ETYMOLOGY
from Latin type cognoscibilis (knowable), from cognscere
EXAMPLE
“…There remains nothing entire, nor cognoscible in Germany, but the Sea and the Mountains…”
From: Le Prince
By Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac
Translated by H. Gresby, 1648
ETYMOLOGY
apparently a random formation, possibly influenced by doodle (n.) and perhaps also fopdoodle (n.)
EXAMPLE
“…But to look for such things from a revengful mind, is as unlikely as to make the bristly skin of a Hedghog smooth. And when all the Stuff in the Letters are scann’d, what Fadoodles are brought to light?…”
From: Scrinia Reserata a Memorial Offer’d to the Great Deservings of John Williams
By John Hacket, 1693
ETYMOLOGY
variant of taradiddle (a trifling falsehood, a petty lie)
EXAMPLE
“…Oh, don’t call them lies, sister; it’s such a strong, ugly word. Please call them tallydiddles, for I don’t believe she meant any harm. Besides – besides – if they should turn out to be truth? Really, sister, that’s the weight on my mind; so many things sounded as if they might be true…”
From: Wives & Daughters
By Elizabeth Gaskell, 1866
ETYMOLOGY
from the female forename Dowsabel (also Dowsabell, Dousabella);
probably from Anglo-Norman and Old French douce (quiet, sedate, prudent) + ‑abel (in the female forenames Amabel, Isabel, Mirabel);
perhaps originally used as the name of a character in a lost romance
EXAMPLE
“…With thinking on the booties, Dol., brought in
Daily, by their small parties. This deare houre,
A doughtie Don is taken, with my Dol.;
And thou maist make his ransome, what thou wilt,
My Dousabell: He shall be brought here, fetter’d
With my faire lookes, before he sees thee; and throwne
In a downe-bed, as darke as any dungeon…”
From: The Alchemist
By Ben Jonson, 1612
ETYMOLOGY
from French Sacripant, from Italian Sacripante, a character in Boiardo’s Orlando innamorato
EXAMPLE
“…He is surprised by a nymph of exquisite loveliness, who vainly assails his constancy, and who is at length seized by the supervening Itifal, a Sacripant of knighthood. The adventures in general are spun out and interrupted by flat conversations…”
From: Historic Survey of German Poetry
By William Taylor, 1829
ETYMOLOGY
from zoo– + -philist; from Greek ϕίλος (loving, dear) + ‑ist
EXAMPLE
“…A foreigner in America has recently discovered a species of animal which is likely to become as great a favourite among our female zoophilists, and may, perhaps, in future, banish the lap-dog from the drawing-room and the bed-chamber…”
From: The London and Paris Observer:
Or Weekly Chronicle of News, Science, Literature, and the Fine Arts
Volume 5, 1829
ETYMOLOGY
of unknown origin;
the coincidence in sound and sense with Greek ἕρπειν from ἕρπω (hérpō) (to move slowly),
is noticeable.
EXAMPLE
“…The bull: the beir: the bugill: and the bair:
The wodwys: vildcat: and the wild wolfyne:
The hardbakkit hurcheoun: and the hirpland hair:
Baith otter and aip: and pennit porcupyne.
The gukit gait: the selie scheip the swyne:
The bauer bakon and the balterand brok:
The fowmart, with the fyber furth can flok…”
From: The Morall Fabillis of Esope the Phrygian
“The taill of the sone & air of the forsaid foxe”
Robert Henryson, a1500
ETYMOLOGY
apparently from Old French garbouille (confused mess, confusion, disorder), of uncertain and disputed origin;
From the O.E.D.: “it is likely that this word and the related garboil v. have been associated with garble v. and garble n., and probably regarded as variants of these”
EXAMPLE
“…and after long and mature debating off the mattar, forasmuch as itt appeared the Mayor to have ben a great sturrer of this garboyle, and to be a man that att sondry tymes hadde deluded wyth delayes the sayde commissioners whereby the matter cowlde grow to none ende…”
From: Selections from the Records of the City of Oxford
Edited by Willilam H, Turner, 1880
‘1543, May 22. Decree of the Privy Councell in the matters of Difference between the University and City.‘
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin taciturnus (taciturn) + -ous
EXAMPLE
“…The Legate was more taciturnous, and seldom entered into conversation with the Embassador, who, very prudently, forbore to ask questions about China in his presence…”
From: An Historical Account of the Embassy to the Emperor of China
By Earl George Macartney Macartney, 1797
ETYMOLOGY
from French aguerri, (to accustom to war) + -ed
EXAMPLE
“…But, said he, we have an army to defend us in case of an invasion; an army maintain’d in time of peace, and the best aguerried of any troops in Europe that have never seen an enemy…”
From: Letters from a Persian in England to his Friend at Ispahan
By George Lyttelton, 1735
Lexicophilia 