name
Meaning 1
A male given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Stephen.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
Steven
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
-
/ˈstiːvən/
-
Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
rhymes with -iːvən
-
/ˈsteɪvən/
-
/ˈstɛvən/
-
Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
rhymes with -ɛvən
-
CMU ARPABET: S T IY1 V AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
Voice, especially when loud or strong.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-England, Scotland
Qualifier: otherwise archaic
Examples
- 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 [...]
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A request, petition, prayer, or command.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A time, occasion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English Stevene, Steven, from Anglo-Norman Estievne, Estievene, from Latin Stephanus, from Ancient Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos), from στέφανος (stéphanos, “crown, wreath”), from στέφω (stéphō, “to put round, to surround”).
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.
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.
Real reading context