Category: Word of the Day – M

ETYMOLOGY
from middle French maleureus, maleureux, modern French malheureux (unfortunate, unhappy, wretched; from maleur (ill fortune, misfortune) + ‑eus (‑ous) 

EXAMPLE
“…And seithe: “O,” seith he, “tho people bene passinge evreux whan there is a kinge of goode dis
crecioun and of goode counseill and wise in sciencez. And gretly bene the people malevreux whanne any of thise thingis abovesaide fauten in a kinge.”…”

From: Translation of The Dicts and Sayings of the Philosophers, a1661
By Curt Ferdinand Buhler, Early English Text Society, 1941

ETYMOLOGY
from late Latin motabilis (mobile, moving), from Latin motare (to set in motion, keep moving) (from mot-, past participial stem of movere (to move)) + -abilis (-able)

EXAMPLE
“…The heat had, also, made the whole atmosphere tremulous and visible, so that the outline of towers, turrets, and majestic edifices of stone and marble, was fluttering and motable as if an etherial sea of some subtle fluid, with trembling waves and a constant, rippling motion, was flowing and dancing over it. …”

From: The Ladies’ Companion
A Monthly Magazine Embracing Every Department of Literature
Volume XIV, Printed 1841
‘The English Family; Or, Who Are They? ‘
A Sketch by Joseph Holt Ingraham

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin maleficium (malefice, a wicked enchantment, sorcery)  + -ious

EXAMPLE
“…Or again, the foresaid change of a sound into a morbid body proceeds from the breath, or from the depraved spirit and aspect of the eyes, permeating, dissipating or infecting, or any other way changing the very tender substance of the Child. At which time, if any thing superstitious or maleficious come from the wickedness of the Devil, the Assistence of Holy Church being first desired, we must proceed to such Remedies as may dissipate, dissolve and weaken the breath, wind, or foul and contagious spirit …”

From: A Guide to the Practical Physician shewing, from the most approved authors, both ancient and modern, the truest and safest way of curing all diseases, internal and external, whether by medicine, surgery, or diet
By Theophile Bonet, Translated from Latin, 1684

ETYMOLOGY
from many + foot

EXAMPLE
“…As for some sea-fishes, wee have said before that they have eight legs: namely, Manyfeet, Pourcuttles, Cuttles, Calamaries, and Crabfishes; and those moove their fore-clees like armes a contrary way, but their feet either they turne round or else fetch them crooked atone-side: and a man shall not see any living creature again, all round, but they …”

From: The Historie Of The World: Commonly called, The Naturall Historie Of C. Plinius Secundus.
By Pliny the Elder
Translated into English by Philemon Holland, 1601

ETYMOLOGY
humorously from Latin maritus (husband) + –orious

EXAMPLE
“…Tis grosse and fulsome: if your husbands pleasure
Be all your object, and you ayme at honour
In living close to him, get you from Court,
You may have him at home; these common put-ofs
For common women serve: “my honour! husband!”
Dames maritorious ne’re were meritorious:
Speak plaine, and say “I doe not like you, sir,
Y’are an ill-favour’d fellow in my eye,”
And I am answer’d. …”

From: Bussy D’Ambois: a tragedie
By George Chapman, 1607

ETYMOLOGY
from past participial stem of Latin mussitare (to mutter),
from mussare (to mutter) + –itare (-itate)

EXAMPLE
“…those I meane which are not Neutralizers (if any such heare mee this day) Neutralizers, I say, or Interim-ists; such as dare secretly mutter and mussitate; Rome and the Reformed Churches agree in the substance of Religion, that there is no fundamentall difference betwixt them and vs; and againe that they teach no Heresies; …”

From: A Sermon Preached at Paules Crosse Laying open the Beast, and his Marks
By Richard Sheldon, 1625

ETYMOLOGY
from mis- (wrong, unfavourably) + proud

EXAMPLE 1
“…Ȝyf a man haue mysdo or seyde,
And men hym blame for þat mysbreyde,
Ȝyf he susteynë hys mysdede,
And hys mysawe wyl nat drede,
Þat cumþ of mysprout herte and hy
Þat wyl nat knowe hys owne foly…”

From: Robert of Brunne’s “Handlyng Synne” (Harley MS)
By Robert Mannyng, a1400

EXAMPLE 2
“…It was in 1397, ninety years since the first assertion of Swiss independence, when Leopold the Handsome, Duke of Austria, a bold but misproud and violent prince, involved himself in one of the constant quarrels with the Swiss that were always arising on account of the insulting exactions of toll and tribute in the Austrian border cities…”

From: A Book of Golden Deeds of All Times and All Lands
By Charlotte Mary Yonge, 1864

ETYMOLOGY
from mimp (prim, precise, affected; also, n. a prim or affectedly modest woman)

EXAMPLE
“…It is not many people indeed I should praise so warmly; but as to all squeamish prudery in not speaking what one thinks, I’ve no notion of it, though I am so teased and so lectured by the old folks that I sit mimpetty mimp before them merely for peace sake; but I don’t see why one may not admire an handsome man as well as an handsome stature, or an handsome animal, or any thing else that is beautiful…”

From: The Young Philosopher: 
A Novel in Four Volumes
By Charlotte Smith, 1798

ETYMOLOGY
from Anglo-Norman meseisé, miseisé, mysesé (sick, unhappy, suffering, painful),
from mesaiser (misease, to trouble, to distress)

EXAMPLE 1
“…A lodlich musel he þouȝte al-so : and þe fouleste þat miȝte beo—
A Miseisiore man þane he þouȝte : no man ne miȝte iseo …”

From:
The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of Saints
Edited by Carl Horstmann, 1887
Vita sancti Iuliani boni hospitis (The life of St. Julian the Hospitable). c1300

EXAMPLE 2
It had been a long, hard day, and I went to bed that night feeling miseasy and heart-sick.

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin masculus (male) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“…I doubt not but he will send a Copy of it to your L. and then it will speak for it self; believe me I never heard him do any thing like it, and so thinketh every one in the Synod; it was learned, devout, and the stile masculous …”

From: Golden Remains of the Ever Memorable, Mr. John Hales
By John Hales, 1659
Dr. Balcanquals Letters from the Synod of Dort, March, 1619