurð hit [etc.]. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 45 Þa onswerede him drihten mildere steuene, Aris nu paul aris. c 1200 Ormin 10680. & tær wass herrd an steffne anan. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 355 After ðis dede a steuone cam, ‘ðu, nu, quor art, adam, adam?’ a 1300 Havelok 1275 Þanne she hauede herd the steuene Of þe angel ut of heuene, She was so fele siþes bliþe, Þat [etc.]. c 1300 Leg. Gregory (Schulz) 298 Þat child þan bigan to scriche Wiþ steuen, as it were a grome. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 2008 Bi vch kok þat crue, he knwe wel þe steuen. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxviii. (Margaret) 685 As þe puple herd þis stewine And þe thonir þat hydwis was, Þai fel flatlingis on þare face. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 2328 Sche cryeth ‘systyr’ with ful loude a steuene. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 302 An so a steven comme and tolde þe Emperour þat [etc.]. 1513 Douglas æneis iii. iii. 54 And strekand wp my handis towart hevin, Myne orisone I maid with devoit stevin. 1575 Laneham Let. (1871) 41 A doouty Dwarf..With steeuen full stoout amids all the preas, Said ‘hail, syr king’. 1768 Ross Helenore iii. 113 Quo Jean, my steven, sir, is blunted sair, An' singing frae me frighted aff wi' care. 1819 R. Gall Poems 93 Then could her Sangsters loud their steven raise. 1865 W. S. Banks Provinc. Words Wakefield s.v., Thah's a rare stevven, lad. a 1886 G. E. Mackay Love Lett. Violinist (1895) 197 He..lifted up his steven To keep the bulwarks of his faith secure. |
† b. with one steven, with one voice, in accord.
| c 1320 R. Brunne Medit. 382 For ȝow we preyd alle with o steuene. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 2584 All they sayd with one steuen: ‘Lordyngis, how longe wolle ye chyde? |
† c. Voice in petition; cry, petition, prayer. Obs.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 43 On diepe wosiðes ich clupe to þe hlouerd, hlouerd her mine stefne. c 1275 Anthem St. Thomas 8 in O.E. Misc. 90 Haly thomas..Vre stephne vnderstonde. 13.. K. Alis. 6846 For, byhold, up thy steovene Ys y-herd into the heovene. a 1400 Pistill of Susan 268 Lord, herteliche tak hede, and herkne my steuene So Fre. c 1460 Towneley Myst. ii. 175 Abell. God that shope both erth and heuen, I pray to the thou here my steven. 1589 Lodge Scillaes Metam. etc. E 2, Father of light..Bring to effect this my desired steauen. |
† d. Used for: Right of speaking. Obs.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 83 Mon hefde uorloren efre stephne bi-uore gode. |
† 2. Speech, speaking; language, tongue. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 150 Ther is no fowel þat fleeth vnder heuene That she ne shal wel vnderstonde his steuene. 14.. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems 245 ‘Superbia’ ys the most prinsipall [sin], ‘pryde pertly’ in englysshe steven. |
† 3. Fame, report. Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 1723 Þat swych a voys was of hym and a steuene Thorugh-out þe world of honour and largesse. |
† 4. Sound, noise (of singing, music, laughter). Obs.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 1125 Al songe to loue þat gay Iuelle, Þe steuen moȝt stryke þurȝ þe vrþe to helle. c 1369 Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 307 Some of hem [birds] songe lowe Some hygh and al of one accorde..Was neuer herde so swete a steuen. c 1400 Sowdone Bab. 2258 Dame Floripe lough with loude steven. a 1460 Play Sacrament 80 Now mynstrell blow up w{supt} a mery stevyn. |
5. Outcry, noise, tumult, din.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1402 Sturne [MS. sturnen] trumpen strake steuen in halle. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1219 The thundyr rorede with a gresely steuene. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxi. 69 Pitt obscure, Quhair youlis ar hard with horreble stevin. 1555 T. Phaer æneid iii. (1558) G j b, And from the skyes the lightning fyers do flashe w{supt} grisly steauen. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Sept. 224 And had not Roffy renne to the steuen [gloss Noyse], Lowder had be slaine. a 1586 Maitland in Sat. Poems Reform. xxxvii. 18 As furious fluidis w{supt} gritter force ay flowis, And starkar stevin, quhene stoppit ar þe stremis. 1625 Lisle Du Bartas, Noe 25 Before some thunder-steaven For warrant of his act gave oracle from Heaven. 1826 Hogg Q. Hynde vi. Poems (1865) 262 All nature roar'd in one dire steven; Heaven cried to earth, and earth to heaven. 1876 Whitby Gloss. s.v., Your clock strikes with a desperate stevvon. |
¶ 6. Used by Middleton with obscure application. [Prob. by some misunderstanding.]
| 1597 Middleton Wisd. Par. v. 17–20 G 2 b, His shield is victories immortall steauen. Ibid. vii. 29–30 K 2, [Wisdom] Guilding her selfe with her selfe-changing steau'n. Ibid. xviii. 14–16 Y 3 b, And brought thy precept, as a burning steauen, Reaching from heauen to earth, from earth to heauen. |
▪ II. † ˈsteven, n.2 Obs.
Forms: 1 stefn, 4–5 stevene, 5 stevyn, (steywyne), 6 stevin, stewin, 4–6, 8–9 north. steven. See also stem n.3
[OE. stefn masc. (also stemn stem n.3), cogn. with ON. stef fixed time, summons, stefna (see next). The Teut. root appears to be *steƀ-.]
1. A time, turn, vicissitude, occasion. n{iacu}wan stefne (OE.), afresh, anew. to change (by) stevens (= L. mutare vices), to take turns.
| Beowulf 2594 Hyrte hyne hordweard,..niwan stefne nearo þrowode fyre befongen, se ðe ær folce weold. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. viii. x. (Tollemache MS.) For as a weþer in lyinge up on on side turneþ and chaungeþ by euen steuines: so þe sonne beynge in..aries makeþ euenesse of day and nyȝte. Ibid. xii. Introd., And þey [cranes] ordeyne wacches, and in wakynge chaungen steuines. 1590 Cobler of Canterb. 50 [Descr. Scholar.] Mickle could he say at each steuen Of the liberall Arts seuen. |
2. A set or appointed time; a date fixed for a meeting or a payment.
In ME. chiefly in the phrases to set a steven, to appoint a time; at set steven, at the or a fixed time; at unset steven, by chance, unpreparedly; to break one's steven, to fail to keep an appointment.
| a 1225 Juliana 7 Ant efter lutle stounde wið ute long steuene wes him seolf sonde to Affrican. c 1374 Chaucer Compl. Mars 52 That by her bothe assent was set a steuen That Mars shal entre. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1060 Þer was stabled bi statut a steuen vus by-twene. Ibid. 2213 Who stiȝtles in þis sted, me steuen to holde? c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 666 For al day meeteth men at vnset steuene. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 30 Wher was ther evere such a knyht, That so..Of Slowthe and of foryetelnesse Agein his trowthe brak his stevene? c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxviii. 125 Me dere fader of heuen..ffrom ded to lif at set stevyn rasid me. 1470–85 Malory Arthur ii. xiv. 92 Yf I slee hym here I shall not scape. And yf I leue hym now perauentur I shalle neuer mete with hym ageyne at suche a steuen. 1543 St. Papers Hen. VIII, V. 287 The Cardinal..will sodenly, ere he be ware, prevent hym, and take hym at such unsett stewin, as he nor all the frendes he hath shall not be able to relief hym. Ibid. X. 723 And, as it chaunced, we met even at on steven, before the tent. 1555 W. Watreman Fardle of Facions App. 345 That..ye maie haue wholesome remedies, when nede is, and not be driuen to sieke remedie at vnsette steuin. a 1600 Robin Hood & Guy of Gisb. xxvii. in Child Ballads III. 93/1 Wee may chance mee[t] with Robin Hoode Att some vnsett steven. |
b. A convened assembly.
| 1481 Botoner Tulle of Old Age (Caxton) When I am in my village..I make every day meetings stevyns, and assemblies of my neighbours. |
3. Comb.: † steven-free, some kind of right enjoyed by certain tenants with regard to the use of the lord's mill; ? exemption from restriction to particular times.
| 1316 Covenant at Bishop's Castle, Salop (Addit. Chart. 40846) Concessit etiam dictus Rogerus..predicto Philippo..Steuenefreo in dicto molendino suo. |
▪ III. † ˈsteven, n.3 Obs.
Forms: 1 stefn (?), 4 stevin, steven(e, 5 steyvyne, Sc. stewyn.
[Late OE. stefn (pl. stefna) a. ON. stefna, f. stefna to fix a time, summon: see steven v.1 (sense 3).]
A citation, summons; bidding, command.
| c 1100 O.E. Chron. (MS. D.) an. 1052, Ᵹeræddon þa þat man sealde ᵹislas betweonan, & setton stefna ut to Lundene, & man bead þa folce [etc.]. 13.. Gosp. Nicod. 162 Þe men þat wight and willy ware said: to þi steuin we stand. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 360 Now Noe neuer stystez [margin ? styntez]..Er al wer stawed & stoken, as þe steuen wolde. Ibid. B. 463 [The raven sent out from the ark] Fallez on þe foule flesch..& sone ȝederly for-ȝete ȝister-day steuen. a 1400 Isumbras 299 And alle salle bowe hir to fote and hande, And noghte withstande hir stevene. c 1440 York Myst. ix. 6 Thre semely sonnes and a worthy wiffe I haue euer at my steven to stande. c 1470 Henry Wallace vii. 232 Grantyt wes fra God in the gret hewyn, Sa ordand he that law suld be thair stewyn. |
▪ IV. † ˈsteven, n.4 Sc. Obs.
Forms: 6 stewin, -yn, 6–7 steven.
[Either repr. OE. stęfn var. of stęmn stem n.2, or a. the equivalent Du. or LG. steven.]
= stem n.2 1.
| 1512–13 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. IV. 473 Item,.. ane [dracht] fra Newbotill of stewmnys to boittis. 1513 Douglas æneis i. i. 65 With bent saill ful, richt merely saland, Thair stewinnis stowrand fast throw the salt fame. Ibid. i. iii. 19 The schippis stewyn frawart hir went can writhe. Ibid. v. iv. 137 Stevenis. 1673 D. Wedderburn Vocab. 22 (Jam.) Prora, the steven of a ship, or the fore castle. |
▪ V. ˈsteven, n.5 slang.
(ˈstɛv(ə)n)
Money.
| 1812 J. H. Vaux Flash Dict., Steven, money. 1812 Sporting Mag. XL. 131 The steven (meaning money in the language of a fighting ring). 1834 Ainsworth Rookwood iv. ii, It plays the dickens with the steven. |
▪ VI. † ˈsteven, v.1 Obs.
[OE. stefnan, stæfnan, f. stefn, steven n.2 Cf. ON. stefna.]
1. intr. In OE.: To alternate, take turns. Cf. steven n.2 1.
| c 725 Corpus Gloss. 126 Alternantium staefnendra. |
2. trans. To appoint, constitute.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 160 Frea enᵹla heht þurh his word wesan wæter ᵹemæne, þa nu under roderum heora ryne healdað stowe ᵹestefnde. a 1225 Ancr. R. 310 ‘Pepigimus cum morte fedus, et cum inferno pactum iniuimus:’ þet is, we habbeð trouðe ipluht deaðe, & foreward istefned mid helle. c 1440 York Myst. xxiii. 64 Lord God! I loue þe..Þat me, thy poure prophett Hely, Haue steuened me in þis stede to stande. |
3. To summon. [After ON. stefna.]
| a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1048, Þa hi þider ut comon þa stefnede heom man to ᵹe mote. Ibid. an. 1093, And se cing Willelm him steofnode to Gloweceastre. |
4. To specify, state.
| c 1425 ? Lydg. Assembly of Gods 824 A crane on hys hede stood, hys crest for to steuyn. c 1440 Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903) 143 In Rome Y shall ȝou steuene An honþred kyrkes fowrty and seuen. |
5. dial. (See quots.)
| 1674 Ray N.C. Words, To Stein or steven; idem [i.e. to bespeak a thing]. 1828 Carr Craven Gloss., Stevven, to order, to bespeak. |
Hence † stevening vbl. n., appointment.
| 13.. in Wright Lyric P. xiv. 46 Of treuthe nis the trechour noht Bote he habbe is wille ywroht At stevenyng umbestounde. |
▪ VII. steven v.2 Now dial.
(ˈstɛv(ə)n)
[f. steven n.1]
a. intr. To make an uproar, shout. b. trans. To deafen with noise. Hence ˈstevening vbl. n.
| c 1220 Bestiary 575 Sipmen here steringe forgeten for hire stefninge. c 1440 York Myst. xxxii. 6 Ȝe stynte of youre steuenyng so stowte. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., To Stevvon, to shout with great strength of voice. 1862 ― Dial. Leeds Gloss. s.v., Mak a less o' thee din, wi' tuh! it's fit to stevvon onnybody. 1873 Swaledale Gloss., Stevin,..to rant. |
▪ VIII. † steven, v.3 Obs.
Also 5 stevyn, 6 stevin.
[a. ON. stefna, to sail in a certain direction; to aim (at something), f. stafn stem of a ship.]
intr. To direct one's course.
| c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 302, & furthwith, evyn at he say, þis layser stevend vp vnto hevyn. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xx. 546 That childe..rasyd hym self apon the thryd day, And stenen [? read steuen] to heuen. Ibid. xxvi. 594 Ihesus. Nay, mary, neghe thou not me, ffor to my fader, tell I the, yit stevynd I noght. Ibid. xxix. 336 When he stevynd vp so sodanly To his fader in maieste. 1513 Douglas æneis v. i. 57 This being said, towart the port thai stevin. |