ETYMOLOGY
alteration of Latin lilium convallium (lily of the valleys), influenced by fancy
EXAMPLE
“…Of Liricumancie.
Liricumfancie, or as other iudge May Lilie, for resemblace alike: It hath his flowre verie white. In Greeke it is called Ephemeron, for his short continuance and daylie dying…”
From: A Greene Forest
By John Maplet, 1567
ETYMOLOGY
for int.: perhaps a mere ejaculation
for n. 2.: it has been compared with obsolete tyte tust(e) or obsolete tussemose (a nosegay)
EXAMPLE
“…And now I wil daunce, now wil I praunce,
For why I haue none other woork:
Snip snap Butter is no bone meat:
Knaues flesh is no Porke.
Hey tisty tosty an Ole is a bird,
Iack a napes hath an olde face:
You may beleeue me at one bare woord,
how like you this mery cace?…”
From: A Pleasant Enterlude, Intituled, Like Will to Like Quoth the Deuill to the Collier
By Ulpian Fulwell, 1568
ETYMOLOGY
from late Latin meliorat-, ppl. stem of meliorare, from Latin melior-, (melior better)
PRONUNCIATION
MEE-lee-uh-rayt
EXAMPLE
“…safe from all daungiers,beeyng proude therof not without cause, he would often saie: I found Roome made but of bricke, and I will leaue it of marble. Nothyng to a prince maye bee more magnificente or regall, then if the same dooe meliorate & bettre ye state of a dicion or royalme descended and come to his possession…”
From: Apophthegmes that is to saie, prompte, quicke, wittie and sentencious saiynges, of certain emperours, kynges, capitaines, philosophiers and oratours…
By Desiderius Erasmus
Translated by Nicholas Udall, 1542
ETYMOLOGY
from belly (n.) + cheer
EXAMPLE
“…so they would contynue, in case theyr ordinaries, Curates, & ministers were not trylers and hynderours therof, and if they were not seduced, and taught by sedicious earewhisperours contrary to the worde of God & the Kynges hyghnes mooste godly gracious procedinges, onely for pelfe , belycheare, ease and lucre. But take me not, that I meane all them to be triflers, hynderours, or sinistre resisters, that are ordinaries, curates or ministres…”
From: The Seconde Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus
By Desiderius Erasmus
Translated by John Olde, 1549
ETYMOLOGY
of uncertain origin;
perhaps from the Teutonic root flap and Old French frapillier (to be indignant, murmur)
EXAMPLE
“…Elixir vitae, and the precious Stone,
You know as well as how to make an Apple;
If’te come to the workinge then let you alone,
You know the coullers black brown bay and dapple,
Controwle you once then you begin to fraple.
Swearing and saying, what is fellow is this?
Yet still you worke but ever worke amisse…”
From: Sir Edward Kelle’s Worke,
In Elias Ashmole’s Theatrum Chemicum Brittanicum, 1652
ETYMOLOGY
Old English wrixlian, -an (to alter, change, exchange, etc.),
also ᵹewrixlian, altered form of ᵹewixlian, = Old Frisian wixlia, Old Saxon wehsalon, Old High German wehsalon (German wechseln)
EXAMPLE (for vb. 2)
“…Kynges, & knightes, & other kyde Dukes,
That the charge, & the chaunse hase of þis choise wer,
Thurgh oure might & oure monhod maintene to gedur!
What whylenes, or wanspede, wryxles our mynd?
Þat for meuyng of a man,—Menelay the kyng,—
And the wille of a woman, as ye weton all,
Oure londes haue leuyt, & oure lefe godys…”
From: Destruction of Troy,
The gest hystoriale of the destruction of Troy,
An alliterative romance translated from Guido de Colonna’s Hystoria Troiana
ETYMOLOGY
of uncertain origin;
possibly from bum (to give a beating to, especially as a punishment) + feague (to beat, to whip)
EXAMPLE
“…I wil presently proue both maior and minor of this sillogisme. And hold my cloake there sombody, that I may go roundly to worke. For ise so bumfeg the Cooper, as he had bin better to haue hooped halfe the tubbes in Winchester, then write against my worships pistles…”
From: The Marprelate Tracts
‘Penned and compiled by Martin the Metropolitane’
Hay Any Worke for Cooper, 1523
ETYMOLOGY
of uncertain origin;
apparently formed on quink = Old English cwincan (to go out, be extinguished)
EXAMPLE
“…The lycht begouth to quynkill owt and faill,
The day to dyrkyn, decline, and devaill;
The gummys rysis, doun fallis the donk rym,
Baith heyr and thair scuggis and schaddois dym…”
From: Translation of Virgil, Æneid
By Gawin Douglas, 1513
ETYMOLOGY
an imitative or expressive formation
EXAMPLE
“…Hoe! God, be here! on their bald, burnt, parchment pates. Pish, pish! what talke you of olde age or balde pates? Men and women that haue gone vnder the south pole, must lay of theyr furre night-caps in spyght of their teeth, and become yeomen of the vineger bottle…”
From: Pierce Penilesse, His Supplication to the Diuell
By Thomas Nashe, 1592
ETYMOLOGY
from merry (adj.) + thought (n.)
‘The name alludes to the custom of two persons pulling the furcula of a fowl until it breaks; according to the popular notion, the one who gets the longer (in some districts, the shorter) piece will either be married sooner than the other, or will gain the fulfilment of any wish he may form at the moment.‘
EXAMPLE
“…Fetherstone. O youle make her sicker then.
Greeneshield. I warrant you; would all women thought no more hurt then thou doost now, sweet villaine, Kate, Kate.
Kate. I longd for the merry thought of a phesant.
Greeneshield. She talkes in her sleepe….”
From: North-ward Hoe
By Thomas Dekker & John Webster, 1607
Lexicophilia 