sunstead

See also: sun-stead

English

WOTD – 22 December 2015

Alternative forms

• sun-stead
• sunnestead, sunsted (both obsolete)

Etymology

From sun +‎ stead (“place, point, spot, position”), a calque of Latin sōlstitium. Compare Old English sunnstede.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsʌnstɛd/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sun‧stead

Noun

sunstead (plural sunsteads)

1. (uncommon) A solstice.
   • 1600, Livy, translated by Philemon Holland, The Romane Historie, London: Printed by Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 1193:

     Now was it the season of the yeer past sun-stead in summer and neer unto the houre of noon-stead in the day, so as they journeyed in a way full of dust, when the sun was exceeding hot; and even now they began to feel thirst and weariness already.

   • 1635, Pliny the Elder; Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the VVorld: Commonly Called, the Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. Translated into English by Philemon Holland Doctor of Physicke, London: Printed by Adam Islip, and are to be sold by Iohn Grismond, in Ivy-lane at the signe of the Gun, OCLC 926240555, book XVIII, chapter xxvi; cited in Edward Smedley; Hugh James Rose; Henry John Rose, editors, Encyclopædia Metropolitana; or, Universal Dictionary of Knowledge, on an Original Plan: Comprising the Twofold Advantage of a Philosophical and an Alphabetical Arrangement, with Appropriate Engravings, volume XXV (Miscellaneous and Lexicographical, volume 12), London: B. Fellowes [et al.], 1845, OCLC 20598255, page 237:

     The summer-sunnestead falleth out alwaies [in Italie] to be just upon the foure and twentie day of June, at what time as the sunne is entred eight degrees within Cancer.

   • 1657, Plutarch, “The Table”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonly Called, the Morals, Written by the Learned Philosopher, Plutarch of Chæronea. Translated out of Greeke into English, and Conferred with the Latine Translations, and the French, by Philemon Holland, Doctor of Physicke. Whereunto are Annexed the Summaries Necessary to be Read Before Every Treatise. Newly Revised and Corrected, 2nd rev. and corr. edition, London: Printed by S. G. for J. Kirton, and are to be sold at his shop, at the Kings Armes in Saint Paules Church-yard, →OCLC, page 1161:

     Sun-ſteads or Tropicks

   • 1832, The Anniversary Calendar, Natal Book, and Universal Mirror: Embracing Anniversaries of Persons, Events, Institutions, and Festivals, of All Denominations, Historical, Sacred, and Domestic, in Every Period and State of the World, from the Creation to the Present Age. [...] In Two Volumes, volume I, London: William Kidd, 228, Regent Street, →OCLC, page 413:

     The Summer Solstice is the central point of the tropic (trepo, to turn), which begins upon the festival of Barnaby bright, and continues for three weeks. […] According to Olympiodorus, an Egyptian of the fifth century, the rising of the Dog-star was just twenty days after the estival "sunsted."

   • 1859, Philological Society, Proposal for the Publication of a New English Dictionary by the Philological Society, London: Trübner and Co., 60 Paternoster Row, →OCLC, page 12:

     Sun-stead = solstice.

   • 1908, Frank Pierce Foster with Charles Euchariste de Medicis Sajous, International Record of Medicine and General Practice Clinics, volume 88, New York, N.Y.: MD Publications, →OCLC, page 156:

     Sirius in the mouth of the watch dog vied in the dignity and importance of the significance of its ascent with the midnight appearance of Vindemiatrix in the left elbow of the headless virgin, on the horizon at the winter "sunstead" of six months later.

   • 1990, Ed Fitch, The Rites of Odin, St. Paul, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications, →ISBN, page 178:

     Solitary Winter Sunstead and Yule (December 21) If a follower of the Old Way cannot find others of like mind to share a seasonal ritual in honor of High Valhalla, this rite may be performed by the solitary individual […]

Quotations

• For more quotations using this term, see Citations:sunstead.

Derived terms

• summer sunstead
• winter sunstead