Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 4–7 stutte, 6 stutt, (7 stoott), 6– stut. [ME. stutte-n, f. Teut. root *stut-, ablaut-var. of *staut- as in MLG. stôten, OHG. stôʓen (mod.G. stossen) to knock, strike against, collide. Cf. STOTE v. 2.]
1. intr. To stutter.
1388. [see STUTTING ppl. a.].
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3825. Neptolon … stutid full stithly, þat stynt hym to speke.
a. 1500. Medulla Gram., Blatio, to stutt or stamer.
1516. Life St. Birgette, in Kal. New Leg. Eng. (Pynson), 120 b. Nat stuttynge lyke the maner of other children that begynne to speke, she speke complete and full wordes.
c. 1529. Skelton, E. Rummyng, 339. Her felow did stammer and stut.
1529. Frith, Rev. Antichrist, 68. He offendeth also that doth stammer or stutte in the wordes of the canon.
1570. Levins, Manip., 178/35. To stoote, stutte, titubare.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. v. 5, 13. After the manner of a broken speeche, according as the sainctes in praying doe oftetymes stutte.
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, IV. v. Hee lookes bigge and begins to stut, for anger.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. iii. III. i. 264. They stutte or faulter in their speech.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 386. They that Stut, doe Stut more in the first Offer to speake, than in Continuance.
1638. Junius, Paint. Ancients, 315. They are deservedly laughed at, who going about to tell a tale doe nothing but stutte and stammer.
a. 1650. Calderwood, Hist. Kirk (1843), III. 414. The King said blushing, and somwhat stootting: ‘Least anie man sould [etc.].’
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 389/1. A Man … [doth] Stammer, Stut, when the Voice or Words come not freely, that hath an impediment in his Speech.
1797. Gentl. Mag., LXVII. 456. They [sc. cuckoos] stammer (or stut, as it is called in the North of England) … in the month of June.
1818. Wilbraham, Chesh. Gloss, Stut, to stutter or stammer.
1825. Brockett, N. C. Gloss., Stut, to stutter.
b. transf. and fig.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 965. The Lorde … hath a singular care of mans infirmitie, whereby hee framing him selfe to our capacitie, dooth after a sorte stut and stammer with us.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, I. xi. 51. Megasthenes (whom Annius hath set out as truly as he hath done Berosus, saue that he stutted at the name and called him Metasthenes).
2. To stumble in walking.
1573. Baret, Alv., S 905. To Stut: to stagger in speaking or going to stumble, titubo.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 89. In steps he stutted, apaled: And fixt his footing.
1583. Golding, Calvin on Deut., xci. 563. It is as though such as haue not learned Gods Word do stut and stumble and go astray.
