ETYMOLOGY
from pleasure (vb.) + -ance
EXAMPLE
“… With a mighty noise, noye for to here,
Playnond with pytie, no pleasurance at all,
With sykyng & sorow said on this wise:—
“A! fonnet folke, why fare ye thus now,
With solas full sore, and sanges of myrthe,
At the weddyng of the weghes, þat shall to wo turne. …”
From: The “Gest Hystoriale” of the Destruction of Troy
from Guido de Colonna’s “Hystoria troiana.”, a1400
PRONUNCIATION
PLEZH-uh-ruhns
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin præfacilis (very easy). from prae- pre- + facilis (easy, straightforward)
EXAMPLE
Finding examples for some old words, other than in dictionaries, is not as prefacile as you would think!
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin pudibundus (easily ashamed, bashful, modest, also shameful),
from pudere (to make or be ashamed) + -bundus
EXAMPLE (for adj. 1)
“… If any man do vse to drynke water with wyne, let it be purely strayned, & than seth it and after it be cold let hī put it to his wyne, but better it is to drīke with wyne stylled waters, specyally ye water of strawberes or the water of buglos or the water of endyue, or the water of cycory, or ye water of southystel, & dandelyon. And yf any man be cobred with the stone or doth burne in the pudybunde places, vse to drynke with whyte wyne the water of hawes, & the water of mylke, voke for thys mater in a boke of my makynge named the breuyary of health …”
From: A Compendyous Regyment or a Dyetary of Healthe Made in Mountpyllyer,
By Andrewe Boorde, 1542
PRONUNCIATION
PYOO-duh-bund
ETYMOLOGY
from past participial stem of Latin persecare (to cut through), from per- + secare (to cut)
EXAMPLE
We persecated a frog in science class.
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin patrissat- patrizat-, past participial stem of patrissare, patrizare (to act like or take after one’s father)
EXAMPLE
“…One was Walter Devereux Earl of Essex, who made him his bosome-friend, and the said Earl, lying on his death-bed, took his leave of him with many kisses, Oh my Ned (said he) farewell, thou art the faithfullest and friendliest Gentleman that ever I knew. In testimony of his true affection to the dead Father in his living Son, this Gentleman is thought to have penned that most judicious and elegant Epistle and presented it to the young Earl, conjuring him by the cogent arguments of example and rule, to patrizate. …”
From: The History of the Worthies of England
By Thomas Fuller, 1662
ETYMOLOGY
Italian, poco curante, (caring little), from poco (a little, rather) + curante (present participle of curare (to care)); from Latin curare (to cure, to heal), ? from the name of Seigneur Pococurante, a fictional apathetic Venetian senator in Voltaire’s Candide (1759)
EXAMPLE
“…Leave we my mother – (truest of all the Poco-curante’s of her sex!) – careless about it, as about every thing else in the world which concerned her; – that is, – indifferent whether it was done this way or that, – provided it was but done at all …”
From: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
By Laurence Sterne, 1762
PRONUNCIATION
poh-koh-kyuh-RAN-tee
ETYMOLOGY
from parvi- comb. form + potent (powerful, having great authority or influence)
EXAMPLE
“…It is called his causal body. Neither can do anything without one. The aggregate of the causal bodies of all souls, that is to say, distributive ignorances, make up I’s’wara’s causal body, which is illusion. Strange to say, the ignorance of a single soul renders that soul subject to misapprehension, and keeps it parviscient, parvipotent, &c; but the aggregation of these individual ignorances, or illusion, allows I’s’wara to be exempt from misapprehension, and communicate to him such attributes as omniscience and omnipotence …”
From: A Rational Refutation of the Hindu Philosophical Systems
By Nehemiah Nilakantha S’Astri’ Gore
Translation by Fitz-Edward Hall, 1862
ETYMOLOGY
from paint + -trix
EXAMPLE
“…Quarters wages for Midsomer, anno Regni Regis Edwardi sexti Primo. [a.d. 1457.]…
…
On leaf 27, back, are
per Cade Item, to Anthony Totto, Painter … … … vj li v s
Item, to Barthilmewe Penne, Painter … … … vj li v s
Item, to Misteris levyn Terling, Paintrix … … xli …”
In Thomas Vicary’s ‘The Anatomie of the Bodie of Man‘, 1547
Published by Early English Text Society, 1888
ETYMOLOGY
from poet + sucker (a greenhorn, a simpleton)
EXAMPLE
“…But gi’ me the man can start up a Justice of Wit out of six-shillings beer, and give the law to all the poets and poet-suckers i’ town. Because they are the players’ gossips? ‘Slid, other men have wives as fine as the players’, and as well dressed. Come hither, Win. …”
From: Bartholmew Fayre, A Comedie
By Ben Jonson, 1631
ETYMOLOGY
from prick (to attire a person with clothes and ornaments fastened by pins, bodkins, etc.) + me + dainty
EXAMPLE
“… But, syr, among all
That sat in that hall,
There was a pryckemedenty,
Sat lyke a seynty,
And began to paynty,
As thoughe she would faynty ;
She made it as koy
As a lege de moy ;
She was not halfe so wyse
As she was peuysshe nyse.
She sayde neuer a worde,
But rose from the borde,
And called for our dame,
Elynour by name. …”
From: Here after foloweth Certayne Bokes
By John Skelton, ?1545
The Tunnyng of Elynour Rummyng, a1529
Lexicophilia 