ETYMOLOGY
from Latin praeviant-, praevians, present participle of præviare (to go before),
from præ-, (pre-) + viare to travel
EXAMPLE
“… Thirdly, and most especially, because that God oftentimes pardoning the ignorance, which men have of Himselfe and the creature, doth so enlighten the heart with His Holy Spirit, that it is suddenly framed without any previant knowledge, to faith and obedience. …”
From: A Treatise Concerning the Trinitie in Unitie
By Alexander Gil, 1601
ETYMOLOGY
from gripe (to grasp strongly) + penny
EXAMPLE
“… Is it not “astounding” that some gripe-penny should live in squalor in order to make rich at the end of some unknown and never seen relatives in Ireland or Scotland? …”
From: The New York Times
1924-01-26: Vol 73
“The Mysterious Visitor”
ETYMOLOGY
from leve (to believe, give credence to) + -able
EXAMPLE
“… Fower yomen leveable and discrete, prooved in that facultie of choosing, buyinge, and keepinge of all country wynes; thus everyche of them to pourvey by the Kinge’s commission, to be had by the Thesaurer of housholde’s record and seale, directed to the clerke of the crowne, to make suche commission for suche pourveyours, according to the statutes; …”
From: A Collection of Ordnances and Regulations
for the Government of the Royal Household
From King Edward III to King William and Queen Mary
Also Receipts in Ancient Cookery
Printed 1790
Liber Niger Domus Regis Edw. IV., a1483
ETYMOLOGY
from offence (n.) + -ful
EXAMPLE
” …Now will I let the little squire shift and cleanse himselfe without me, that he may be longer about fetching the Prouost, and in the meane time will I take my Masters sute (of which the little squire tooke note) and put it on my sweet heart Francischina, who shall presently come and sup ply my Masters place, with his Mistris; for the little squire amaz’d with his late affrights and this suddaine offencefull spectacle of his daughter, tooke no certaine note who it was that accosted her; for if he had, he would haue blam’d me for my Master, only the colour of his garment sticks in his fancie, which when he shall still see where he left it, he will still imagine the same person weares it, and thus shall his daughters honour and my Masters be preseru’d with the finest sugar of inuention. …”
From: May-Day A VVitty Comedie
By George Chapman, 1611
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin innocentia (innocence)
EXAMPLE
“… To conclude, hee read vnto her so strict and austere a Lecture, concerning her base and debosht life, that from an impudent Strumpet, hee wrought her to be a repentant Conuertite. Her Brasen forhead melted at his fierie zeale, and all those skales of Immodestie (like a Maske plucked off) fell from her face, and shee appeared to him in her former simple and innocentious life. When further questioning with her of her birth and countrey, shee freely confessed vnto him, That shee was borne in the North countrey, her father a gentleman, once of faire Reuenue; but being impouerished by peeuish Suites in Law, her mother first, and hee (whether by age, or griefe, shee knew not) soone after died. …”
From: Γυναικεῖον [Gynaikeion]: or, Nine Bookes of Various History Concerninge Women
By Thomas Heywood, 1624
ETYMOLOGY
from Old French barateus, from barat: masculine (= It. baratto, Old Spanish barato, Provencal barat), also Old French barate feminine (= Old Spanish, Catalan, Provencal barata) ‘deceit, fraud, confusion, trouble, embarrassment’ + -ous
EXAMPLE
“… For other Analyses he ouerpassed, as impertinent, or not specially materiall. After such examination of their autorities, and argumentes, not with a rigorous Censure of either, but with a fauorable Construction of both: Pardon him, though he presume to deliuer some part of his animaduersions in such termes, as the instant occasion presenteth: not for any contentious, or sinister purpose (the world is too-full of litigious, and barratous pennes) but for the satisfaction of those, that de∣sire them, & the aduertisement of those, that regard them. …”
From: Pierces Supererogation or A New Prayse of the Old Asse
By Gabriel Harvey, 1593
ETYMOLOGY
aphetic form of Old French enfaunt, enfant (infant);
The shortened form has not been found in French, but Italian has the corresponding fante (boy, servant, foot-soldier), whence German fant
EXAMPLE
“… The eiȝt day the fawnt shal be circumcidid. …”
From: Bible (Wycliffite, early version) Leviticus 12:3
ETYMOLOGY
from philo–, combining form (loving, having an affection for) + Latin feles (cat) + -ist
EXAMPLE
“… An extract from the Register of Cat’s Eden has got abroad, whereby it appears that the Laureate, Dr. Southey, who is known to be a philofelist, and confers honours upon his Cats according to their services, has raised one to the highest rank in peerage, promoting him through all its degrees by the following titles, His Serene Highness the Arch-Duke Rumpelstilzchen, Marquis Macbum, Earl Tomlemagne, Baron Raticide, Waowlher and Skaratchi. …”
From: The Doctor, &c.
By Robert Southey, 1847
ETYMOLOGY
from seven + the plural of night
EXAMPLE
“… Among other, none was either more grateful to the beholders, or more noble in it selfe, then iusts, both with sword & launce, mainteined for a seuen-night together: wherein that Nation doth so excel, both for comelines and hablenes, that from neighbour-countries they ordinarilye come, some to striue, some to learne, some to behold. …”
From: The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia
By Sir Philip Sidney, 1590
ETYMOLOGY
formed on French habiller (to dress), or English habiliment (array, attire, dress), after adjectives etymologically formed in -atory
EXAMPLE
“… The nether garments of this petit-maitre consisted of a pair of blue tight pantaloons, profusely braided, and terminating in Hessian boots, adorned with brass spurs of the most burnished resplendency; a black velvet waistcoat, studded with gold stars, was backed by a green frock coat, covered, notwithstanding the heat of the weather, with fur, and frogged and cordonné with the most lordly indifference, both as to taste and expense: a small French hat, which might not have been much too large for my lord of ——, was set jauntily in the centre of a system of long black curls, which my eye, long accustomed to penetrate the arcana of habilatory art, discovered at once to be a wig. A fierce black mustachio, very much curled, wandered lovingly from the upper lip towards the eyes, which had an unfortunate prepossession for eccentricity in their direction. …”
From: Pelham: Or, The Adventures of a Gentleman
By Edward George E.L. Bulwer- Lytton, 1828
Lexicophilia 