Word of the Day: CYPRIAN


ETYMOLOGY
from Latin Cyprius (of Cyprus) + -an;
in French cyprien


EXAMPLE
“…Shall Curio streake his lims on his dayes couch,
In Sommer bower? and with bare groping touch
Incense his lust, consuming all the yeere
In  Cyprian dalliance, and in Belgick cheere?
Shall Faunus spend a hundred gallions,
Of Goates pure milke, to laue his stallions,
As much Rose iuyce? O bath! ô royall, rich
To scower Faunus, and his salt proude bitch!
…”

From: The Scourge of Villanie
By John Marston, 1598

Word of the Day: CHARITATIVE


ETYMOLOGY
from Old French charitatif-ivecaritatif-ive, medieval Latin caritativus (charitable)


EXAMPLE
“…And  for  that  this  only  controversy  is  the  cause  of  this visitation,  I  do  mean  that  it  shall  be  merely  charitative,  and not  to  burden  the  clergy  of  any  procurations  as  yet;  and withal  not  to  trouble  your  lordship  much  longer  about  this matter  there,  than  you  shall  be  occasioned  otherwise  to  tarry for  the  speeding  of  the  visitation  of  the  church…”

From: The Remains of Edmund Grindal, 1843

Word of the Day: MUBBLE FUBBLES


ETYMOLOGY
of uncertain origin; possibly imitative


EXAMPLE
“…for there is no more sullen beast, than a he drab. Ile make him pull his powting croscloath over his beetle browes for melancholie, and then my next booke, shall be Martin in his mubble fubbles…”

From: Pappe with a Hatchet: 
Being a Reply to Martin Mar-prelate 
By John Lyly, 1589

Word of the Day: TREMEBUND


ETYMOLOGY
from Latin tremebundus (trembling), from tremere (to tremble)


EXAMPLE
“…Thay tak delyt in martiall deidis,
And are of nature tremebund,
Thay wald men nurist all thair neidis,
Syne confortles lattis thame cnfound:
So find I thair affectioun
Contrair thair awin complexioun…”

From: Chronicle of Scottish Poetry,
From the Thirteen Century to the
By James Sibbald, 1802
Of Wemen-kind, By Alexander Scott, c1560

Word of the Day: VAFROUS


ETYMOLOGY
from Latin vafervafr- (sly, cunning, crafty) + -ous


EXAMPLE
“…thinkyng surely that they for the most part, would neuer cosent & longe agree with the Englishmen, accordyng to their olde vaffrous varietie: wherfore least ye he should offend or ministre cause of occasio to them (as in dede all me were not his frendes in Scotlad at that tyme) he desired y Ambassadours to cosent w truce & abstinece of warre for suen yeres…”

From: The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre [and] Yorke
By Edward Hall, 1548

Word of the Day: SMARTFUL


ETYMOLOGY
from smart (sharp physical pain) + -ful


EXAMPLE
“…What kind harted husband: can se his kind wife,
In like carefull case, without wo at his hart.
What naturall father can se: for his life,
His naturall childerne, in dread quake and start.
Without his hart smarting, in most smartfull smart.
I thinke, ye thinke none: and euin so thinke I.
Meruell not then: though the spider be toucht nie…”

From: The Spider and the Flie 
By John Heywood, 1556

Word of the Day: PERIPATICIAN


ETYMOLOGY
shortened from Middle French peripateticien, from peripateticus (a person who walks about, a traveller; also, moving about from place to place) + French -ien (-ian)


EXAMPLE
“…Yet certes Moecha is a Platonist,
To all, they say, but whoso do not list;
Because her husband, a far traffick’d man,
Is a profest Peripatecian…”

From: Virgidemiarum. The Three Last Bookes
By Joseph Hall, 1598

Word of the Day: OPITULATION


ETYMOLOGY
from Latin opitulari (to bring aid, to assist), from opem (aid) + tul- (to bring)


EXAMPLE
“…The excellence of this boocke, hath therfore, incitatede, & as it vveare copellede me to vse this audacitye (in signe of gratitude, for soe manye, & innumerable benefites, vvhich next after God, of your Royall Mtye. through your continualle ayde, & opitulatione vve reape) humblelye to presente, and dedicate this verye necessarye boocke…”

From: The Frenche Chirurgerye, or All the Manualle Operations of Chirurgerye
By Jacques Guillemeau,
Translated out of Dutch into English, by A.M., 1598