Middle English Dictionary Entry
stilt(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | stilt(e n. Also stulte & (errors) slylt, stilke; pl. stiltes, stilttus, stultus & (error) stilies. |
| Etymology | ?OE: cp. Norw. stilta, Dan. stylte & OFris. stult & OHG stelza, MDu., MLG stelte. The pl. form stilies may belong to ME stī(e n.(2) or stīle n.(1). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The handle of a plow; (b) a wooden crutch; an artificial leg, peg leg; also, a stilt; ~ bond, a strap for attaching a stilt or a peg leg; (c) ?one of the uprights of a ladder; (d) in surname.
Associated quotations
a
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Arun 220:Owen)912 : Stilte [vrr. stulte; handele, hande; glossing AF (Cmb): tenoun].
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)854 : Lapparayle pur charue..Manuel et tenoun: Handle and stilte.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)69 : Fyrst þe heued & þe foot, Þanne þe handle & þe stylte [F tenoun].
- c1480 *Medulla (Pep 2002)235b : Stiua: machina aratri, a stylt [StJ-C: manica aratri or a plow tayle; Hrl 2270: manubrium vel manica aratri quo tenetur].
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)87/321a : Sina [read: Stiua]: a stilke [read: stilte].
b
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2956 : Tristrem þo gan him calle; On astilt he com þo.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)335 : Her fete were so paynfull and sore That go coude she not..Thyder was she brought in-to the chapell; Verely she was heled, and lefte her styltes thore And on her fete wente home resonably well.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)11a/b : Callopodium: a stilt [Hrl 1738: slylt] or a patin [Hrl 2257: baculus ligneus vel pes ligneus, anglice, a stilte or a patyn].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)475 : Stylte: Calepodium, lignipodium.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2380 : A Crepill he saw comyng with grete spede & hast Oppon a stilt vndir his kne bound wondir fast, And a crouch vndir his armys.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2509 : My lymes been both hole & sound; me nedith stilt ne crouch.
- a1475 Herkyn to my tale (Brog 2.1)p.86 : Herkons to my tale..For of syche merewels I have herde fowe..Dore-bundys stalkyng one stylttus, in ther hondus grete oke, The storgyn stode be-hynde the dore scharpyng stakys.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)775/14 : Subligar: a styltbonde.
- ?a1500 Trin-C.LEDict.Suppl.(Trin-C O.5.4)592/39 : Lignipedium: a stylte.
c
- a1500 *Medulla (Hrl 1738)39b/b : Interscalaris: atwyx styltis [Add 33534: stultus; Pep: stalis or stilies; Cnt: styes of ladders; StJ-C: styles].
d
- (1283) Pat.R.Edw.I95 : Gilbert Stilteband.