ETYMOLOGY
from Old French prome, proesme, and Middle French proisme (near), also as (n.) a neighbour, from Latin proximus (nearest)
EXAMPLE
“… First sal ye luue god wid al yure herte and wid al yure saul and wid al yure uertu, And ti prome als ti-self; sua ah ye at do …”
From: Three Middle-English versions of the Rule of St. Benet, a1425
By Saint Benedict, Abbot of Monte Cassino.
Edited by Ernst Albin Kock
Early English Text Society edition, 1902
ETYMOLOGY
vb. 1. 2. 4. from out- + braid (to make a sudden movement with the hand, etc.; to brandish a spear;. to deal a blow)
vb. 3. altered form of abraid (to reproach, to reprove)
EXAMPLE (for vb. 3.)
“… And for that this displeasour doth hym dere
His frende: he soone out-braydeth of the same
Hym-self (for malyce) drawynge by the here
So hath this fole by malyce and yll name
His rewarde lost for it rebuked and shame
And no meruayle: for no man that hath skyll
Shall thanke hym for goodnes done agaynst his wyll …”
From: The Shyp of Folys of the Worlde
By Alexander Barclay, 1509
ETYMOLOGY
from leve (to believe, give credence to) + -able
EXAMPLE
“… Fower yomen leveable and discrete, prooved in that facultie of choosing, buyinge, and keepinge of all country wynes; thus everyche of them to pourvey by the Kinge’s commission, to be had by the Thesaurer of housholde’s record and seale, directed to the clerke of the crowne, to make suche commission for suche pourveyours, according to the statutes; …”
From: A Collection of Ordnances and Regulations
for the Government of the Royal Household
From King Edward III to King William and Queen Mary
Also Receipts in Ancient Cookery
Printed 1790
Liber Niger Domus Regis Edw. IV., a1483
ETYMOLOGY
from Old French barateus, from barat: masculine (= It. baratto, Old Spanish barato, Provencal barat), also Old French barate feminine (= Old Spanish, Catalan, Provencal barata) ‘deceit, fraud, confusion, trouble, embarrassment’ + -ous
EXAMPLE
“… For other Analyses he ouerpassed, as impertinent, or not specially materiall. After such examination of their autorities, and argumentes, not with a rigorous Censure of either, but with a fauorable Construction of both: Pardon him, though he presume to deliuer some part of his animaduersions in such termes, as the instant occasion presenteth: not for any contentious, or sinister purpose (the world is too-full of litigious, and barratous pennes) but for the satisfaction of those, that de∣sire them, & the aduertisement of those, that regard them. …”
From: Pierces Supererogation or A New Prayse of the Old Asse
By Gabriel Harvey, 1593
ETYMOLOGY
from gin (skill, ingenuity, obs.) + -ous
EXAMPLE
” …and man’s flesh is so savoury and so pleasant that when they have taken to man’s flesh they will never eat the flesh of other beasts, though they should die of hunger. For many men have seen them leave the sheep they have taken and eat the shepherd. It is a wonderfully wily and gynnous; beast, and more false than any other beast to take all advantage, for he will never fly but a little save when he has need, for he will always abide in his strength, and he hath good breath, for every day it is needful to him, for every man that seeth him chaseth him away and crieth after him …
From: The Master of Game
By Edward, second duke of York, a1425
(The oldest English book on hunting)
Edited by Wm. A. and F. Baillie-Grohman, 1909
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin rubicundus (ruddy, flushed, reddish, red), either from rubere (to be red) + ‑cundus, or from rubibundus (recorded in post-classical Latin as a rejected form; from rubere + ‑bundus (suffix forming verbal adjectives), with dissimilation of ‑b‑
EXAMPLE (for adj. 2.)
“… Accordyng vnto which rule this fyrst Namer hym selfe, foormed out of ruddy clay, and thearby endued with the purest of complexions (as we tearm them) Rubicund or Sanguine, had hym selfe first to name in the Hebru (the fyrst of langages) Adam. As his make beyng the onely wooman at her creation, counted moother and lyfe to all posteritie, and (for her breakyng the commaundment) the causer also of calamitie and wo, Adam named Eua. …”
From: The calender of Scripture VVhearin the Hebru, Challdian, Arabian, Phenician, Syrian, Persian, Greek and Latin names, of nations, cuntreys, men, weemen, idols, cities, hils, riuers, [and] of oother places in the holly Byble mentioned, by order of letters ar set, and turned into oour English toong.
By William Patten, 1575
The Printer Vnto the Gentle Reedar
PRONUNCIATION
ROO-bick-uhnd
ETYMOLOGY
from Old French baisier (modern baiser) (to kiss)
EXAMPLE
“… Fynably Medea conueyed Iason vnto his chambre dore and their began there amorouse baisiers & kyssinges vnto the time that it was force that Medea must withdrawe her & thenne she recommanded Iason in the garde of the goddes and shette fast the dore. …”
From: The History of Jason
By Raoul Le Fevre
Translated by William Caxton, 1477
ETYMOLOGY
from Belial, the spirit of evil personified;
used from early times as a name for the Devil or one of the fiends, and by Milton as the name of one of the fallen angels
EXAMPLE
“… Semey stones and stokkes and myre on Dauid kest;
The Sinagoge spittinges and thornes & buffets on Crist fest.
Semey callid Dauid “man of Belial” and “manquhellere:
The Synagoge Crist “a wyche, gyloute and mysdoete”. …”
From: The Mirour of Mans Saluacioun:
a Middle English translation of Speculum humanae salvationis : a critical edition of the fifteenth-century manuscript illustrated from Der Spiegel der menschen Behältnis, Speyer, Drach, c1429
Edited by Avril Henry, Scolar Press edition, 1986
ETYMOLOGY
from French jobard (a person who is easily fooled or very credulous)
EXAMPLE
“… False supplantyng, clymbyng of foolis
Unto chayers of worldly dignite,
Looke of discrecioune sette jobbardis upon stoolis,
Whiche hathe distroyed many a comunalte,
Marchol to sitte in Salamons see,
What folwithe after no reason no justice,
Injuste promocioune and parcialite,
By false prerogatyf theyr neyghburghs to dispise. …”
From: A Selection from the Minor Poems of Dan John Lydgate
Printed for the Percy Society, 1840
The Moralite of the Hors, the Goose, and the Sheepe
Composed c1440
ETYMOLOGY
from Old English stǽlwierðe, from stǽl (place) + wierðe (worth – adj.);
From OED: “The length of the vowel in the first syllable seems to be authenticated by some of the early Middle English forms; the shortening of ǽ to ă in the first element of a compound is normal. The Old English stǽl(the quantity of which is certain from the three occurrences in poetry) appears not to be immediately connected with the synonymous stæl with short vowel (dat. stale); according to some scholars it represents a contraction of Old Teutonic *staþl- or *stađl-, the relation of Old English stǽl to staðol foundation being considered parallel with that of mǽl speech to the synonymous mæðel. The 13th century form staðelwurðe, occurring only once strongly confirms this view.
The early Middle English forms with medial e, stele-, steale-, stalewurðe are difficult to account for.“
EXAMPLE (for n.)
“… Such semblaunt to þat segge semly ho made
Wyth stille stollen countenaunce, þat stalworth to plese,
Þat al forwondered watz þe wyȝe, and wroth with hymseluen,
Bot he nolde not for his nurture nurne hir aȝaynez,
Bot dalt with hir al in daynté, how-se-euer þe dede turned
towrast. …”
From: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Author unknown; a late 14th-century chivalric romance in Middle English alliterative verse;
Edited by Sir Israel Gollancz through the Early English Text Society, 1940
Lexicophilia 