Friday, September 28, 2007

Athel


Athel (adj.) - of good birth, noble, a lord.


Now was ther on Nathan Neymes sone of Grece
that sought oft ouer the se fram cyte to other
Knewe contreys fele kyngdomes manye
& was a marener myche & marchaunt bothe
Sensceus out of Surye sent hym to Rome
To the athel Emperour an eraunde fram the Jewes
Caled Nero by name that hym to noye wroght
Of his tribute to telle that they withtake wolde
Nathan toward Nero nome on his way
Ouer the Grekys grounde myd the grym yth

- Anonymous: The siege of Jerusalem (1390-1400)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html



Thursday, September 27, 2007

Lymytour


Lymytour (n.) - a friar licensed to ask alms within a certain limit.


A frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye,
A lymytour, a ful solempne man.
In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan
So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Bauderye


Bauderye (n.) - unchastity, foul conversation, pandering.


"But here, with al myn herte, I the biseche,
That neuere in me thow deme swich folie
As I shal seyn: me thoughte by thi speche
That this, which thow me dost for compaignie,
I sholde wene it were a bauderye --
I am nought wood, al if I lewed be;
It is nought so, that woot I wel, parde.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: Troilus and Criseyde (1385)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Kaurymaury


Kaurymaury (n.) - the name of a coarse rough material.


He was as pale as a pelet, in the palsy he semed,
And clothed in a kaurymaury -- l kouthe it nought discryve -
In kirtel and courtepy, and a knyf by his syde;
Of a freres frokke were the foresleves.

- Langland, William: The vision of Piers Plowman (1377-1379)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Monday, September 24, 2007

Argoille


Argoille (n.) - the tartar deposited from wines.


Sal tartre, alkaly, and sal preparat,
And combust materes and coagulat;
Cley maad with hors of mannes heer, and oille
Of tartre, alum glas, berme, wort, and argoille,
Resalgar, and oure materes enbibyng,
And eek of oure materes encorporyng,

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Friday, September 21, 2007

Mell


Mell (v.) - mix, mingle, meddle, fight with.


And othir fysch to flet with fyne-
Sum with skale and sum with skell,
Of diueris materis more and myn-
In sere maner to make and mell;
Sum sall be milde and meke,
And sum both fers and fell.
THis world thus will I eke,
Syn I am witt of well.

- Anonymous: The York plays (1440)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Thursday, September 20, 2007

Lewed


Lewed (adj.) - unlearned, ignorant, worthless.


How that a clerk hath set the wrightes cappe.
The reve answerde and seyde, stynt thy clappe!
Lat be thy lewed dronken harlotrye.
It is a synne and eek a greet folye
To apeyren any man, or hym defame,
And eek to bryngen wyves in swich fame.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Kyth


Kyth (n.) - one's country, native land, relatives, kith, friends.


If thou gif me mete and foode,
And close to body, as I behoued,
And bryng me home to kyth and kyn,
by the way that I walk in,
without skathe and in quarte,

- Anonymous: The Towneley plays (1460)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Habergeon


Habergeon (n.) - a piece of armour to defend the neck and breast.

But, for to tellen yow of his array,
His hors were goode, but he was nat gay.
Of fustian he wered a gypon
Al bismotered with his habergeon,
For he was late ycome from his viage,
And wente for to doon his pilgrymage.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Monday, September 17, 2007

Goliardeys


Goliardeys (n.) - a person given to coarse or undignified joking, a buffoon.


His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.
He was a janglere and a goliardeys,
And that was moost of synne and harlotries.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Friday, September 14, 2007

Gaude


Gaude (n.) - dyer's greenweed, producing a green dye.


And undernethe hir feet she hadde a moone, --
Wexynge it was and sholde wanye soone.
In gaude grene hir statue clothed was,
With bowe in honde, and arwes in a cas.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Thursday, September 13, 2007

Elenge


Elenge (adj.) - protracted, tedious, wearisome, dreary, lonely.


And I awakned therwith, and wroot as me mette.
Thanne as I wente by the way, whan I was thus awaked,
Hevy chered I yede, and elenge in herte;
For I ne wiste wher to ete ne at what place,
And it neghed neigh the noon, and with Nede I mette,
That afrounted me foule and faitour me called.

- Langland, William: The vision of Piers Plowman (1377-1379)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Pose


Pose (n.) - a cold in the head, a cough.


For, were it wyn, or oold or moysty ale,
That he hath dronke, he speketh in his nose,
And fneseth faste, and eek he hath the pose.
He hath also to do moore than ynough
To kepen hym and his capul out of the slough;

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Trave


Trave (n.) - a frame in which farriers confine unruly horses.


And heeld hire harde by the haunchebones,
And seyde, lemman, love me al atones,
Or I wol dyen, also God me save!
And she sproong as a colt dooth in the trave,
And with hir heed she wryed faste awey,
And seyde, I wol nat kisse thee, by my fey!

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Monday, September 10, 2007

Swynken


Swynken (v.) - to toil, to labor.


What sholde he studie and make hymselven wood,
Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,
Or swynken with his handes, and laboure,
As austyn bit? how shal the world be served?
Lat austyn have his swynk to hym reserved!

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Friday, September 7, 2007

Sikerliche


Sikerliche (adv.) - surely, certainly.


This lord, which herde of this tempeste
That he tofore his gate blew,
Tho wiste he be the lawe and knew
That he was sikerliche ded:
And as of help he wot no red,
Bot sende for hise frendes alle
And tolde hem how it is befalle.

- Gower, John: Confessio amantis (1390-1393)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Thursday, September 6, 2007

Tulke


Tulke (n.) - a man, soldier, fighting man, knight.


This kyng lay at Camylot vpon Krystmasse
With mony luflych lorde, ledez of the best,
Rekenly of the Rounde Table alle tho rich brether,
With rych reuel oryght and rechles merthes.
Ther tournayed tulkes by tymez ful mony,
Justed ful jolile thise gentyle knightes,
Sythen kayred to the court caroles to make.
For ther the fest watz ilyche ful fiften dayes,
With alle the mete and the mirthe that men couthe avyse;

- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1400)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Tarien


Tarien (v.) - To delay in acting, tarry, procrastinate; be slow to do something; to hinder.


What sholde I tarien al the longe day?
He took the chalk, and shoop it in the wise
Of an ingot, as I shal yow devyse.
I seye, he took out of his owene sleeve
A teyne of silver -- yvele moot he cheeve! --
Which that ne was nat but an ounce of weighte.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Senchen


Senchen (v.) - to drown, sink; also, drown (oneself) by drinking deeply.


Senec witnesseth openly
How that Envie proprely
Is of the Court the comun wenche,
And halt taverne forto schenche
That drink which makth the herte brenne,
And doth the wit aboute renne,
Be every weie to compasse
How that he mihte alle othre passe,
As he which thurgh unkindeschipe
Envieth every felaschipe;

- Gower, John: Confessio amantis (1390-1393)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html


Monday, September 3, 2007

Rampen


Rampen (v.) - to ramp, to seize or scratch with the paws, to rage; to attack in the manner of a rampant animal.


He hath upon his heved on heyhte
Tuo large hornes set of bras,
As he which al a flatour was,
And goth rampende as a leoun
And caste hise hornes up and doun,
And bad men ben of good espeir,
For as the hornes percen their,
He seith, withoute resistence,

- Gower, John: Confessio amantis (1390-1393)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html