Tag: 1500 – 1599

Word of the Day: OMNISCIOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin omniscius all-knowing, from omni- + scire (to know) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“… Schoolemen may phantastically dreame, or philosophically discourse of new Adams, Salomons, and diuers putatiue wisemen, euen in that omniscious, and omnisufficient veine: but I wis such blacke Swans are very rare birds: and true prophets in the rightest, purest, and diuinest kinde, euen full as rare, or percase rarer, than they: as may haply be discussed more fully, and exactly, at more conuenient leisure. …”

From: A Discoursiue Probleme concerning Prophesies how far they are to be valued, or credited, according to the surest rules, and directions in diuinitie, philosophie, astrologie, and other learning;
By John Harvey, 1588

Word of the Day: TIB

ETYMOLOGY
perhaps the same as Tib, a shortened hypocoristic form of the female name Isabel; now rather rude or slighting (except playfully);
also with dim. -y or -ie, Tibbie, a common female name in the north

EXAMPLE
“… .Trupeny. Mary then prickmedaintie come toste me a fig,
Who shall then know our Tib Talke apace trow ye?

An. Alyface. And why not Annot Alyface as fyne as she?

Trupeny. And what had Tom Trupeny, a father or none?

An. Alyface. Then our prety newe come man will looke to be one …”

From: Ralph Roister Doister 
By Nicholas Udall, a1556

Word of the Day: DUREFUL

ETYMOLOGY
from dure (to last, continue in existence) + -ful

EXAMPLE
“… Be nought dismayd that her vnmoued mind,
doth still persist in her rebellious pride:
such loue not lyke to lusts of baser kynd,
the harder wonne, the firmer will abide.
The durefull Oake, whose sap is not yet dride,
is long ere it conceiue the kindling fyre:
but when it once doth burne, it doth diuide
great heat, and makes his flames to heauen aspire. …”

From: Amoretti vi, in Amoretti and Epithalamion 
By Edmund Spenser, 1595

Word of the Day: POTATIVE

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin potat-, past participial stem of potare (to drink) + ‑ive

EXAMPLE
“… desireth to cure these or such like infectious diseases, must chiefly prepare and season the body with waters of cold and naturall hearbes, in the first and second degree, be­fore the disease be possessed: then foorthwith flux the body, by some gentle and potatiue electuarie, in equall and artificial de­gree, fauourably casting out the infected humours. …”

From: The Flower of Phisicke
VVherein is perfectlie comprehended a true introduction and method for mans assured health
By William Clever, 1590

Word of the Day: NIDDICK

also NEDDICK, NIDDOCK, NODDOCKE, NUDDICK, NUDDOCK

ETYMOLOGY
of unknown origin

EXAMPLE
“… Like Almain rutters, borespeares longe they whirle, or foynyng forks,
Their nuddockes bolstred ben, and skulles of heads with barkes of corks
Thei shine with brasen sheeldes, thei shine with swords, & rapiers bright.
And thée to warres thy countrey Nursa sent, O noble knight,
O Vfens, much renowmed both of déedes, and great good chaunce,
Whose mountayne people strong, with practise longe of sworde & launce,
And huntyng still in woods, and breakyng clottes ben hard of flesh …”

From: The whole .xii. Bookes of the Æneidos of Virgill
Translated by Thomas Phaer, 1558

Word of the Day: LION’S TOOTH

also LION’S TEETH

ETYMOLOGY
from the French Dent de lion (lion’s tooth) (Latin Dens leonis)

EXAMPLE
“… It is temperate, cold, and drye with Roses and Uineger tepered togeather, it helpeth the hed in hotte diseases, the sowthistle called Sonchos hath ye same vertue & so hath Cicory: if they be sodden, the loose the belly & quencheth heat which burneth in the stomacke and defendeth the head from hot smoking vapoures, and purgeth yellow choller, and rebateth venerous & fleshly heat, & is good to be sodden & dronk in hote burning Agues: though this herbe be commonly knowen and counted of many as a vile wede, yet it is reported of Dioscorides to be an excellent herbe, & is called Lyons teeth. …”

From: Bulleins Bulwarke of Defence against all Sicknesse, Soarenesse, and VVoundes that doe dayly assaulte mankinde
By William Bullein, 1562
“The Booke of Simples”

Word of the Day: EXITIABLE

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin exitiabilis (causing or bringing death or destruction, fatal, deadly),
from exitium (a going out, destruction) + -abilis (-able) 

EXAMPLE
“… But this is very necessarye to be knowen, after what sorte he handled themperoure, when he toke thaigle by the throte? In the time of Iohan the .xii. and Otto the firste there was stablyshed a greuouse intollerable, hurtefull and exitiable othe to all thempire, to be sworne of all emperours in this maner. …”

From: The Beginning and Endynge of all Popery, or Popishe Lyngedome
By Walter Lynne, 1548

Word of the Day: DRUMBELO

also DROMMELL, DROMOS (plural), DRUMBLE (Eng. dial.), DRUMMIL (Eng. dial.)

ETYMOLOGY
possibly from dialect drumble (to talk meaninglessly or monotonously, to blather or ramble)

EXAMPLE
“… This before remēbred ſupplicatiō was attentiuely noted & much feared, amongſt ye curſed companie of drouſie dreaming Dromos, I mean Baals Baldons yt mungrel Maſſalians & cruel churchrobbers whome it touched moſt in effect, in ſo muche that the groſſe Goſpeller, Ethnike Epicures, beaſtly bellygods, wicked worldlyngs and ſpirituall ſhauelyngs, were fallen in a pelting chafe, the bloudy Biſhoppes broyled, the cullionly Cardinalles coured, the proude Priours frouned, the fat Abbots ſwet, the pore Friers curſed, the white Chanons chafed, the poore Nunnes puled like Puttockes, in concluſion, all the ſectarie Sathaniſts were ſore diſpleaſed …”

From: Polybius
The Hystories of the most Famous and Worthy Cronographer Polybius discoursing of the Warres betwixt the Romanes and Carthaginenses
Translated by C. Watson, 1568

Word of the Day: MULLIGRUBS

also MA-LE-GRUBBLES, MOULDY-GRUBS, MULLEYGRUBS, 
MULLIEGRUMS, MULLIGRUMPHS (Sc.), MULLYGRUBS

ETYMOLOGY
alteration (probably influenced by grub) of earlier mulliegrums, perhaps alteration (perhaps influenced by obsolete English mully (dusty, mouldy), from English mull + -y) of megrims (low spirits) 

EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“… Hee was as good as his word, and had no sooner spoke the worde, but he did as he spoke. with a heauy heart to the pallace the yeoman of the mouth departed, and rehearsed this second il successe, wherwith Peters successour was so in his mulliegrums that he had thought to haue buffeted him, & cursed him with bell, book, & cndle ; but he ruled his reaso[n], & bad him, thgh it cost a million, to let him haue that third that rested behind, and hie him expeditely thither, lest some other snatched it vp, and as fast from thence againe, for hee swore by his triple crowne, no crumme of refection woulde he gnaw vpon, till he had sweetened his lippes with it. …”

From: Lenten Stuffe
By Thomas Nashe, 1599
“The Praise of the Red Herring”