ETYMOLOGY
from Latin imperfectus (imperfect), after factious, etc.
EXAMPLE
“…Come hither thou Imperfecksious slaue in
Regard of thy beggery, holde thee theres
Twoshillings for thee? to pay for the
Healing of thy left legge which I meane
Furiously to inuade or to maime at the least. …”
From: A Pleasant Conceited Historie, called The Taming of a Shrew, 1594
ETYMOLOGY
from fore- (prefix) + mother, after forefather
EXAMPLE
“…Finallie the admirable humilitie, and inuincible patience and constancie in all aduersities and persecution euen to the death and martyrdome, of Iepthas daughter, Susanna, the mother of the seuen brethren, and women of the Machabites, and manie other: that looking in this glasse of the holie liues of their foremothers, they may christianlie conforme and adorne themselues after their good examples, and become for their rare vertues verie beautifull spouses in the fight of their spirituall bridegroome Iesus Christ: to whom, as the kings daughters, they may appeere all glorious within, …”
From: The Monument of Matrones Conteining Seuen Seuerall Lamps of Virginitie, or Distinct Ttreatises
Compiled by Thomas Bentley, 1582
ETYMOLOGY
from fool (n.) + -ify
EXAMPLE
“…But God in Justice doth so foolifie their malice, that in their opposition against our Saviour, they run most commonly into prodigious fooleries …”
From: The Acts and Monuments of the Church Before Christ Incarnate
By Richard Montagu, 1642
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin amplecti (to embrace, clasp), from amb- (about) + plectere (to plait, twine)
EXAMPLE
“...With what ioy Charles the people the amplect
Theyr ryght great ioyes done playnly testifye
Mixed with swete sownes of many a sect
Some sownyng trumpes and clarions wonders hye
Some other syngynge most melodiously
Some vpon lutes some vpon harpes play
The to reioyce in all that euer they may….”
From: Anonymous translation of Latin verses by William Lily, 1522
“Of the tryumphe and the verses that Charles th’emperour and the most myghty redouted kyng of England Henry_the_.viii. were saluted with passyng through London”
ETYMOLOGY
vb. 1: of uncertain origin
vb. 2, 3, 4: apparently from thrum (to press, to condense) + -le
vb. 5: apparently from thrum (to play on a stringed instrument) + -le
EXAMPLE (for vb.3)
“…PETER, quho was ever maist sudden, answers, and sayis: Thou art thrumbled and thrusted be the multitude, and ʒit thou speeris quha hes twitched thee, hee answers againe and he sayis, it is not that twitching that I speak of: It is ane vther kinde of twitching …”
From: Sermons vpon the Sacrament of the Lords Supper
By Robert Bruce, ?1591
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 Latin agilis (agile) + -ous
EXAMPLE
“…What is become of all these iugling gambalds, Apish deuises, with all the rest of your squint-eyed trickes? when as through your deepe studies, long practises, & apt bodies, both strong & agilious, you haue attained to the height of all these things. …”
From: Paradoxes of Defence wherein is proued the true grounds of fight to be in the short auncient weapons, and that the short sword hath aduantage of the long sword or long rapier
By George Silver, 1599
ETYMOLOGY
adj. 1.: from fog (fat, bloated) + -ish
adj. 2.: from fog (cloud of small water droplets that is near ground level) + -ish
EXAMPLE (for adj. 1.)
“…He that lyueth after the rules of phisike lyueth wretchedly. As thoughe it were an happynes and felicitie, the body to be swolen and stretched out with surfettyng, to be brasted with the pleasure of the body, to waxe foggyshe with drinkyng of good ale, & to be sepulte and drowned in slepe …”
From: Declamatio in Laudem Nobilissimæ Artis Medicinæ.
= A declamacion in the prayse and co[m]me[n]dation of the most hygh and excellent science of phisyke
By Desiderius Erasmus
Translated out of Latin into English, ?1537
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
ETYMOLOGY
adj.: from Latin exploratus past participle of explorare (to explore)
vb.: from Latin explōrāt- past participial stem of explorare (to explore)
EXAMPLE
“…The consideration whereof (most iudicious Men) though I looke not to be of that weigh with you, as to moue you actually to implant your selfs in our Catholicke Church; yet since you are wyse, learned, and loth (no dowbt) to commit any such explorate errours, as the force of Naturall Reason and your owne Consciences may freely check; I am in good hope, that the serious perusall of the poynts aboue disputed, will at least preuayle thus far with diuers of you; …”
From: The Converted Jew
By John Clare, a1628
Lexicophilia 