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From Middle Englishsturdy, stourdy, stordy(“bold, valiant, strong, stern, fierce, rebellious”) (perhaps influenced by Middle Englishsture, stoure, stor(“strong, robust, harsh, stern, violent, fierce, sturdy”); see Englishstour), from Old Frenchestourdi(“dazed”), form of estourdir, originally “to daze, to make tipsy (almost drunk)” (Modern French étourdir(“to daze, to make tipsy”)), from Vulgar Latin*exturdire. Latin etymology is unclear – presumably it is ex- + turdus(“thrush (bird)”), but how this should mean “daze” is unclear.[1] A speculative theory is that thrushes eat leftover winery grapes and thus became drunk, but this meets with objections.[2]
Disease in cows and sheep is by extension of sense of “daze”, while sense of “strongly built” is of late 14th century,[1] and relationship to earlier sense is less clear, perhaps from sense of a firm strike (causing a daze) or a strong, violent person.
It was a sturdy building, able to withstand strong winds and cold weather.
The dog was sturdy and could work all day without getting tired.
April 5 2022, Tina Brown, “How Princess Diana’s Dance With the Media Impacted William and Harry”, in Vanity Fair:
Diana’s most recent romantic adventure at that time was with the sturdy hunk Will Carling, captain of the England rugby team, whom she had met in 1995 working out at the Chelsea Harbor Club gym.
adapted from the book The Palace Papers, published 2022 by Penguin Books
(obsolete) Foolishly obstinate or resolute; stubborn.
This must be done, and I would fain see / Mortal so sturdy as to gainsay.
1705 November 8 (Gregorian calendar), Francis Atterbury, “A Standing Revelation, the Best Means of Conviction. A Sermon Preach’d before Her Majesty, at St. James’s Chapel, on Sunday, October 28. 1705, being the Festival of St. Simon and St. Jude.”, in Fourteen Sermons Preach’d on Several Occasions., London: E. P. for Jonah Bowyer,, published 1708, →OCLC, page 339:
ſturdy, hardned Sinner ſhall advance to the utmoſt pitch of Impiety with leſs difficulty, leſs reluctance of Mind, than perhaps he took the firſt ſteps in Wickedneſs, whilſt his Conſcience was yet Vigilant and Tender.
Resolute, in a good sense; or firm, unyielding quality.
1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 7, page 86:
An aar w' had Treblere an sturdy Cournug.
And there we had Treblere and sturdy Cournug.
References
Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 86