stirk

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“
[185] According to Isobel Gowdie in 1662, the Devil of Auldearne changed his form, or disguise, continually, 'somtym he vold be lyk a stirk, a bull, a deir, a rae, or a dowg'.

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Examples (50)

  • On the low road it was not so bad; but when we took the hill road again, I fain would have turned my back to the gale, and stood like a stirk on a wet day, but I powled on after Dan, thinking shame of my coward heart. —  The McBrides A Romance of Arran
  • [185] According to Isobel Gowdie in 1662, the Devil of Auldearne changed his form, or disguise, continually, 'somtym he vold be lyk a stirk, a bull, a deir, a rae, or a dowg'. —  The Witch-cult in Western Europe A Study in Anthropology
  • Of these the deer is found at Aberdeen in 1597, Andro Man 'confessis and affermis, thow saw Christsonday cum owt of the snaw in liknes of a staig';[216] at Auldearne in 1662, 'somtym he vold be lyk a stirk, a bull, a deir, a rae, or a dowg';[217] at Hartford, Connecticut, 1662, Rebecca Greensmith said that 'the devil first appeared to her in the form of a deer or fawn'. —  The Witch-cult in Western Europe A Study in Anthropology
  • '[486 Isobel Gowdie of Auldearne in 1662 said, 'Somtym he vold be lyk a stirk, a bull, a deir, a rae, or a dowg, and he vold hold wp his taill wntill we wold kiss his arce. —  The Witch-cult in Western Europe A Study in Anthropology
  • Somtym he vold be lyk a stirk, a bull, a deir, a rae, or a dowg, etc., and haw dealling with ws. —  The Witch-cult in Western Europe A Study in Anthropology
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, from Old English stīrc; see stā- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Also sterk, sturk; from Middle English stirk, styrk, sterk, stirke, styrke, from Anglo-Saxon stirc, a young cow, heifer, styrc, styric, a young steer, = Middle Dutch stierick = Middle Low German sterke, later G. stärke, starke, a young cow, heifer, German dial. sterk, a young steer; usually explained as derived, with diminutive suffix -ic, from Anglo-Saxon steór, etc., a steer; but prob. connected, as orig. ‘a young cow that has not yet calved,’ with Old High German stero, Middle High German ster, a ram, Gothic (Moesogothic) staira, barren, Latin sterilis, barren, Greek στεῖρος,στέριφος, barren, Sanskrit starī, barren, sterile: see sterile.
 

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/stərk/
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