A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ As a fact, the Dictionary only contains a considerable number of such words as are most common, or (for some special reason) deserve notice; and it is at once conceded that it is but a small hand-book, which does not pretend to exhibit in all its fulness the extraordinarily copious vocabulary of our language at an important period of its history. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ The meanings of the words are given in modern English, directly after the Main Word. The variant forms, as given in their alphabetical position, are frequently also explained, thus saving (in such cases) the trouble of a cross-reference, if the meaning of the word is alone required.An attempt is made in most cases to give the etymology, so far at least as to shew the immediate source of the Middle-English word. Especial pains have been taken with the words of French origin, which form so large a portion of the vocabulary of the Middle-English period. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Mätzner of Berlin, has only reached the end of the letter H; and it is probable that it will not be completed for many years. The only Middle-English Dictionary that has been carried on to the end of the alphabet is that by the late Dr. Stratmann, of Krefeld. This is a valuable work, and is indispensable for the more advanced student. However, the present work will still supply a deficiency, as it differs from Stratmann’s Dictionary in many particulars. We have chosen as our Main Words, where possible, the most typical of the forms or spellings of the period of Chaucer and Piers Plowman ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ The colon between two forms denotes that the two forms are phonetically equivalent, and that the form following this symbol is an earlier, more primitive form than the one preceding, without an immediate interborrowing between the languages being asserted; for instance, s.v. demen, the Goth. dómjan is an older form than the AS. déman, but déman is not borrowed from the Gothic. The abbreviation ‘cp.’ introduces other cognate forms, and has the same value as the symbol + in Skeat’s Dictionaries. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Un-, prefix (1) , has a negative force and is used before substantives, adjectives, and past participles; on-, B.—Goth. un-; cp. Gr. ἀν-. Un-, prefix (2) , expresses the reversal of an action, and is used before verbs; on-, S3.—Goth. and-; cp. Gr. ἀντι-. Un-, prefix (3) , until.—OS. und-. Cf. Oth. Un-aneomned, pp. unnamed, innumerable, S. Cf. A-nemnen. The word Anemnen does not occur in the Dictionary. The simple form is Nemnen. Un-auanced, pp. unpromoted, S2. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ The book’s two-column format resulted in a great many line-end hyphens. Most hyphenated words were unique, so the ordinary tests (“Is this word, or a structurally similar one, hyphenated on its other occurrences?”) could seldom be used.Line-end hyphens in cross-references (“see”, “see also”, “cf.”) were kept or omitted based on the form of the cross-referenced headword. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Typographical errors are shown in the text with mouse-hover popups. Most errors are trivial, such as missing or incorrect punctuation or misplaced italics. Variant abbreviations such as “O.H.G.” for “OHG.” have been regularized to the forms given in the Authorities and Language lists. The word “invisible” in corrections means that there is an appropriately sized blank space in the printed text. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Notable, adj. well-known, conspicuous, notorious, dazzling, WW.—OF. notable; Lat. notabilem. Note, sb. nut, S, S2, Voc.; nute, SkD. Comb.: not-heed, a head like a nut, C; note-muge, nutmeg, S2, C2; note-migge, Prompt.; nut-shale, nutshell, S3.—AS. hnutu. A better explanation of not-heed is ‘with the hair of the head closely cut.’ The verb to nott means to cut the hair close. ‘Tondre, to sheer, clip, cut, powle, nott’; Cotgrave. Note, sb. business, attempt, employment, labour, S, S2, WA; not, B.—AS. notu, use, employment. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Late Lat. retenuta (Ducange) . In F. retenue means ‘reserve, modesty’, and has become obsolete in the English sense of a ‘suite’, a body of attendants. Rethor, sb. orator, C, C2, Manip.—Late Lat. rhethor; Lat. rhetor; Gr. ῥήτωρ. Rethoryke, sb. rhetoric, C2; retoryke, PP; retoryk, PP.—Lat. rhetorica. Retten, v. to account, impute, C, H, Prompt., W; rectyn, Prompt.—AF. retter, reter, to accuse (pp. rette, rete) ; Lat. reputare see BH, § 153; by popular etymology Low Lat. rectare, ‘in jus vocare,’ rectatus, accused (Schmid) . Cf. A-retten. Reuful, adj. compassionate, S2; see Rewful. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Lat. hibernum, belonging to winter. Cp. Low Lat. vernachia (Ducange) . Vernicle, sb. a copy of the handkerchief of St. Veronica, S2, PP, C; vernakylle, Cath.; vernacle, HD.—Church Lat. veronicula, also veronica from Veronica, the traditional name of the woman who wiped the Saviour’s face (the word being popularly connected with uera icon, true likeness) ; Veronica is a form of Bernice, the traditional name of the woman who was cured of an issue of blood. Bernice or Berenice is a Macedonian form of Φερενίκη, bearer of victory. See F. veronique in Cotg. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ A second example will make this clearer. ‘Brant, adj. steep, high, MD, HD; brent, JD; brentest, superl. S2.—AS. brant (bront) ; cp. Swed. brant, Icel. brattr.’Omitting the etymology, the above information is given in two short lines. Those who possess the ‘Specimens of English’ will easily find the example of the superl. brentest. By consulting Mätzner’s, Halliwell’s, and Jamieson’s Dictionaries, further information can be obtained, and the full article will appear as follows:—‘Brant, adj. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Lat. quaterna (see Brachet) ; an etym. illustrated by the Fr. sea-term casernet, log-book, a deriv. of Lat. quaternum, see Diez, p. 755 (s.v. cahier) .—See Quair. Quarteroun, sb. a quarter, P, HD; quartrun, PP. Quat, Quað, pt. s. quoth, S; see Queðen. Quatriuials, sb. pl. the quadrivials, the quadrivium, the four higher sciences: astrology, geometry, arithmetic, music, S3 (14. 511) .—From Late Lat. quadrivium, the four mathematical sciences; in Lat. a place where four ways meet. Quave-mire, sb. quagmire, HD; quamier, DG. Quauen, v. to shake, S2, PP, Prompt. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Mayhew’s share of the work has been incomparably the larger, involving all that is most laborious. On the other hand, I may claim that much of the labour was mine also, at a much earlier stage, as having originally compiled or revised the glossaries marked S2, S3, C2, C3, W, W2, P, and G, as well as the very full glossarial indexes cited as B, PP, and WA, and the dictionary cited as SkD. The important glossary marked S was, however, originally the work of Dr. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Habide, v. to abide, resist, S2; see A-biden.Hagt. Dr. F. Holthausen suggests that this word means ‘danger, peril,’ comparing this ME. hagt with Icel. hætta which has the same meaning. Kluge connects this hætta with Gothic hāhan, to hang, so that it may mean radically ‘a state of being in suspense.’ The word must have come into England in the form *haht, before the assimilation of ht to tt. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Haten (2) , v. to be called; hoten, S, MD; hote, C; hatte, MD; het, MD; hight, MD; hiȝt, 1 pr. s., S2; hyȝt, pr. s., S2; hat, P; hattest, 2 pr. s., S; hatte, 1 pr. s., am called, S; pr. s., S2; hatte, pt. s., was called, S, MD; hette, MD; hete, MD; highte, C2; hæhte, S; hehte, S; hecht, S3; hyghte, S2; hiht, S2; hyȝt, S2; het, S, S2; hat, S2.—AS. hátan, pr. and pt. hátte; cp. Goth. haitada, I am called, see Sievers, 367. The forms of AS. Hátan (1) are often used by confusion in the place of the old passive forms. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Late Lat. canonista. Canoun, sb. a canon of a chapter, MD; kanun, S; chanoun, S, Voc., C3, G; chanon, C3.—OF. canone, canoine (chanoine) ; Church Lat. canonicum (acc.) one on the church-roll or list (canon) . Church Lat. canonicus did not mean originally ‘one on the church-roll or list,’ but one who was bound to observe a certain rule of life (canon, κανών) . OF. chanoine is not the precise equivalent of canonicum, but represents a Latin type *canonium. See Scheler’s Dict. (ed. 3) . Cant, adj. lively, brave, cheerful, MD, S2, JD. Cant, sb. a portion, S3; corner, SkD, ND.—OF. cant; cp. It. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Heremyte, sb. hermit, S2; heremites, pl., P; see Ermite.Hulpen. (To be placed more to the right.) Ich, adj. each, S, S2; see Eche.Ieden, pt. pl. went, S; see Eode.Joutes. For jutā read jūta. For other cognates of this wide-spread word, see Kluge (s.v. jauche) . See also s.v. käse, where Kluge remarks that Icel. ostr, cheese, and Finnish juusto, cheese, are etymologically connected with G. jauche, and Latin jus.Kepen. AS. cépan, to keep, should be kept quite distinct from AS. cýpan, to sell. AS. cýpan is the phonetic representative of OTeut. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Rost, sb. roast (meat) , PP; roste, PP. Phr.: rules the rost, takes the lead, domineers, S3, ND, NQ (6. 3. 170) , HD (s.v. rule-stone, SPD (s.v. roast) .—AF. rost, roste. Roste, v. to roast, C; y-rosted, pp., S3.—OF. rostir. Rote, sb. root, W2, PP, S2, C2; rot, S2; roote, a term in astrology, S2, C3; foot, C2; rutis, pl., S3; rotes, PP.—Icel. rót; the same word as AS. wrót, snout, ‘bruncus;’ see Voc. (cp. wrótan, to grub up) . Rote, sb. a musical instrument, C, HD, ND, SkD; roote, HD.—AF. rote; OHG. hrota; cp. Low Lat. chrotta, OIr. crot (Windisch) . Cf. Crowde. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ None, sb. the hour of ‘none,’ i.e. the ninth hour, 3 p.m., also noon, mid-day, S, PP; nowne, S3; noyne, B; non, S, S2, PP; noon, PP; nones, pl., the noon-tide meal, PP. Comb.: nun-mete, a noon meal, Prompt.; none-chenche, a noon-drinking, nunchion, SkD; noone-steede, place of noon, meridian, S3; non-tid, noon-tide, S.—AS. nón; Lat. nōna (hora) . Nones, in phr. for þe nones (for for þen ones) , i.e. for the once, for the nonce, for the occasion, S2, S3, C2; with the nones, on the condition, G. See Oones. Nonne, sb. nun, S2, C, C2, P; nunne, PP.—OF. nonne; Late Lat. nonna; cp. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Lat. falsum. Fals-hede, sb. falsehood, S3, C3; falset, S3. Falsien, v. to make false, MD; falsyn, Prompt.; falsed, pp., C2.—OF. falser (mod. fausser) ; Late Lat. falsare. Falsnessis, sb. pl. frauds, W2. Falten, v. to fail, to be wanting in, to stammer; falt, pr. s., S; fauten, pl., PP.—OF. *falter (whence F. faute) ; cp. It. faltare, freq. form of Lat. fallere. The form falt should be taken away from this article and placed under Folden. The words falt mi tunge mean ‘my tongue gives way.’ For the various meanings of this verb folden, see MD (ii. 68) . ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Lat. arsenicum; Gr. ἀρσενικόν, yellow orpiment, orig. the masculine, male, from ἄρσην, a male. Arskes, pl. newts, S2; see Ask. Arsmetike, sb. arithmetic, NED; arsmetrike, C.—OF. arismetique: Prov. arismetica; Lat. arithmetica; Gr. ἀριθμητική (τέχνη) , the art of counting. Arst, adj. and adv. superl. first, G, P; see Erst. Art, sb. a quarter of the heaven, point of the compass, NED, S3; airt, NED, JD; airth, NED; airtis, pl., S3.—Gael. ard; OIr. aird, top, height, point. Artou, art thou, S2; artow, S2, C2, C3. See Ert. Arwe, sb. arrow, NED; arewe, S2; arwes, pl. S2, C2, P; arewis, W2 ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Stobil, sb. stubble, W2; stobul, Prompt.—AF. stuble (Ps. 82. 12, Oxford Psalter) : Prov. estobla; OTeut. *stuppula; cp. OF. estoulle (Ps. 82. 13) , F. éteule; see Kluge (s.v. stoppel) , and BH, § 153. Stok, sb. stock, stem, trap, the stocks, PP, W2; stoc, S; stokke, PP; stocke, S3; stoke, S2; stokkes, pl., PP; stockis, S2; stokess, S.—AS. stocc. Prof. Napier maintains that the stokess of the Ormulum cannot be identified with AS. stocc, as the gemination of the consonant persists in the Ormulum. He suggests that stokess means ‘places,’ comparing the use of stoke in place-names, e.g. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Sours, sb. source, origin, C2; soaring, CM.—OF. sourse, a spring of water; Late Lat. sursa, a late pp. f. form from Lat. surgere (OF. sordre, pp. sors, sours) . Souse, v. to strike, dash, RD, SkD; souce, Spenser 1. See below. Souse, sb. the downward plunge of a bird of prey, RD. (Originally the same as Sours, used of a hawk’s flight.—W. W. S.) Soutere, sb. cobbler, S3; souter, PP; sowter, Cath., ND.—AS. sútere (Voc.) ; Lat. sutor. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Assay, sb. trial, experiment, an attempt, attack, tested quality, NED, S2, S3, C2, C3; asaie, W.—AF. assai (asai) : It. assaggio; Lat. exagium, a weighing, from ex-agere (exigere) , to weigh, prove, to drive out the tongue of the balance. Assayen, v. to examine, to attack, S2, S3, C2, P; asaien, W2; asayen, S3; assaied, pp., W.—AF. assayer (asayer) : It. assaggiare. Assemble, sb. assembly, P.—OF. asemblee. Assemblen, v. to bring together, to come together, NED; assembled, pp., C3.—OF. asembler; Lat. assimulare. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Voiden, v. to empty; voyden, to get rid of, C2; to expel, C; voidis, pr. s., S3; voyde, imp. pl., make room, S3; depart from, C2; voydeth, send away, C3; voyded, pt. s., S2; voidid, pp., made void, W.—AF. voider, to leave, OF. vuidier (Bartsch) . See above. Vokyte, sb. an advocate, Voc.; vocates, pl., PP.—Lat. aduocatus. Volage, adj. light of conduct, giddy, CM.—OF. volage, light (BH) ; Lat. uolaticum. Volageouss, adj. light of conduct, B. See above. Volatilis, sb. pl. birds (a misrendering of Lat. altilia) . W; so in the AS. version altilia is rendered by ‘fugelas’ ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Siouns, sb. pl. branches, W2; see Syon. Sipes, pl. ships, S; see Schip.Si-quar; see under Sið. Sire, sb. a prince, king, lord, father, master, a term used in addressing knights, kings, S, S2, P, G; syr, Prompt.—AF. sire (for *se’ior) ; Lat. senior, older; so F. pire; Lat. peior, worse. Sis, six, C2; see Sixe. Siser, sb. strong drink; see Sicer. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Idel, adj. idle, empty, useless, S; ydel, S, C2, P; idul, W. Phr.: an ydel, in vain, P; on idel, S.—AS. ídel; cp. OHG. ítal (Tatian) . Idelliche, adj. idly, SD; ydelly, C3. Idelnesse, sb. idleness, S; idelnisse, S2.—AS. idelnis. Idiote, sb. unlearned person, a man not holding public office, TG, PP; ydiot, W; ideot, Cotg.; ydiote, PP.—OF. idiot, one that hath no charge in a commonwealth, an unprofitable person, a ninny, a natural fool (Cotg.) ; Lat. idiota (Vulg.) ; Gr. ἰδιώτης, ignorant (NT) , lit. one occupied with τὰ ἴδια his private affairs, from ἴδιος, one’s own. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ OF. quidditatif, ‘quidditative, doubtful, full of quirks, contentions, wrangling’ (Cotg.) . Quik, adj. and adv. living, quick, flowing (of water) , S, S2, W; quic, S, S2; quek, S2; quyk, S3, W, W2; cwic, S; cwike, S; cwuce, S; quicke, S; quike, pl., S, S2; quyke, S, C; quycke, S3.—AS. cwic (cuc) ; cp. OHG. quek (Otfrid) . Quikie, v. to cause to revive, also, to be kindled, PP; quike, C3; quyke, C; cwikien, MD.—AS. cwician. Quikliche, adv. quickly, PP; quicliche, S2. Quiknen, v. to give life, to receive life, SkD; quykene, W, W2. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Raght, pp. reached, S2; see Rechen. Ragman, sb. a craven, the devil; rageman, PP; raggeman, PP.—Icel. ragr (for argr) , craven, cowardly. Ragman-roll, sb. the craven’s roll, a term in Scottish history, JD, ND; a game, HD; ragman’s rewe, a long jest, DG; ragmanrew, series, Manip. Hence ragman, a deed sealed, a papal bull, PP; ragemon, S2; rageman, a list, S3; ragman, a tedious story, JD; ragment, JD.—Cp. E. rigmarole. Rair, v. to roar, S3; see Roren. Raiss, pt. s. rose, S2; see Rysen. Rake, sb. only in compounds, as in erend-rake, messenger, SD.—AS. ǽrend-raca; cp. Icel. ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Sibbe, sb. and adj. peace, relationship, affinis, related, SD, S, P; sybbe, Prompt.; sib, S; syb, P. Comb.: sib-man, ‘affinis,’ HD; sib-nesse, affinity, SD; sib-reden, relationship, SD; sibrede, HD; sybrede, banns of matrimony, Prompt.; cybrede, Prompt.; sib-sum, peaceable, SD; sib-sumnesse, friendship, SD.—AS. sib (b) , peace, relationship: Goth. sibja; cp. OHG. sibba, peace (Tatian) , relationship (Otfrid) . ”
A. L. Mayhew, A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580
“ Peynen, v. reflex. to take pains, PP, S2, C2; peyned, pp., punished, W. Peynten, v. to paint, CM, PP; peynt, pp., S3, CM; peynted, C2; y-peynt, S3.—From OF. peint, pp. of peindre; Lat. pingere, see Brachet. Peynture, sb. picture, CM.—OF. peinture (AF. painture) . Phantasie, sb. fancy, S3.—Gr. φαντασία. Philautia, sb. explained ‘philosophy’, S3; philautie, self-love, ND.—Gr. φιλαυτία, self-love. Philosophre, sb. philosopher, C2, C3; philosophres, pl., C3; philosophers, PP.—OF. philosophe; Lat. philosophum (acc.) ; Gr. φιλόσοφος, a lover of wisdom. For the r added in the English word, cp. ”
