Also 5–7 storyer. [In sense 1, aphetic variant of HISTORIER; in senses 2, 3 f. STORY sb.1 or v.1 + -ER1.]
† 1. A chronicler, historian. Obs.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, III. iv. (Skeat), 257. In goodnes of gentil manliche speche, without any maner of nyceté of storiers imaginacion,… he passeth al other makers.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 100. Swylk er customyd to be wel spekyng, wel taght, curteys, and good storyers.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. xii. 351. Forwhi noon fundamental cronicler or storier writith therof, saue Girald.
c. 1555. Harpsfield, Divorce Hen. VIII. (1878), 232. We now add Bede himself, whom the said storyers do follow.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent, 22. For proofe whereof, I will call to witnesse Thomas Spot … bycause he only (of all the Storiers that I haue seene) reporteth it.
a. 1640. Jackson, Creed, XI. xli. Wks. 1673, III. 718. Had the spirit of God been storyer of their lives, we should have had notice of their often trippings.
2. The teller of a story; a story-teller. nonce-uses.
1826. Disraeli, Viv. Grey, V. xiii. 237. ‘But it is a very curious story.’… ‘Oh! so is every story, according to the storier.’ Ibid. (1830), Lett., 25 Aug., Home Lett., vii. (1885), 54. Some smoking in sedate silence, some telling their beads, some squatting round a storier.
3. dial. One who tells ‘stories’ or fibs.
1877. N. W. Linc. Gloss.
1908. [Miss E. Fowler], Betw. Trent & Ancholme, 52. She ’s a storier. Why she was sayin’ there was a ghost.
