† Sty v.¹

Obs. Forms: see below; also with prefix 1 ʓe-, 2–3 i-. [OE. stíʓan (stáh, stiʓun, stiʓen), a Com. Teut. str. vb. corresponding to OFris. stîga, OS. stîgan, MDu. stîghen (mod.Du. stîjgen, OHG. stîgan (MHG. stîgen, mod.G. steigen), ON. stíga (MSw. stîgha, mod.Sw. stiga, Da. stige), Goth. steigan:—OTeut. *stĭʓ- (: *staiʓ-):—Indogermanic *steigh- (: *stoigh- *stigh-) to go, represented by Skr. *stigh to step, stride, Gr. στείχειν to go, στοῖχος, στίχος a row, line, L. ve-stīgium footstep, trace.

  OF the weak inflexion a doubtful trace appears in ONorthumbrian; otherwise it has not been found earlier than the 13th c.]

  A.  Inflexional Forms.

  1.  Inf. and pres. stem. 1 stíʓan, North. stíʓe, 2–5 stiȝe-n, (2–3 Orm. stiȝhenn), 3 stihe-n, 4–5 styȝe, 3–4 stighe, 4 stiyhe, north. steich, 5–7 stygh, 3 steo, ste-n, 3–4 stei(e, 5–6 stey, stey-yn, 4–5 stegh, 4 steȝe, steye, steyȝ(e, (6 stee), 2–7 stie, 4–7 stye, 5–7 sty.

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xx. 18. Heonu we stiʓes vel we scilon stiʓe [Vulg. ecce ascendimus].

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 111. Siððen he is buuen alle heȝnesse hwider sholde he stiȝe. Ibid., 145. Ure drihten wolde … deð þolien and arisen of deaðe and to heuene stie.

a. 1240.  Ureisun, in O. E. Hom., I. 201. Ne wene nomon to stihen wið este to þe steorren.

a. 1225.  Five Joys, in Rel. Ant., I. 49. [Þou] iseie him in to heuene sten.

c. 1250.  Long Life, 38, in O. E. Misc., 158. Weilawei deþ þe schal adun þrowe þer þu wenest heȝest to steo.

13[?].  Bonaventura’s Medit., 208. He ros fro deþ to heuene to stye.

c. 1315.  Shoreham, Poems, v. 252. Hi seȝ ihesus … Op in-to heuene steȝe.

a. 1325.  Prose Psalter cxxxviii. 7 [cxxxix. 8]. Ȝif ich steiȝe to heuen þou art þer.

a. 1340.  Hampole, Psalter, xxiii. 3. Who sall stegh in þe hill of lord.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Boeth., III. met. ix. (1886), 69. O fadyr yiue thow to the thowht to styen vp in to the streyte sete.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 473/1. Steyyn vp, scando, ascendo.

c. 1450.  Mirk’s Festial, 153. When þay seen hym … bodyly stey vp wyth soo gret multitude of angeles.

1460–70.  Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 229. Take þi crosse to þee, and folewe me, If þou wolt to my blis up stiȝe.

a. 1500[?].  Chester Pl., Ascension, 96. You shall haue here my Blessinge for to heaven I must stye.

1593.  G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., Wks. (Grosart), II. 234. Lightest phantasies that sty abooue the highest region of the cloudes.

1605.  R. B., Commend. Verses, in Verstegan’s Dec. Intell. Industrious then Verstiegan forwards stygh, Raise vp thy nations ancient woorthy fame.

  b.  3rd pers. sing. pres. 1 stíʓeþ, stíʓþ, stíhþ, 3 stiheð, stihð, styhð, 4 stegth, steþ, 4–5 styeþ, 6 stithe, 7 sties.

c. 888.  [see B 1].

a. 1000.  Boeth. Metr., xiii. 6. His [sc. the sun] ofer moncyn stihð á upweardes.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 216. Uor stench stihð uppard.

13[?].  Seuyn Sag. (W.), 2288. Up to the halle rof he stegth.

c. 1320.  Cast. Love, 1450. Þat from heuene com, to heuene he steþ.

c. 1400[?].  Erthe upon Erthe, App. I. 42. Wanne eorthe ouer eorthe þorw prude styeþ.

a. 1535.  More, Fortune, 111, in Songs, Carols, etc. (E.E.T.S.), 75. He holdeth faste, but vpward as he stithe, She whippeth her whele abowt, & þer he lieth.

1613.  J. Davies (Heref.), Muse’s Tears, E 2 b. And, (as a Flaime) she still, by Nature, sties Where her Originall reposed lies.

  2.  Pa. t. a. sing. α. 1 stáʓ, stáh, 2–3 stah, steah, steh, steȝ, steȝh, 3 stawe, 2–4 steiȝ, 3–5 stegh, stey, 4 steigh, steyȝ, steegh, steaȝ (Kent.), steeȝ, steghe, steye, steyȝe, stehe, steiȝe, steihe, styh, stih, sti, 4–5 stigh, 5 stygh, sty.

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Luke xix. 4. He stah up on an treow.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 3. Seðen ure louerd ihesu crist steh to heuene. Ibid., 33. Þo he steah to heuene. Ibid., 165. Þreo siðes steȝh þis holie maiden.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 5987. He stah upp till heoffne.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 250. Þoa he steih into heouene.

c. 1275.  Five Joys, 26, in O. E. Misc., 88. Þo þi sone to heouene steyh.

a. 1300.  Fall & Pass., 107, in E. E. P. (1862), 15. An after he steiȝ to heuen aboue.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 19009 (Edin.). Til heuin he steich. Ibid., 22723. Til heuin he stehe.

13[?].  K. Alis., 5827. The Kyng … steegh [Laud MS. steeȝ] on the wal.

c. 1315.  Shoreham, Poems, I. 50. Her-on ihesus stawe vppe bi-fore.

a. 1325.  Prose Psalter, xlvi[i]. 5. God steȝ up in swete songe.

1340.  Ayenb., 13. He … steaȝ into heuene.

c. 1375.  Lay-Folks Mass-Bk. (MS. B.), 225. He stegh til heuen.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 113. Out of þat mount Crist steihe vp into heuene.

1390.  Gower, Conf., I., 273. He styh up to his fader.

c. 1394.  P. Pl. Crede, 810. He steiȝ vp to heuene.

a. 1400.  Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS., 4. He steye in till Heuen.

a. 1400.  Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xxiv. 219. Þi sone in to heuene stih.

1400.  Gower, To Hen. IV., 176, in Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 9. Er Crist … stigh to hevene.

a. 1400–50.  Wars Alex., 3467. He þat stiȝe to þe sternes.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (1839), viii. 96. Fro that Mount, steighe … Jesu Crist to Hevene.

c. 1430.  Hoccleve, New Ploughman’s T., 114. Shee vp to heuene ascendid up and sty.

c. 1440.  Floriz & Bl., 892. Vp in to þe Toure he steyȝ.

a. 1450.  Myrc, Par. Pr., 518. Cryst … Stegh in-to heuene.

  β.  weak forms. 1 north. ? stíʓade, 3–5 stide, 4–5 stiede, (4 sticht Sc.), 4 stiȝ-, styȝede, stighede, steȝede, steiȝed, -ide, styede, steiede, 5 steyt, 5 steyy(u)d, 5–6 steyyid, steyde, 6 steyed, 4–6 styed, 5–6 stied.

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., John v. 4. Of dune staʓade [? for stiʓade].

c. 1275.  Lay., 10737. Þe eorl … letten louke þe ȝates and stide to walle.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, l. (Catherine), 759. & sayand þis, he sticht in hewyn with mekill Ioy & angelis stewyne.

1382.  Wyclif, Prov. xxi. 22. The wise man steȝede vp. Ibid., Matt. xiv. 33. He steiȝide [1388 stiede] vp in to an hill aloone for to preye. Ibid., Luke xix. 4. And he rennynge bifore, stiȝede in to a sycamoure tree.

c. 1400.  Beryn, 1592. A marynere … Styed in-to the topcastell.

c. 1436.  Libel Engl. Policy, in Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 204. He that … came frome hevyne, and stiede up with our nature.

c. 1450.  Mirk’s Festial, 152. He … steȝt vp ynto Heuen. Ibid., 154. Þus … Crist steyd ynto Heuen.

c. 1450.  Godstow Reg., 7. He stied to heuen.

c. 1460.  Play Sacram., 423. How he styed by hys own powre.

c. 1485.  Digby Myst. (1882), III. 1341. He steyyd to hevyn.

1492.  Ryman, Poems, xlvi. 7, in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr., LXXXIX. 213. He … rose ayene … and to blis steyde.

a. 1500.  Adrian & Epotys, 342, in Brome Bk., 36. He steyed to heuyn. Ibid., 446, 40. And yn to heuyn he steyyud [printed steyynd].

1557.  Phaër, Æneid, V. (1558), O iij. He spake, and thynne from sight as smoke, in skyes disperst he styed.

  γ.  5 steut.

c. 1450.  Mirk’s Festial, 232. Yn to þe tyme þat he steut ynto Heuen.

  b.  2nd pers. sing. 3 stihe, stuhe, 4 stehe, stey, stei, 5 stiȝ.

a. 1225.  Juliana, 62. Þu … stihe [Bodl. MS. stuhe] abuuen þe steorren to þe heste heouene.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 25580. Þat ilk time til heuen stei [Fairf. MS. stey] þou,… suete iesu!

a. 1310.  in Wright, Lyric P., xxv. 69. Jhesu, for love thou stehe on rode.

c. 1430.  Hymns Virg. (1867), 102. Þou stiȝ to heuen in þi manhede.

  c.  pl. α. 1 stiʓon, -un, steoʓun, 2–3 stiȝen, 4 styȝe, stowe(n.

a. 1000.  Cædmon’s Gen., 1375. Sæs up stiʓon ofer stæþweallas.

c. 1205.  Lay., 26005. Ouer þan watere heo comen … & stiȝen up þan hulle.

13[?].  King Alis., 1209. They into the walles stowe.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 389. Summe styȝe to a stud & stared to þe heuen.

  β.  weak forms. 4 styeden, stiȝeden, stei-, steyden, 4–5 stieden, 5 stiden, 6 (as sing.).

1382.  Wyclif, Exod. xiii. 18. And armed steyden vp [1388 stieden] the sones of Yrael.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 4948. Two chere men … Stiden vpon stithe horse.

c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., II. xviii. 259. The vij kijn thynne and leene, whiche stieden up after tho.

1503.  Hawes, Examp. Virt., xiv. 288. To heuen we styed a place moost gloryous.

  3.  Pa. pple. α. strong forms. 1 stiȝen, 2–3 Orm. stiȝhenn, 3 i-stihe(n, 2–4 stoȝen, 3–4 stei (north. steich), 4 stiȝe, steie.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 107. For he mai findan fele þe beoð bet iþoȝen and istoȝen þene he.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 8488. Affterr þatt daȝȝ þatt Crist himm sellf Wass stiȝhenn upp till heoffne.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 20908 (Edin.). Seix and xxx winter euin fra ihesu criste was steich [Cott. MS. stei] till heuin.

c. 1380.  Sir Ferumb., 5027. By þat were stoȝen vp wyþ vygour An hundren Sarsyns oppon þe tour.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VI. 227. Oo Kyng of bliss, Lord of vertues, þat … art þis day i-steie up above alle hevenes.

  β.  weak forms. 4 steied(e, steyed, -id, stiȝed, styȝed, 5 steȝid, steyt, styet, steyut, (steuet), 5–6 styed, 4–6 stied.

c. 1375.  Cursor M., 20831 (Fairf.). Ofter [sic] hir sone til heiuen was steyed.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 25. Aftir þat Crist was steied to hevene.

c. 1400.  Three Kings Cologne (1886), 31. Aftir tyme þat oure lord was styed vp into heuene.

c. 1450.  Mirk’s Festial, 27. Whan Cryst was styet vp into Heuen. Ibid., 159. When our Lord Crist was steyut ynto Heuen, his dyscyples wern in care and mornyng. Ibid., 232. Aftyr þat hur sonne was steuet ynto Heuen. Ibid., 262. Tyll he was steyt vp ynto Heuen.

1583.  Melbancke, Philotimus, R ij. When thou haste … stied to the seate of my dignitie.

1587.  Golding, De Mornay, i. (1592), 5. As from the Earth we haue styed up to the aire.

  B.  Signification.

  1.  intr. To ascend, mount up, rise or climb to a higher level. Said of persons and things. Also fig. Often with up, upwards.

  Often used of the ascension of Christ or of Elijah (for examples see A). In the last quarter of the 16th c. the verb survived only as a literary archaism, and in the 17th c. it became wholly obsolete.

c. 825.  Vesp. Psalter, lxvii. 19. Stiʓende in heanisse [L. ascendens in altum].

c. 888.  Ælfred, Boeth., xxv. Eft heo [sc. the sun] secð hire ʓecynde & stiʓð on þa dæʓlan weʓas wið hire uprynæs.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 5. Heo stiȝen uppeon þe godes cunnes treowe & nomen þa twigga.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 217. An ȝerd sal spruten of iesse more and an blosme stien of þare more.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 10673. & forrþrihht alls he fullhtnedd wass He stah uppo þe strande. Ibid., 11827. Ȝiff aniȝ mann uss læreþþ, To stiȝhenn upp till haliȝ lif & upp till heȝhe mahhtess.

a. 1225.  St. Marher., 13. Þe stench þæt of þi muð stiheð.

c. 1250.  Owl & Night., 1405. Þe gost … styhþ on heyh þur modynesse.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6579. It [sc. the tide] watte is brech al aboute & euere vpward it stey.

a. 1300.  Fall & Pass., 9, in E. E. P. (1862), 13. Þo lucifer steiȝ in pride.

13[?].  Bonaventura’s Medit., 635. Cryst Ihesu hys body vpp stey, By þat short ladder, þat cros an hy.

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8341. Þe lowe was mikel, & vp-ward stey, So þat hit in to þe castel fley, & vp in to þe tour hit went.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Boeth., IV. pr. vi. (1868), 143. Whan þou art wel refresshed … þou shalt ben more stedfast to stye in to heyere questiouns.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Wks. (1880). 191. But mannus foly & pride stieþ vp euere more & more in þis veyn nouelrie.

1387–8.  T. Usk, Test. Love, I. i. (Skeat), 45. Steyers to steye on is none.

c. 1400.  trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 73. Moistures styen vp to þe croppys of trees and to þe heuedys of braunches.

c. 1450.  Godstow Reg., 4. That we may stye and glorified be Where crist is kyng þat dyed on tre.

1450–1530.  Myrr. Our Ladye, II. 172. And oute of the rowte therof shal stye vp a flowre.

c. 1530.  Judic. Urines, II. xiv. 45 b. Coler … styeth vp & puttet hym selfe in to the vterest partis of the body.

1545.  Raynalde, Byrth Mankynde, 9. The womb passage … takith his begynnyng at the passage port: and from thense styeth … right vpward vnder y^e share bone.

1567.  Golding, Ovid’s Met., V. 319. Till now that she [Pallas] did stie From Seriph in a hollow cloud. Ibid. (1583), Calvin on Deut., xxiii. 135. Their wit styeth not high.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., I. xi. 25. The beast … Thought with his winges to stye above the ground. Ibid. (1590), Muiopotmos, 42. From this lower tract he dar’d to stie Up to the clowdes.

1596.  Nashe, Saffron Walden, Q 4 b. These great men … had seperately contended to outstrip Pindarus in his Olympicis, and sty aloft to the highest pitch.

1599.  Peele, David & Bethsabe, xv. 125. The eagle … is emboldened With eyes intentive to bedare the sun, And styeth close unto his stately sphere.

1601.  Verstegan, Odes Imit. Penit. Ps., etc. 92. And as her feet did trauaile on the ground, Her inward mynde did vp to heauen stie.

1621.  Bp. Mountagu, Diatribæ, 382. Led along, as some Creatures are, by the Noses, and voluntarily hood-winked: or like seeled Doues, stye vp, you know not whither, nor how farre.

1652.  Benlowes, Theoph., VI. xviii. That She might stye to th’ Seat of Beatifick Mirth!

  2.  To climb over something.

c. 1380.  Sir Ferumb., 2388. ‘Maubyn,’ saide þe Amyral ‘wolt þou hit vndertake, To steȝe out ouer þe castel wal.’

1382.  Wyclif, 1 Sam. xiii. 23. Forsothe the stacioun of Philistym went out, for to stye ouer into aspijs to fiȝt.

  3.  With down adv., or other contextual indication: To descend. Also gen. to ascend or descend.

c. 825.  Vesp. Hymns, iii. 21. Ða ofdune steoʓun in seað [L. qui descendunt in lacum].

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Mark xiii. 15. Se þe is ofer þecone ne stiʓe he on his hus.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 111. Erest he steȝ neoðer and siðen on hegh.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 16700. Wiþþutenn himm þatt stah forr menn Off heffne dun till erþe.

a. 1300.  E. E. Psalter xxi. 30. In his sight sal be falland Alle þat doune stighen in land [Vulg. qui descendunt in terram].

  4.  trans. a. To ascend, climb up (a hill).

1491.  Caxton, Vitas Patr. (1495), 129. Wherof some wold haue styed the mountayn.

  b.  To convey up hill.

1511.  Guylforde, Pilgr. (Camden), 80. At the sayd Noualassa we toke moyles to stey us vp the mountayne.