Word of the Day

Word of the Day: HAMBLE

ETYMOLOGY
from Old English hamelian (to mutilate);
from an adjective appearing on Old High German as hamal (maimed, mutilated), whence mod.German hammel (a castrated sheep)

EXAMPLE
“…sume hi man bende, sume hi man blende,
sume man hamelode and sume heanlice hattode…”

(…Some did they bind, some did they blind,
Some did they hamstring, some did they scalp…)

From: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Word of the Day: QUOIL

ETYMOLOGY
obsolete or dialect form of ‘coil‘

EXAMPLE
“…I haue seene them, which haue seene such hurly burlies about a couple (that were no Fathers of the Church neither) Aristotle and Ramus, or els sake the Vniuersities, such a quoil with pro and con, such vrging of Ergoes, til they haue gone from Art togither by the eares, and made their conclusions end with a Clunchfist, right like the old description of Logicke…”

From: Plaine Perceuall, the Peace-maker of England
By Richard Harvey, 1590

Word of the Day: GABBERIES

ETYMOLOGY
from French gaberie (mockery, jest, deceit)

EXAMPLE
“…Those high-priced, verbose air- beaters, who think their gabberies are the centers of gravity for the entire universe, ought to be sent away back to sit down until they can learn to stand by the pledges in the platform of their party …”

From: The Literary Digest
Volume XXVI, March 1903
Territorial Press on Statehood Failure

Word of the Day: DRIX

ETYMOLOGY
of uncertain origin

EXAMPLE
“…The Waspes neast is begun by one great Waspe, which you may therefore call the Mother-waspes, the which in Cancer (or in hot and dry springs somewhat rather) within some hole, vsually made in the ground by a Moale, Mouse, or other meanes, worketh a comb of the vtter drix of pales or other timber, in forme of a round tent hanging by the top to the ouer-part of the hole.…”

From: The Feminine Monarchie,
Or the Historie of Bees
By Charles Butler, 1623

Word of the Day: HODDYPEAK

ETYMOLOGY
from hoddy (? snail or horned) + peak (a silly or foolish person, obs.),
but the sense is obscure

EXAMPLE
“…As well apparelyd at eche poynt of hys aray
Who dwelleth here wyll no man speke
Is there no fole nor hody peke
Now by the bell yt were almys to breke…”

From: Nature, A Goodly Interlude of Nature
Compiled by Henry Medwall, 1500

Word of the Day: OVERSLOP

ETYMOLOGY
Old English oferslop (in Old Norse yfirsloppr), 
from over- + slop (a smock)

EXAMPLE
“…By cause of which men sholde hym reuerence
That of his worshipe rekketh he so lite
His ouerslope nys nat worth a myte
As in effect to hym / so moot I go
It is al baudy and to-tore also…”

From: Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale
By: Geoffrey Chaucer, c1395