v. Obs. [Cf. STOTAYE v., STUT v.]
1. intr. To stand still, halt, stop.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 149. Abowte me con I stote & stare To fynde a forþe.
c. 1400. Anturs of Arth., ix. It stottyde, it stounnede, it stode als a stane.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 226. Anone to the forest they found, There they stoted a stound.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 678. Right styth, stuffit in steill, thai stotit na stynt, Bot buskit to battaille.
2. To stammer, stutter.
c. 1325. Gloss. W. de Bibbesw., in Wright, Voc., 173. Jo vy cy vener mester Hughe, Ke reyn ne parle s’yl ne bue [glossed bote he stote].
c. 1340. Nominale (Skeat), 174. Femme iupe et ledement hue Woman houtith and foule stotith.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3881. A litle he stotid.
14[?]. R. Gloucester’s Chron., 8573 (Digby MS. 205 lf. 112). Stotynge & most when he was in wraþe or in strif.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 477/2. Stotyn, titubo, blatero.
3. trans. To cause to halt, stop.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, III. 66. For wondyr that he suld swa Stot [ed. 1616 Stoney] thaim, him allane but ma.
Hence † Stoting vbl. sb.; † Stoting (stotting) ppl. a., stammering.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 478/1. Stotynge, titubatus, titubacio.
1567. Fenton, Trag. Disc., v. (1898), I. 230. [He was so tongue-tied in presence of his lady] that he colde neither pleade for hymself at lardge, nor yet playe the parte of a stotting solicitor.
