ETYMOLOGY
of origin uncertain
EXAMPLE (for n.1.)
“… And as for Ser John Hevenyngham, Ser John Wyndefeld, and othere wurchepfull men ben mad but here doggeboltes, the which I suppose wull turne hem to diswurchep here-after…”
From: Paston Letters and Papers of the fifteenth century
Edited by Norman Davis, Richard Beadle, and Colin Richmond, 2004
Letter from Margaret Paston to John Paston, 1465
ETYMOLOGY
from Anglo-Norman aidaunt, aydaunt, and from Anglo-Norman and French aidant (helping, and helper, ally), present participle of aider (to aid)
EXAMPLE (for adj.)
“… All blest secrets all you vnpublisht vertues of the earth,
Spring with my teares beaydant (be aydant) and remediat,
In the good mans distresse, seeke, seeke, for him,
Lest his vngouernd rage dissolue the life.
That wants the meanes to lead it. …”
From: True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and his three daughters
By William Shakespeare, 1608
ETYMOLOGY
from slidder (to slide, to slip) + -y
EXAMPLE (for adj. 3)
“… Full slyddrie is the sait that thay on sit,
And for thair fault till Hell sune sall thay flit,
For suddanlie thay sall die with mischeif,
Thair distructioun salbe without releif. …”
From: A compendious book of godly and spiritual songs : commonly known as ‘The gude and godlie ballatis’
By John Wedderburn , Robert Wedderburn
Reprinted from the edition of 1567
Edited by Alexander Ferrier Mitchell, 1897
Quam bonus Deus Israell. Psal. lxxiij
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin Jovius, from Jovis (Jove, poetical equivalent of Jupiter, name of the highest deity of the ancient Romans)
EXAMPLE
“… ‘And now I lepe louy pe [merry foot.] ;
Now I sterte, & now I ffle.
Selde abydyng in O thouht,
Al daungerous I sette at nouht, …”
From: The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man
English by John Lydgate, 1426,
from the French of Guillaume de Deguileville
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin obmiss-, participial stem of obmittere, late spelling of omittere (to omit)
EXAMPLE
“… but to thende that eny gaynsaynge sholde be Imputed ayenst me to haue obmyssed for to dyscute som of the condycyons and euyll operacyons of the cursed proserpyne …”
From: Caxton’s Eneydos, 1490
English from the French Liure Des Eneydes, 1483
Edited by W.T. Culley, and F.J. Furnivall, 1890
ETYMOLOGY
from Old French fruiss- lengthened stem of fruir (to enjoy),
from Latin *fruire (classical Latin frui deponent vb.)
EXAMPLE
“… I may not fruisshe tho iocunde clippinges that are redy to holy spirites. …”
From: The earliest English translation of the first three books of the De Imitatione Christi
By Thomas à Kempis, c1425
ETYMOLOGY
First introduced in the fig. n.1; from French evagation, Latin evagationem, noun of action from evagari, from e (out) + vagari (to wander)
EXAMPLE (for noun 1)
“… Clarefie me with fy clernesse of euerlastinge lijt, and bringe oute of fe liabitacle of myn herte aH maner of derkenes. Restreyne all euel evagacions & all miȝty temptacions. …”
From: The earliest English translation of the first three books of the De imitatione Christi
By Thomas à Kempis, c1425
ETYMOLOGY
from Middle French ravisable, ravissable (greedy, rapacious, predatory)
EXAMPLE
“…Outward, lambren semen we,
Fulle of goodnesse and of pitee,
And inward we, withouten fable,
Ben gredy wolves ravysable. …”
From: The Romaunt of the Rose
By Geoffrey Chaucer, a1425
ETYMOLOGY
from pinch- (comb. form) + penny
EXAMPLE
“… A prince & kyng of al a regioun
Mot avarice thrist a-doune to grounde;
To hym þat lith in helle depe I-bounde,
The, auarice, by-take I to kepe;
Thow pynepeny, [pynchepeny] ther ay mot þou slepe! …”
From: Hoccleve’s Works,
Edited by Frederick J. Furnivall, 1892
De Regimine Principum
By Thomas Hoccleve, Composed c1412
ETYMOLOGY
from Old French solacieus (soulaceus, etc.),
from solas (solace, comfort, consolation)
EXAMPLE
“… þou allone most swete & most solacious, þou allone most faire & most louely, þou allone most noble and most gloriose, …”
From: Translation of Thomas à Kempis, De Imitatione Christi, c1450
Lexicophilia 