Tag: 1600 – 1699

Word of the Day: CLUNCH-FISTED

ETYMOLOGY
from clunch (to clench) + fist + -ed

EXAMPLE
“…He (that is, He that will confesse Abraham to have paid no other tithes then, Heb. 7. 4.) delivers to the world, Abraham to Godward, to have been piteously penurious. That of his dues to Religion he was a niggardly Micher: That he was an Abraham clunchfisted, and all that this way went he thought it onely wast: that the good child Judas, that he did, he did learn of his Father Abraham, Quorsum perditio haec?…”

From: A Discourse of Proper Sacrifice
By Edward Dering, 1644

Word of the Day: VINOMADEFIED

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin vinum (wine) + madefieri (to be soaked) + -ed

EXAMPLE
“…The Prince unwilling to miss of his mark, and not having in all the quivers of his reason one shaft wherewith to hit it, resolved to interpose some authority with his argumentations, and where the foxes skin could not serve, to make use of the Lyons: to the prosecuting of which intent, he with his vinomadefied retinue, resolved to press in upon the Page, and, maugre his will, to get up staires, and take their fortune in the quest of the Chamber they aimed at: for albeit the stradling as wide as he could, of pretty Pomponacio at the door whereat they made account to force their passage, did for a while retard their designe, …”

From: Εκσκυβαλαυρον, Ekskybalauron: or, The Discovery of a Most Exquisite Jewel, more precious then diamonds inchased in gold, the like whereof was never seen in any age
By Thomas Urquhart, 1652

Word of the Day: QUADRAGENARIOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin quadragenarius (forty years old) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“…Tis my fancy that, having won for himself a fortune, he went on in the same resistless way and won for himself a wife: “taking the biggest,” as usual, by cutting out valiantly from under the guns of a dozen rivals some stout buxom widow suited to his estate and to his medium years – one of those plumply mellow quadrigenarious bodies who especially appeal to the vigorous and well-salted emotion which with sailor-men stands for love …”

From: Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, February, 1895
‘New York Colonial Privateers’, By Thomas A. Janvier

Word of the Day: EXPLORATE

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

Word of the Day: DEROGANT

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin derogantem, present participle of derogare (to derogate)

EXAMPLE
“…If they could foresee future things, they would bragge themselues equall to God: But Secret things belong to GOD, reuealed to vs. The other is both arrogant in man, and derogant to God. And Greg. sayes well: If such a Starre be a Mans Destenie, then is Man made for the Starres, not the Starres for Man. The Diuels know not future euents: and will these boast it? …”

From: The Sacrifice of Thankefulnesse
A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse
By Thomas Adams, 1616

Word of the Day: LONGITY

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin longitas (length, long duration), from longus (long) + -tas (-ty)

EXAMPLE
“…And had not this beene: yet if your brevity (which is but a shuffling colour, to make shewe of some things which are not) had beene turned into one yeeres or seaven yeeres longity, you could not have shewed, that in substantiall points of faith there was variace among vs. And therfore for that matter you do wel to do as you do, that is, put vp your pipes & make no more noise. …”

From: The Reasons vvhich Doctour Hill hath brought, for the Vpholding of Papistry, which is falselie termed the Catholike religion: Vnmasked and Shewed to be very weake, and vpon examination most insufficient for that purpose.
By George Abbot, 1604

Word of the Day: AFFIANTLY

ETYMOLOGY
apparently from affy (to trust in someone or something) + – ant + ‑ly 

EXAMPLE
“…St. John saith expressely, Jesus did many things which are not written. Indeed we may chuse whether we will affiantly beleeve any thing that is not written; but to say positively, It never was, because it is not written, is unworthy Hieromes learning, and is elsewhere by him rejected, out of the humour of opposition. …”

From: The Acts and Monuments of the Church Before Christ Incarnate
By Richard Montagu, 1642

Word of the Day: FEROCIENT

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin ferocientem, present participle of ferocire (to be fierce) , from ferox (fierce)

EXAMPLE
“…November 18 about four in the morning a lamentable fire seised upon the Lord Wimbletons house in the Strand, it being then the lodging of the States Lieger Ambassador, which consumed and demolisht it with all the rich furniture and utensils to the ground; so ferocient and impetuous it was, as the Ambassadour, his wife and children hardly, though half naked, escaped; all their other apparel, Jewels, money, &c. yea even the Commission it self perisht in the combustion…“

From: The Reign of King Charles
By Hamon L’Estrange, 1655

Word of the Day: DUBITABLE

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin dubitabilis, from dubitare (to doubt)

EXAMPLE
“…Has my goodneesse,
Clemency, loue, and fauour gracious rays’d thee
From a condition next to popular labour,
Tooke thee from all the dubitable hazards
Of Fortune her most vnsecure aduentures?
And grafted thee into a branch of honour,
And dost thou fal from the top bough by the rottennes
Of thy alone corruption, like a fruite
That’s ouer-ripned by the beames of fauour,
Let thy owne weight reward thee, I haue forgot thee, …”

From: A Game at Chæss as it was acted nine dayes to gether at the Globe on the banks side
By Thomas Middleton, 1625

Word of the Day: DIGLADIATE

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin digladiari from di-, dis- (asunder, in different directions) + gladius (a sword)

EXAMPLE
“…For what else are the Writings of many men, but mutual Pasquils and Satyrs against each others lives, wherein digladiating like Eschines and Demosthenes, they reciprocally lay open each others filthiness to the view and scorn of the world. The fear therefore of being stained, and publickly disgraced, might be reason enough to keep them back from entring these contentions. …”

From: Golden Remains of the Ever Memorable Mr. John Hales
By John Hales, 1659