ETYMOLOGY
from leasing (lying, falsehood) + monger (a dealer, trader, or trafficker in a commodity
EXAMPLE
“…here abitis ben ful of lesyngis & þei ben but feyned & peyntid men of religion, & not only lesyngmongeris but pure lesyngis…”
From: The English works of Wyclif
c1380
ETYMOLOGY
from wight (strong and courageous, esp. in warfare) + -ling (with the sense a person belonging to or concerned with)
EXAMPLE
“…Now, wiþ outen more dueling,
Galathin com swiþe flinge
Wiþ þre þousand wiȝtling
& smot oȝain þat heþen king…”
From: Arthour and Merlin;
an anonymous Middle English verse romance giving an account of the reigns of Vortigern and Uther Pendragon and the early years of King Arthur’s reign, c1330
ETYMOLOGY
from little + what
EXAMPLE
“…Philip answeride to him, The looues of two hundrid pens suffysen not to hem, that ech man take a litle what…”
From: The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books, in the earliest English versions made from the Latin Vulgate
(Wycliffite, early version), c1384
ETYMOLOGY
aphetic formed on avouter (an adulterer, esp. a male one);
in its oldest form from Old French avoutre, aoutre
EXAMPLE
“…For in þis werlde is no doge for þe bowe
þat knowe an hurt dere fro an holde bet cowe
þan þis Somenour knewe a licour
Or a vouter or elles a paramour
And for þat was þe fruyte of al þe rente
Ther-for on it he set al his entente…”
From: The Lansdowne Manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales,
Geoffrey Chaucer, c1386
ETYMOLOGY
from sleight (adroitness, nimbleness of mind or body) + -ful
EXAMPLE
“…Not worschipe men for here worldly rychesse. as þe fals world doþ
for þey be mysdoers, sotel, and slyhtful dysseyuers…”
From: The Lay Folks’ Catechism
(Lambeth MS.). 1380
ETYMOLOGY
from spill- (comb. form in the sense spoilt) + time
EXAMPLE
“…That fynden þe þy fode? for an ydel man þow semest,
A spendour þat spende mot oþer a spille-tyme,
Oþer beggest þy bylyue a-boute at menne hacches,
Oþer faitest vp-on frydays · oþer feste-dayes in churches…”
From: The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman
By William Langland, 1393
ETYMOLOGY
from oil + berry
EXAMPLE
“…And þer ſhal ben laft in it as þe braunche of a cluſter, and as þe ſhaking out of þe oile berie, as of two or of þre olyues in þe cop of þe braunch…”
From: Bible (Wycliffe, early version), a1382
ETYMOLOGY
from Old French gorel, gorreau (a pig, hog);
related to Old French gore (sow): of unknown origin.
EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“…Crampe that comyth of replycyon fallyth ofte to fatte men and flesshly and well fedde and gorrelles…”
From: Bartholomew de Glanville’s De Proprietatibus Rerum,
Translated by John Trevisa, 1495
ETYMOLOGY
diminutive of faunt: aphetic form of Old French enfaunt, enfant;
the shortened form has not been found in French, but Italian has the corresponding fante (boy, servant, foot-soldier), whence German fant
EXAMPLE
“…”Þat is soth,” quod clergye “I se what þow menest,
I shal dwelle as I do my deuore to shewen,
And conformen fauntekynes and other folke ylered,
Tyl pacience haue preued þe and parfite þe maked…”
From: The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman,
By William Langland, 1377
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin habitaculum (dwelling-place)
EXAMPLE
“…of maneres and ek of resoun of hir lyuynge ben enhabyted in the clos of thilke lytul habytacule to the whiche naciouns what for deficulte of weyes and what for deficulte of langages…”
From: Boethius’ De Consolatione Philosophiae,
By Geoffrey Chaucer, 1374
Lexicophilia 