steven

What it means

1. Northern EnglandScotlandotherwise archaicVoice, especially when loud or strong.

   1566, William Addlington, translator, The Golden Asse, Apuleius […] whereby the little birds weening that the spring time had bin come, did chirp and sing in their steven melodiously […]

   5 more examples

   When Little John heard his master speake, / Well knew he it was his steven.

   17th c., Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne

   Then could her Sangsters loud their steven raise.

   a. 1801, Richard Gall, Poems & Songs (1819) 93

   All nature roar'd in one dire steven; Heaven cried to earth, and earth to heaven.

   1826, James Hogg, Queen Hynde vi, in Poems (1865) 262

   Thah's a rare stevven, lad.

   1865, William Stott Banks, List Provinc. Words Wakefield

   Then Sir Launcelot said with dreary steeven [voice], “Sir bishop, I pray you give to me all my rights that longeth to a Christian man.”

   1880, Sidney Lanier, Sir Thomas Malory, Alfred Kappes, The Boy's King Arthur

2. obsoleteA request, petition, prayer, or command.

   To thee, lady, y make my moon; I praie thee heere my steuen.

   a. 1500, "Hymns to Virgin, etc. (E. E. T. S.), p. 6"

   2 more examples

   Father of light […] Bring to effect this my desired steauen.

   1589, Thomas Lodge, Scillaes Metamorphosis E 2

   And brought thy precept?^([sic – meaning precepts]) as a burning steauen, Reaching from heauen to earth, from earth to heauen.

   1597, Thomas Middleton, Wisdome of Solomon Paraphr. xviii. xiv–xvi. sig. Y3v

In a sentence

1566, William Addlington, translator, The Golden Asse, Apuleius […] whereby the little birds weening that the spring time had bin come, did chirp and sing in their steven melodiously […]

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Indo-European*stómn̥“mouth, muzzle; (originally) hole?”
2. Proto-Germanic*stebnō“voice”
3. Proto-West Germanic*stebnu
4. Old Englishstefn“voice”
5. Middle Englishsteven“voice, command, constitution”
6. Englishsteven

From Middle English steven (“voice, command, constitution”), from Old English stefn (“voice”), from Proto-West Germanic *stebnu, from Proto-Germanic *stebnō (“voice”), earlier *stemnā, derived from Proto-Indo-European *stómn̥ (“mouth, muzzle; (originally) hole?”). Cognate with Old Frisian stifne, stemme (“voice”), Old Saxon stemna (“voice”), Dutch stem, Old High German stimma, stimna (“voice”) (German Stimme), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌱𐌽𐌰 (stibna, “voice”), and more distantly Ancient Greek στόμα (stóma, “mouth”), Avestan 𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬨𐬀𐬥 (staman, “maw”), and possibly Hittite 𒅖𒋫𒈪𒈾𒀸 (iš-ta-mi-na-aš /⁠stāminas⁠/, “ear”). See also stevvon. Displaced by voice.