Word of the Day: BROTHELY

ETYMOLOGY
Middle English: in sense adj. 1, from broth (impetuous, violent, wrathful) + -ly;
sense adj. 2, possibly a derivative of brothel

EXAMPLE (for adj. 1)
“… þan said Isaac tille him, “ert þou his mayntenour?
Fulle
broþely & brim he kept vp a trencheour,
& kast it at Statin, did him a schamfulle schoure.
His nese & his ine he carfe at misauentoure.
…”

From: Peter Langtoft’s Chronicle, (as illustrated and improv’d by Robert of Brunne), 1330

Word of the Day: BROW-SICK

ETYMOLOGY
from brow + sick

EXAMPLE
“… Besides though, I confess, Parnassus hardly,
Yet Helicon this Summer-time is dry:
Our wits were at an ebbe or very low,
And, to say troth, I think they cannot flow.
But yet a gracious influence from you
May alter Nature in our  
Browsick crew.
Have patience then, we pray, and sit a while;
And, if a laugh be too much, lend a smile
. …”

From: The Last Remains of Sr John Suckling
A Prologue of the Author’s to a Masque at Witten, 1659

Word of the Day: BABBART

ETYMOLOGY
probably from a first element of uncertain origin + ‑ard (suffix)

EXAMPLE
“… The hare, the scotart,
The bigge, the bouchart,
The scotewine, the skikart,
The turpin, the tirart,
The wei-betere, the ballart,
The go-bi-dich, the soillart,
The wimount, the
babbart,
The stele-awai, the momelart,
The evil-i-met, the babbart,
The scot, the deubert,
The gras-bitere, the goibert,
The late-at-hom, the swikebert,
The frendlese, the wodecat,
The brodlokere, the bromcat,
…”

From: The Middle English “Names of the Hare
(Bodleian Library MS Digby 86)

Word of the Day: BLUE PIPE

EXAMPLE
“…The blew Pipe groweth likewise in manner of a smal hedge tree, with many shootes rising from the roote like the former, as our common Priuet doth, whereof it is a kind. The branches haue some small quantitie of pith in the middle of the wood, and are couered with a darke black greenish barke or rinde. The leaues are exceeding greene and crumpled or turned vp like the brims of an hat, in shape very like vnto the leaues of the Poplar tree: among which come the flowers, of an exceeding faire blewe colour, compact of many small flowers in the forme of a bunch of grapes:…”

From: The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes
By John Gerard, 1597

Word of the Day: BUCOLISM

ETYMOLOGY
from bucol-ic + -ism

EXAMPLE
“…The attempt produces a farrago which, in point of Greek, is disgraceful to the reputation of the University; for what can be more lamentably absurd than to see the lowest” bucolisms” of Theocritus thrust in as the necessities of a Sapphic ode require? The Greek Professor might very profitably publish a canon on this subject. …”

From: Introductions to the study of the Greek classic poets
By Henry Nelson Coleridge, 1830

Word of the Day: BIRSIE

ETYMOLOGY
adj. 1. from birse (Sc. – a bristle, hair) + -y
n. from birse (Sc. – to push, to press, to squeeze) + -y

EXAMPLE
“…The mekill howke hym bair was Tryton callyt,
For in hir forstam was the monstre stallyt,
With watry trumpe fleyand the fludis gray;
Quhar as scho salyt, men mycht se hym ay
With  
byrsy body porturyt, and vissage
All rowgh of harys, semyng of cullage
In mannys form fra hys cost to hys crown,
…”

From: Virgil’s Aeneid translated into Scottish verse
By Gavin Douglas, a1522

Word of the Day: BLAGUE

ETYMOLOGY
noun: from the French
verb: French blaguer, from the noun

EXAMPLE
“…In later editions of The French Revolution Carlyle did not alter a word of his original account. Instead, he added directly to the main text a new concluding paragraph correcting Barere’s story, which he terms a ‘masterpiece; the largest, most inspiring piece of blague manufactured, for some centuries, by any man or nation. As such, and not otherwise, be it henceforth memorable’…”

From: The French Revolution
By Thomas Carlyle, 1839

Word of the Day: BESWINK

ETYMOLOGY
from Old English beswincan, from be- swincan (to toil, to labour)
definition 2: probably for beswinge (as per OED)

EXAMPLE (for vb. 2.)
“… “Here now,” quod hunger “and holde it for a wisdome:
Bolde beggeres and bigge þat mowe her bred
biswynke,
With houndes bred and hors bred holde vp her hertis,
Abate hem with benes for bollyng of her wombe;
And ȝif þe gomes grucche bidde hem go swynke,
And he shal soupe swettere whan he it hath deseruid
….”

From: The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman
By William Langland, 1377

Word of the Day: BLASTFUL

ETYMOLOGY
from blast (a blowing or strong gust of wind) + -ful

EXAMPLE
“…Breezy hills and blastful mountains,
Chirp of birds, and thunder’s roll.
Tinkling rills and gushing fountains.
Powers that spurn weak man’s control.
Cradle song and chariot’s rattle.
Mighty thoughts that stir the soul,
Throng of business, roar of battle,
All make music In the whole.
…”

From: Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine,
July – December 1883
‘October Song’