ETYMOLOGY
? from Old Norse slœ́ða (to drag, trail) (so Norwegian slöda; also, to work carelessly)
EXAMPLE
“…Again, the combination of labourers and Poor people may very much prejudice, besides their slothfull and sleathy slubbering of it, if not exceeding carefully overseen…”
From: The English Improver Improved Or the Survey of Husbandry Surveyed
By Walter Blith, 1652
ETYMOLOGY
of uncertain origin;
possibly from drug (n.) + ‑le
EXAMPLE
“…The Bunsellers or Cake-bakers were in nothing inclinable to their request; but (which was worse) did injure them most outragiously, calling them pratling gablers, lickorous gluttons, freckled bittors, mangie rascals, shiteabed scoundrels, drunken roysters, slie knaves, drowsie loiterers, slapsauce fellows, slabberdegullion druggels, lubbardly lowts, cosening foxes, ruffian rogues, paultrie customers, sycophant-varlets, drawlatch hoydons, flouting milksops, jeering companions, staring clowns, forlorn snakes, ninnie lobcocks, scurvie sneaksbies, fondling fops, base lowns, sawcie coxcombs, idle lusks, scoffing Braggards, noddie meacocks, blockish grutnols, doddi-pol-jolt-heads, jobernol goosecaps, foolish loggerheads, slutch calf-lollies, grouthead gnatsnappers, lob-dotterels, gaping changelings, codshead loobies, woodcock slangams, ninnie-hammer flycatchers, noddiepeak simpletons; Turdie gut, shitten shepherds, and other such like defamatory epithetes...”
From: The Works of the Famous Mr. Francis Rabelais
Translated by Thomas Urquhart, 1653
ETYMOLOGY
from bajulat-, participial stem of bajulare (to carry), from bajulus (porter);
BADGER – a person who buys corn and other commodities and carries them elsewhere to sell; an itinerant dealer who acts as a middleman between producer (farmer, fisherman, etc.) and consumer; a cadger, hawker, or huckster
EXAMPLE
“…Hence it is, that in the late Order for regulating the wages of Coach-men, at such a price a day and distance from London, Sussex alone was excepted, as wherein shorter way or better pay was allowed. Yet, the Gentry of this County well content themselves in the very badness of passage therein, as which secureth their provisions at reasonable prices; which, if mended, Higglers would mount, as bajulating them to London.…”
From: The History of the Worthies of England
By Thomas Fuller, 1662
ETYMOLOGY
from toil (strife, turmoil, dispute) + -ous
EXAMPLE
“….R
to riotus, to reueling, ne rage not to rudeli.
S
to straunge, ne to stirynge, ne straungeli to stare.
T
to toilose, ne to talewijs, for temperaunce is beest.
V
to venemose, ne to veniable, & voide al vilonye.
W
to wielde, ne to wraþful, neiþer waaste, ne waade not to depe..”
From: Aristotle’s A B C
in The Babees Book,
Lambeth Manuscript. a1430
ETYMOLOGY
from ppl. stem of Latin inambulare, from in- (in-) + ambulare (to walk)
EXAMPLE
He inambulated the pier from dawn to dusk hoping to find his great-grandfather’s missing pocket watch.
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin olfact-, ppl. stem of olfacere (to smell)
EXAMPLE
“…The Indian is indeed light, but black and amare; the Syrian is flave, tuberous, to the gust acrimonious, to the olfact fragrant. The Arabians constitute onely two sorts thereof, the amare, and the sweet. And Clusius thinks there is but one kinde of Costus, and that it is onely called sweet, in reference to the more amare and acrimonious. Such a difference as this in sapour, we daily experience in Plants, which while fresh and new, are more sweet and suave; when inveterate, croded with worms, and corrupted, more amare, acrimonious, and insuave…”
From: A Medicinal Dispensatory
Of such Medicinal Materials as are requisite for Compositions made and kept in Apothecaries Shops
By J. de Renou
Translated by Richard Tomlinson, 1657
ETYMOLOGY
from Mallie (= English Molly (a girl,. a woman)) + fuff (something easily blown about, a puff)
EXAMPLE
“…And what for should I not be early abroad if I have business? Am I like one of your windlestrae mallifuff madams that cannot stir from their arm-chair till they are drammed up with their green-tea?…”
From: Elizabeth de Bruce
By Christian Isobel Johnstone, 1827
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin tussicus (afflicted with tussis a cough)
EXAMPLE
“…Phisition Mirus talkes of saliuation,
Of Tophes and Pustules, and Febricitation;
Who doth ingurgitate, who tussicate,
And who an vlcer hath inueterate.
Thus while his Inkehorne termes he doth apply,
Euacuated is his ingenie...”
From: Chrestoleros. Seuen Bookes of Epigrames
By Thomas Bastard, 1598
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin gracilentus (slender, thin),
from gracilis (gracile, gracefully slender) + -entus
EXAMPLE
“…his old scratch-wig awry, and his garments sadly bespeaking wretchedness; we think we can see him, with this outward repulsiveness of appearance, sitting down to give a gracilent opinion of the canine species…”
From: The Ladies’ Repository
A Monthly Periodical Devoted to Literature and Religion, January, 1852
“Thoughts on a Canine Subject”
By James Pummill
ETYMOLOGY
from neb (the beak or bill of a bird) + -sie -sy
EXAMPLE
“…“I’ll tell you aboot Mark,: he said next time; ‘we’ll no be disturbed again till the men want their forenoon – that’s the drop whisky, you ken. Simon’s wife’s a nebsy clatterin’ body, but for a’ that, I wish ehre were mair like her…”
From: The Red Scaur
A Novel of Manners
By P. Anderson Graham, 1896
Lexicophilia 