ETYMOLOGY
from Latin mentionatus, pa. pple. of mentionare (to make mention of)
EXAMPLE
“…Ffinally, in my moste humble wise, eftsones I thanke your Grace for your singular goodenes afor mentionate both concernyng me and also the Commons…”
From: Original Letters: Illustrative of English History
Edited by Henry Ellis, 1846
Letter CXXXI. Archbishop Warham to Cardinal Wolsey; c1525
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin mari-, mare (sea) + –colus (inhabiting, colere (to inhabit))
EXAMPLE
“…The members of this genus are small, constantly apterous, gregarious, maricolous, and inhabit relatively still salt and brackish waters of bays, atolls, estuaries, inlets…”
From: Studies on the Fauna of Suriname and Other Guyanas
By D.C. Geijakes, 1962
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin meretricat-, past participial stem of meretricari (to frequent a prostitute; later, to play the whore),
from Latin meretrīc- (a prostitute)
EXAMPLE
They meretricated in Egypt; they meretricated in their youth.
(Taken from Ezekiel 23, replacing ‘played the whore’ with meretricated)
ETYMOLOGY
from man + -ling
EXAMPLE
“…Marry sir euen all in all, a well lyned pursse, wherwith he could at euery call, prouide such pretie conceytes as pleased hir péeuish fantasie, and by that meanes he had throughly (long before) insinuated him selfe with this amorous dame. This manling, this minion, this slaue, this secretary, was nowe by occasion rydden to London forsothe: and though his absence were vnto hir a disfurnishing of eloquence…”
From: A Discourse of the Aduentures Passed by Master F. I.
In ‘A Hundreth Sundrie Flowres bounde vp in one small poesie’
By George Gascoigne, 1573
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin mæstus (sad, mournful) + -ful
EXAMPLE
“…The Partridge.
EMong all other birds,
moste mestfull birde am I:
Emong all fethered foules,
I first complaine and crie…”
From: Flovvers of Epigrammes, out of sundrie the moste singular authours selected
Translated by Timothy Kendall, 1577
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin micare (to shine, sparkle, dart, move swiftly) + -acious
PRONUNCIATION
migh-KAY-shuhss
EXAMPLE
“…Others little inferior in splendour followed in procession; and what added much to their gorgeous appearance was, that as the oars were lifted, the water was perfectly micacious, and they appeared to glide over a sea of liquid gold…”
From: Constantinople Ancient and Modern:
With Excursions to the Shores and Islands of the Archipelago and to the Troad
By James Dallaway, 1797
ETYMOLOGY
? shortened form of imaginate (vb.)
EXAMPLE
They must have maginated a great deal, otherwise they would have accomplished a lot more.
ETYMOLOGY
from the archaic meaning of meat (food in general) + able
EXAMPLE
“…wyse as the serpent, and benigne to his subiectes, discrete with the froward, meteable to the nedy, liberall to wydowes and children, and a blissid fader…”
From: Speculum Sacerdotale, a1500
A collection of fifteenth century English Festival Sermons
ETYMOLOGY
from late Latin meliorat-, ppl. stem of meliorare, from Latin melior-, (melior better)
PRONUNCIATION
MEE-lee-uh-rayt
EXAMPLE
“…safe from all daungiers,beeyng proude therof not without cause, he would often saie: I found Roome made but of bricke, and I will leaue it of marble. Nothyng to a prince maye bee more magnificente or regall, then if the same dooe meliorate & bettre ye state of a dicion or royalme descended and come to his possession…”
From: Apophthegmes that is to saie, prompte, quicke, wittie and sentencious saiynges, of certain emperours, kynges, capitaines, philosophiers and oratours…
By Desiderius Erasmus
Translated by Nicholas Udall, 1542
ETYMOLOGY
formed on Greek.µακρόβιος (long-lived (from µακρός (long) + βίος (life)) + -an
PRONUNCIATION
muh-KROH-bee-uhn
EXAMPLE
“…Nor did we think it more reasonable to doubt of the Transmogrification of the Macrobian Children into Swans, or that of the Men of Pallene in Thrace into Birds, as soon as they have bath’d themselves in the Tritonie Lake. After this the Devil a word we could get out of him but of Birds and Cages…”
From: The Fifth Book of The Works of Francis Rabelais, M.D.
Translated by Peter Anthony Motteux, 1694
Lexicophilia 