Tag: 1300 – 1399

Word of the Day: RECRAYED

ETYMOLOGY
from recray (to tire or wear out), from Anglo-Norman recreire, recreere and Middle French recroire (to desist, give up, to acknowledge oneself defeated, to yield in battle, to fail to go back on what one has said, to tire (something) out, to become tired out (especially of a horse), to confess (something), to go back on one’s sentiments or beliefs)

EXAMPLE
“…The toke[n]s ar not good
To be true Englysh blood
For if they vnderstood
  His traytourly dispyght
He was a recrayed knyght
A subtyll sysmatyke
Ryght nere an heretyke
Of grace out of the state
And dyed excomunycate…”

From: Agaynst the Scottes
By John Skelton, a1529

Word of the Day: HIGHFUL

ETYMOLOGY
either from a) high (adj.) + -ful;
or perhaps from b) the same word as eyeful (arousing or inspiring awe, fear, or dread; terrible, dreadful)

EXAMPLE
“…So þat he was riche him sulf · & þat lond pouere al out
Sturne he was þoru out al · & heiuol & prout
Suiþe þikke mon he was · & of grete strengþe…”

From: The Metrical Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester, c1325-c1425

Word of the Day: NEEZE

ETYMOLOGY
From Oxford English Dictionary: either from early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic hnjósa , Norwegian nyse , †njosa , Old Swedish niusa (Swedish nysa ), Danish nyse ), or the reflex of an unattested Old English word from the same Germanic base, as is perhaps suggested by the number of cognates in other West Germanic languages: Middle Dutch niesen (Dutch niezen ), Middle Low German nēsen , neysen , neesen , etc., Old High German niesan , niosan , niusan (German niesen)

EXAMPLE (for noun)
“…Soto was in an exteam Agony for his Master: Lamia was grieved and her Hand-Maids heavie, but the Inchantress soon recovered him by watering his Visnomy with her warm Urine (the customary way (it seems) of that Countrey to revive the enfeebled) which not onely illuminated his dim eyes, but circumgyring about his weasand, enforced him to a manly neese, so that within a little time (to their great comfort) he sate up, calling for some Wine, which being brought, he drank a hearty draught to the Inchantress, though one might perceive (with half an eye) wrath and disdain in Capitall Characters on his front; which Lamia perceiving, administred this Julip to allay his fiery Choller….”

From: Don Zara del Fogo; A Mock-Romance
By Samuel Holland, 1656

Word of the Day: BRIGOUS

ETYMOLOGY
either from:
a) Middle French brigeux (from brigue (a quarrel, an argument; strife, contention)) + -eux (-ous)
b) from Latin brigosus (from briga (quarrel, dispute, strife) + -ōsus (-ous) + -ous 
c) or directly from brigue (a quarrel, an argument) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“…Þis answere assoileth noght at all This brigous questioun…”

From: De Consolatione Philosophiae (on The Consolation of Philosophy)
By Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
Translated by John Walton, c1450

Word of the Day: WLATSOME

ETYMOLOGY
from wlat (nausea, loathing, disgust) from Old English wlætta

EXAMPLE
“…þe thrid pine es hard to drei,
O wormes þat sal neuer dei,
Fell dragons and tades bath
þat ar apon to lok ful lath,
Ful  wlatsum  on to here or se,
Ful wa es þam þat þare sal be;
Als we se fixs in water suim,
Sua liue þai in þat lou sa dim….”

From: Cursor Mundi
A Northumbrian poem of the 14th century

Word of the Day: DRETCH

ETYMOLOGY
from Old English drecc(e)an: unknown in the other Germanic languages

EXAMPLE
“…Sir sayd sir Bors after ye were departed from vs we alle that ben of youre blood and youre well wyllers were soo dretched that somme of vs lepte oute of oure beddes naked & some in their dremes caughte naked swerdes in their handes therfor said sir Bors we deme there is some grete stryf at hand…”

From: Le Morte Darthur
By Sir Thomas Malory, 1470

Word of the Day: PAPELARD

ETYMOLOGY
from French papelard, papelart
as per OED: further etymology uncertain and disputed

EXAMPLE
“…Þe zeuende boȝ of prede ys fol drede and fole ssame huane me let wel to done uor þe wordle þet me ne by yhyealde ypocrite ne papelard huer me dret more þe wordle: þanne god…”

(The seventh bough of pride is foolish dread and foolish shame, when one ceases to do well because of the world, that one be not held a hypocrite or a canter, where one dreads the world more than God)

From: Dan Michel’s Ayenbite of Inwyt : or, Remorse of Conscience, 1340
Translation from: The Ayenbite of Inwyt, A Translation of Parts into Modern English
By A.J. Wyatt

Word of the Day: TROUBLY

ETYMOLOGY
from trouble (n.) + -y or -ly 

EXAMPLE (for adj. 1.)
“…Mvsyng vpon the restles bisynesse
Which that this troubly world hath ay on honde,
That othir thyng than fruyt of byttirnesse
Ne yeldeth nought, as I can vndirstonde,
At Chestre ynnë, right fast be the stronde,
As I lay in my bed vp-on a nyght,
Thought me bereft of sleep with force and myght…”

From: De Regimine Principum (The Governance of Kings and Princes)
By Thomas Hoccleve. c1412