Tag: 1600 – 1699

Word of the Day: PETULCOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin petulcus (inclined to butt, butting, wanton, frisky);
(from petĕre – to aim at, assail + -ulcus (suffix forming adjectives) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“…But what does the Pape or Christian Pastour do in this case When the tumult is once raised and a disorder begun in any part of his flock by som proud turbulent spirit amongst them, the Pape first whistles him and his fellow petulcous rams into order by charitable admonition which still encreases lowder by degrees…”

From: Fiat Lux:
Or, A general Conduct to a right understanding and charity in the great Combustions and Broils about Religion here in England, Betwixt Papist and Protestant, Presbyterian and Independent
By John Baptist Vincent Canes

Word of the Day: NEFANDOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin nefandus (wicked, impious, abominable),
from ne- (not) + fandus (‘to be spoken’), gerundive of fārī (to speak) + -ous 

EXAMPLE
“…and it was for such things that savourd of a forreign clyme, and of some soft Levantine spirit rather than of a Druinian; there was a complication of many nefandous crimes, Sodomy and rap met in him with other base libidinous acts, and those displayed and prov’d with hatefull and horrid circumstances…”

From: Δενδρολογια.
Dodona’s Grove, Or The Vocall Forest
By James Howell, 1649

Word of the Day: KICKIE-WICKIE

ETYMOLOGY
apparently a humorous formation of kicksey-winsey (a whim or erratic fancy)

EXAMPLE
“…Parolles. I that would be knowne: too’th warrs my boy, too’th warres: He weares his honor in a boxe vnseene, That hugges his kickie wickie heare at home, Spending his manlie marrow in her armes Which should sustaine the bound and high curuet Of Marses fierie steed: to other Regions, France is a stable, wee that dwell in’t Iades, Therefore too’th warre…”

From: All’s Well that Ends Well
By William Shakespeare, a1616

Word of the Day: EXULANT

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin ex(s)ulantem, present participle of ex(s)ulare (to be in exile

EXAMPLE
“…This Emperor made his brother Heraclius a Generall, whom he sent into the East against the Agarens with a powerfull Army. He endeavoured to put Iustinian to death who was now exulant in Cersonia: but notwithstanding all his plots to that purpose, he prevailed nothing, not could he bring his intent to any effect…”

From: The lives of all the Roman emperors being exactly collected,
from Iulius Cæsar, unto the now reigning Ferdinand the second
– Giovanni Antonio de Paoli 
Translated by Robert Basset, 1636

Word of the Day: MACTATE

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin mactat-, past participial stem of mactare (to slay, to honour with sacrifice)

EXAMPLE
“…As has been shown, it is historically true that a vulgar opinion to the effect that CHRIST was separately mactated in the sacrifices of masses prevailed at the time of the Reformation, which opinion being perfectly analogous to that which the Apostle combats, nothing could be more appropriate than to quote his teaching in condemnation of it…”

From: Answers for the Right Rev. Dr. Alexander Penrose Forbes,
Bishop of Brechin
To the Presentment Against Him
William Henderson, 1860