steven

English Online Dictionary. What means steven‎? What does steven mean?

English

Alternative forms

• steaven, stevvon

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstiːvən/, /ˈsteɪvən/, /ˈstɛvən/‚ [ˈstiːvn̩], [ˈsteɪ̯vn̩], [ˈstɛvn̩]
• Rhymes: -iːvən, -ɛvən

Etymology 1

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.

Noun

steven (plural stevens)

1. (Northern England, Scotland, obsolete) Voice, 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 […]

   • 17th c., Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne:

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

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

     Then could her Sangsters loud their steven raise.

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

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

   • a. 1886, Eric Mackay, Love Lett. Violinist (1895) 197:

     He […] lifted up his steven To keep the bulwarks of his faith secure.
2. (obsolete) A request, petition, prayer, or command.
   • a. 1500, "Hymns to Virgin, etc. (E. E. T. S.), p. 6":

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

Derived terms

• even steven

Related terms

• stevvon
• stoma

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English steven (“appointment”), from Old English stefn (“a time, turn, tour of duty”), from Proto-Germanic *stabnijaz, *stabnijô (“fixed time”), from Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ- (“a stake, post; to support, stamp, insist, become angry”). Cognate with Middle Low German stevene (“a court appointment”), Old Norse stefna (“appointment, meeting”). More at staff.

Noun

steven (plural stevens)

1. (obsolete) A time, occasion.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VIII:

     And that same nyght that the steavyn was sette betwyxte Segwarydes wyff and Sir Trystrames, so Kynge Marke armed and made hym redy [...].

Further reading

• “steven”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “steven”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “steven”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• events

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch stēvene.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsteːvə(n)/
• Hyphenation: ste‧ven

Noun

steven m (plural stevens, diminutive steventje n)

1. one of the two ends of a ship's hull; the bow or the stern
2. a bow of a ship

Derived terms

• voorsteven
• achtersteven
• ramsteven
• stevenbalk
• stevenhaak
• stevenroer

Descendants

• → Papiamentu: stef

Anagrams

• tevens

Finnish

Noun

steven

1. genitive singular of steve

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English stefn, stemn (“voice, sound”). More at steven.

Alternative forms

• stevin, steiven, stephene, steavene, steme, stemne, steuen

Noun

steven (plural stevens)

1. The voice of a human being; a voice.
2. A vocal sound.
3. sound; tonal pattern.
4. Manner of speaking.

Etymology 2

From Old English stefn (“appointed time”).

Alternative forms

• stemne
• stevene

Noun

steven

1. time, set time, appointment
2. period of time, occasion
   • 1398, John Trevisa, trans. Bartholomaeus, De Proprietatibus Rerum:

Scots

Alternative forms

• stevin
• stewyn

Etymology

From Middle English stewin, from Old English stefn (“voice”), from Proto-Germanic *stebnō, *stamnijō (“voice”), from Proto-Indo-European *stomen- (“mouth, muzzle”). Cognates: see above, steven.

Noun

steven (plural stevens)

1. voice
2. a loud outcry