ETYMOLOGY
of unknown origin
EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“… Eh man, but ye maun be an unco docus to mistak the yowlin’ o’ a wheen dougs for the squeelin’ o’ ghaists an’ deevils ! I wonner what ye made o’ the twa grumphies it ye had row’t up amang your falalls; gin ye thought it they war young de’ils or what, snoukin’ for a sappy emmeldyug about the harigals o’ ye. …”
From: Saint Patrick: A National Tale of the Fifth Century
By J. Rennie, 1819
ETYMOLOGY
from Greek kimbix (tightfisted person)
EXAMPLE
“… for hee that saith unto a rich and great monied man, that he will be his broker, and helpe him to some usurers of whom he may take up mony at interest; or unto a sober person, who drinketh nothing but water, that he is a drunkard, or hath taken his wine too liberally; or he that calleth a liberall man, well knowen to spend magnificently, and ready to pleasure all men, a base mechanicall kumbix, and a pinching peni-father; or he who threatneth a famous advocate or counsellor at the barre, who hath a great name for lawe and eloquence in all courts of plea, and besides for policie and government is in high authoritie, that he will bring him to a non-sute, or overthrow him judicially, he (I say) ministreth matter of good spirit and laughter unto the partie whom he seemeth so to chalenge or menace. …”
From: The Philosophie, Commonlie called, The Morals
By Plutarch
Translated by Philemon Holland, 1603
ETYMOLOGY
? from goose (a foolish person) + noodle (a stupid or silly person); second syllable unknown
EXAMPLE
“… for “The Maister” seldom came there until much later in the evening, when he knew he should find some of those peculiarly constituted individuals there, whom Alrina generally designated “goostrumnoodles,” and whom he seldom found much difficulty in frightening to his heart’s content. …”
From: The Wizard of West Penwith,
A Tale of the Land’s-End,
By William Bentinch Forfar, 1871
ETYMOLOGY
of obscure origin
EXAMPLE
“… But lawfull weare it some be such, should all alike be coy’
Now dwels ech Drossell in her Glas: when I was yong, I wot,
On Holly-dayes (for sildome els such ydell times we got)
A Tubb or Paile of water cleere stood vs in steede of Glas:
And yeat (which still I beare in mind) for it I schooled was,
Euen by an holy Fryer, that espyde me tooting so,
Who, softly stealing at my backe, cryde suddenly. Ho, Ho. …”
From: Albions England: A Continued Historie of the same Kingdome, from the originals of the first inhabitants thereof
By William Warner, 1597
ETYMOLOGY
from Greek κῡµατ- (wave) + -ic + -al. after Latin cumatilis (sea-coloured, blue)
EXAMPLE
“… A Prince blew.
Crimson, i.e. Scarlet.
Cumatical colour, i.e. blew.
Flesh colour, a certain mixture of red white.
Gangran colour, i.e. divers colours together, as in a Mallards, or Pigeons neck. …”
From: The Compleat Gentleman: fashioning him absolute in the most necessary and commendable qualities, concerning mind, or body, that may be required in a person of honor.
By Henry Peacham, 1661
An Exposition of Colours
ETYMOLOGY
from gere (a wild and changeful mood; a sudden fit of passion or feeling) + -ful
EXAMPLE
“… Now vp, now doun, as boket in a welle
Right as the friday, soothly for to telle
Now it shyneth, now it reyneth faste
Right so,/kan geery Venus ouer caste
The hertes of hir folk, right as hir day
Is gereful, right so chaungeth she array
Selde is the friday, al the wowke ylike
Whan þat Arcite had songe, he gan to sike …”
From: The Ellesmere MS of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
By Geoffrey Chaucer, c1386
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin ingluviosus (gluttonous), from ingluvies (gluttony)
EXAMPLE
“…Wee must haue a good eye and a diligent respect to our health, and we must vse moderate exercises of the bodye. We must not be to ingluvious, in taking our foode and repaste , wee muste not pamper and gourmandise our selues withe excesse of meate and drinke, but so much and such competencie thereof muste be taken, as sufficeth to refreshe the vitall powers and naturall strengthe, and not to empaire, hebetate, and vtterly to extinguish them. …”
From: The Worthye Booke of Old Age othervvyse entituled the elder Cato contayning a learned defence and praise of age, and aged men
By Marcus Tullius Cicero
Translated by Thomas Newton, 1569
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin potorius drinking (from potus drinking, drink) + -orius (-ory)) + -ous
EXAMPLE
Potorious gentlemen filled hollow walking canes and faux books with spirits.
ETYMOLOGY
from fire (n.) + flaught (a flash; a flash of lightning)
EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“… Bot lo, onon, a wonder thing to tell!
Ane huge bleys of flambys braid doun fell
Furth of the clowdis, at the left hand straucht,
In maner of a lychtnyng or fyre flaucht,
And dyd alicht rycht in the sammyn sted
Apon the crown of fair Lavinias hed; …”
From: The Æneid of Virgil
Translated by Gavin Douglas, a1522
ETYMOLOGY
of unknown origin
EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“… And I haue found it trew
Drinke now whyle it is new
And ye may it broke
It shall make you loke
yonger than ye be
yeres two or thre
For ye may proue it by me
Behold she sayd and se
How bright I am of ble
Ich am not cast away
That can my husband say
Whan we kys and play
In lust and in lykyng
He calleth me his whytyng
His mullyng and his nytyng
His nobbes and his conny
His swetyng and his honny
With bas my prety bonny
Thou art worth good and monny
This make I my falyre fonny
Tyll that he dreme and dronny
For after all our sport
Than wyll he rout and suort
Than swetely togither wely
As two pygges in a sty. …”
From: Here after foloweth certayne bokes
By John Skelton, 1545
The tunnyng of Elynour Rummynge
Lexicophilia 