Entry printed from Oxford English Dictionary © Oxford University Press 2009 sturdy, a. andn. ('st3:dz) Forms: 4 stourdi, sturdi, (stourde), 4-6 stourdy, stordy, 6 stourdie, sturdye, 6-7 sturdie, 7 stirdy, 4- sturdy. [a. OF. estourdi, estordi, esturdi, stunned, dazed, reckless, violent (mod.F. étourdi feather-brained, thoughtless), = Pr. estordit, It. stordito, Sp., Pg. aturdido; pa. pple. of OF. estourdir (mod.F. étourdir) to stun, daze, = It. stordire, Sp., Pg. aturdir (? from Fr.):—vulgar L. *exturdire, of obscure origin. ‘Some scholars think that its f. ex- (see EX-) + turd:-us thrush (for the sense cf. the Fr. proverbial phrase sod! comme une grive, ‘drunk as a thrush’); some regard it as a contraction of extorpidire (L. torpidus ToRPIO) or of "exturbidire (L. turbidus TURBID). All these conjectures are open to grave objection; another hypothesis, of derivation from Teut. *sturtjan to overthrow (see START V.), is on phonological grounds inadmissible. ] A. adj. |. 1. In the primary etymological sense: Giddy. Said of sheep affected with the ‘sturdy’: see B. Now dial. (See Eng. Dial. Dict.). 1641 Best Farm. Bks, (Surtees) 73 If there bee any of the hogges that bee sturdy, lame, weake. |. +2. Impetuously brave, fierce in combat. 1297 R. Giouc. (Rolls) 7936 be heyemen of engelond..mid gret ost wende uorp & mid stourdi [v.r. stourde] mode. ¢1300 K. Horn 893 (Laud MS.) We neuere ne hente Of man so harde dunte Bute of pe king Mory Pat was so swybe stordy. 1375 Barsour Bruce v. 506* He sa sturdy wes and stout, That he wes the mast vorthy man That in-to Carrick liffit than. 1425 Engl. Cong. Ireland xivi. 116 The northeren men ben stordyer & smerter to fyght than other. bid. 118 Thegh he wer yn wepne vnmetly stordy, & sterne, out of wepne natheles, he was meke and sobre. 1630 R. joHNson Kingd. & Commw. 23 Able, and hardy bodies, and stout and sturdy stomacks. 1684 Bunyan Pilgr. 11. (1900) 258 They so belabored him, being sturdy men at Arms, that they made him make a Retreat. +b. Of a battle: Fierce, violent. Obs. ©1450 Loveticr Grail xiii. 782 Therfore was that stour ful Stordy. 1579 E.K. Gloss. to Spenser's Sheph. Cal. Feb. 149 Sterne strife, said Chaucer, s. fell and sturdy. 43. Recklessly violent, furious, ruthless, cruel. 1297 R. Giouc. (Rolls) 3842 He adrou sire calibourne, is suerd..& anowarde be helm, mid wel stourdy mod, Pen ober he smot. 1374 CHaucer Boeth. 11