"sterne" meaning in Middle English

See sterne in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈstɛrn(ə)/, /starn/ [Late-Middle-English] Forms: sternes [plural], stern [alternative], starn [alternative, Northern], starne [alternative, Northern], steorrne [alternative, Ormulum], sterrne [alternative, Ormulum]
Etymology: Borrowed from Old Norse stjarna, from Proto-Germanic *sternǭ (“star”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr. Doublet of sterre. Etymology templates: {{etymid|enm|star}}, {{bor+|enm|non|stjarna}} Borrowed from Old Norse stjarna, {{der|enm|gem-pro|*sternǭ|t=star}} Proto-Germanic *sternǭ (“star”), {{der|enm|ine-pro|*h₂stḗr}} Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr, {{dbt|enm|sterre}} Doublet of sterre Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} sterne, {{enm-noun|sternes}} sterne (plural sternes)
  1. a luminous body visible in the sky; a star or planet
    Sense id: en-sterne-enm-noun-KFUM0H5l
  2. the shape of a star
    Sense id: en-sterne-enm-noun--FFLQvEC
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: sterre, tungol, planete Derived forms: blasynge sterne, day sterne, even sterne, lode sterne, se sterne, sterne of sternes, sterne of þe see, sterneleme
Etymology number: 1

Noun

IPA: /ˈsteːrn(ə)/, /ˈstɛːrn(ə)/, /ˈstɛrn(ə)/ Forms: *sternes [plural], steerne [alternative], storne [alternative], steorne [alternative]
Etymology: Probably from the oblique forms of Old Norse stjórn, from Proto-Germanic *stiurīniz. Etymology templates: {{etymid|enm|ship's stern}}, {{bor|enm|non|stjórn}} Old Norse stjórn, {{der|enm|gem-pro|*stiurīniz}} Proto-Germanic *stiurīniz Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} sterne, {{enm-noun|*sternes}} sterne (plural *sternes)
  1. The stern (rear of a ship)
    Sense id: en-sterne-enm-noun-ecZbCghD
  2. The rudder and/or helm (steering implements of a ship)
    Sense id: en-sterne-enm-noun-D37L7z6j Categories (other): Nautical Disambiguation of Nautical: 0 0 22 78 0
  3. (rare) Instructions, guidance. Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-sterne-enm-noun-csvTeAwP Categories (other): Pages with 6 entries, Pages with entries, Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Celestial bodies Disambiguation of Pages with 6 entries: 19 21 3 3 3 8 43 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 12 13 2 2 2 5 64 Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 4 3 3 23 66 Disambiguation of Celestial bodies: 11 5 5 8 71
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "blasynge sterne"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "day sterne"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "even sterne"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "lode sterne"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "se sterne"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "sterne of sternes"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "sterne of þe see"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "sterneleme"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "tags": [
        "dialectal"
      ],
      "word": "starn"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "starn"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "stern"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "starn"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "starn"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "star"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "etymid"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "stjarna"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old Norse stjarna",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*sternǭ",
        "t": "star"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *sternǭ (“star”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₂stḗr"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "sterre"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of sterre",
      "name": "dbt"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old Norse stjarna, from Proto-Germanic *sternǭ (“star”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr. Doublet of sterre.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sternes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "stern",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "starn",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "starne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "steorrne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Ormulum"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sterrne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Ormulum"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "sterne",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sternes"
      },
      "expansion": "sterne (plural sternes)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "a luminous body visible in the sky; a star or planet"
      ],
      "id": "en-sterne-enm-noun-KFUM0H5l",
      "links": [
        [
          "luminous",
          "luminous"
        ],
        [
          "sky",
          "sky"
        ],
        [
          "star",
          "star"
        ],
        [
          "planet",
          "planet"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "the shape of a star"
      ],
      "id": "en-sterne-enm-noun--FFLQvEC"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈstɛrn(ə)/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/starn/",
      "tags": [
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "sterre"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "tungol"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "planete"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sterne"
}

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "stern"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ship's stern"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "etymid"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "stjórn"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse stjórn",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*stiurīniz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *stiurīniz",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Probably from the oblique forms of Old Norse stjórn, from Proto-Germanic *stiurīniz.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "*sternes",
      "links": [
        [
          "*sternes",
          "Reconstruction:Middle English/sternes"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "steerne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "storne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "steorne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "sterne",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*sternes"
      },
      "expansion": "sterne (plural *sternes)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The stern (rear of a ship)"
      ],
      "id": "en-sterne-enm-noun-ecZbCghD",
      "links": [
        [
          "stern",
          "stern"
        ],
        [
          "rear",
          "rear#English"
        ],
        [
          "ship",
          "ship#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "0 0 22 78 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "enm:Nautical",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The rudder and/or helm (steering implements of a ship)"
      ],
      "id": "en-sterne-enm-noun-D37L7z6j",
      "links": [
        [
          "rudder",
          "rudder"
        ],
        [
          "helm",
          "helm"
        ],
        [
          "steering",
          "steering#English"
        ],
        [
          "implement",
          "implement#English"
        ],
        [
          "ship",
          "ship#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "19 21 3 3 3 8 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 6 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 13 2 2 2 5 64",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 3 3 23 66",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 5 5 8 71",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Celestial bodies",
          "orig": "enm:Celestial bodies",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Instructions, guidance."
      ],
      "id": "en-sterne-enm-noun-csvTeAwP",
      "links": [
        [
          "Instructions",
          "instructions"
        ],
        [
          "guidance",
          "guidance"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) Instructions, guidance."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsteːrn(ə)/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈstɛːrn(ə)/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈstɛrn(ə)/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sterne"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English doublets",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old Norse",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old Norse",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "Pages with 6 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Celestial bodies",
    "enm:Nautical"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "blasynge sterne"
    },
    {
      "word": "day sterne"
    },
    {
      "word": "even sterne"
    },
    {
      "word": "lode sterne"
    },
    {
      "word": "se sterne"
    },
    {
      "word": "sterne of sternes"
    },
    {
      "word": "sterne of þe see"
    },
    {
      "word": "sterneleme"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "tags": [
        "dialectal"
      ],
      "word": "starn"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "starn"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "stern"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "starn"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "starn"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "star"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "etymid"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "stjarna"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old Norse stjarna",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*sternǭ",
        "t": "star"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *sternǭ (“star”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₂stḗr"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "sterre"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of sterre",
      "name": "dbt"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old Norse stjarna, from Proto-Germanic *sternǭ (“star”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr. Doublet of sterre.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sternes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "stern",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "starn",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "starne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "steorrne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Ormulum"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sterrne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Ormulum"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "sterne",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sternes"
      },
      "expansion": "sterne (plural sternes)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "a luminous body visible in the sky; a star or planet"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "luminous",
          "luminous"
        ],
        [
          "sky",
          "sky"
        ],
        [
          "star",
          "star"
        ],
        [
          "planet",
          "planet"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "the shape of a star"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈstɛrn(ə)/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/starn/",
      "tags": [
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "sterre"
    },
    {
      "word": "tungol"
    },
    {
      "word": "planete"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sterne"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old Norse",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old Norse",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Pages with 6 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Celestial bodies",
    "enm:Nautical"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "stern"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ship's stern"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "etymid"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "stjórn"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse stjórn",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*stiurīniz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *stiurīniz",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Probably from the oblique forms of Old Norse stjórn, from Proto-Germanic *stiurīniz.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "*sternes",
      "links": [
        [
          "*sternes",
          "Reconstruction:Middle English/sternes"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "steerne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "storne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "steorne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "sterne",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*sternes"
      },
      "expansion": "sterne (plural *sternes)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The stern (rear of a ship)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "stern",
          "stern"
        ],
        [
          "rear",
          "rear#English"
        ],
        [
          "ship",
          "ship#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The rudder and/or helm (steering implements of a ship)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "rudder",
          "rudder"
        ],
        [
          "helm",
          "helm"
        ],
        [
          "steering",
          "steering#English"
        ],
        [
          "implement",
          "implement#English"
        ],
        [
          "ship",
          "ship#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Instructions, guidance."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Instructions",
          "instructions"
        ],
        [
          "guidance",
          "guidance"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) Instructions, guidance."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsteːrn(ə)/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈstɛːrn(ə)/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈstɛrn(ə)/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sterne"
}

Download raw JSONL data for sterne meaning in Middle English (4.8kB)

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1147",
  "msg": "suspicious related form tags ('plural',): '*sternes' in 'sterne (plural *sternes)'",
  "path": [
    "sterne"
  ],
  "section": "Middle English",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "sterne",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-06-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-06-01 using wiktextract (ade7ec3 and 7f4db16). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.