Geoffrey Chaucer

“ I goon, may I still go, may I still retain the power to walk, F 777; So moot (or mote) I thee, as I may thrive, as I hope to thrive, C 309, D 361; As ever mote I, A 832, D 194; Foule moot thee falle, ill may it befall thee, H 40 ”

“ Aries, the first sign in the zodiac, A 8, F 386.
Rammish, adj. ramlike, strong-scented, G 887. Cf. Icel. ramr, strong, fetid; which is probably related to A.S. ramm, a ram.
Rampeth, pr. s. (lit. ramps, romps, rears, but here) rages, acts with violence, B 3094. We should now say—'She flies in my face.' The following quotation, in which rampe means an ill-conditioned woman, a romp, is much to the purpose. ”

“ Paráge, s. kindred, birth, D 250; rank, D 1120. 'Parage, famille, parenté, noble naissance'; Godefroy.
Paraments, pl. mantles, splendid clothing, A 2501. 'Parement, Parament, parure, vêtement, et, en particulier, habit, long et riche manteau en forme de dalmatique que l'on posait sur l'armure dans les grandes solennités ou dans les combats'; Godefroy. See Parements.
Paramour (for par amour) , adv. for love, B 2033; longingly, B 1933; with devotion, A 1155; Paramours, passionately, T. v. 332; A 2112; with excessive devotion, L 260 a (see note) ; by way of passionate love, T. v. 158 ”

“ Pighte, pt. s. refl. pitched, fell, A 2689; pt. s. subj. should pierce, should stab, 1. 163 (but this is almost certainly an error for prighte, pt. s. subj. of prikke. There is absolutely no authority for assigning to pighte the sense of 'piercing,' beyond a similar error (in several MSS.) in F 418) . ”

“ Icel. hlaða.
Latin, s. Latin, B 519.
Latis, s. lattice, T. ii. 615. (Many MSS. have gates; see note.)
Latitude, s. (1) breadth, A. i. 21. 27; (2) the breadth of a climate, or a line along which such breadth is measured, A. ii. 39. 19; (3) astronomical, the angular distance of any body from the ecliptic, measured along a great circle at right angles to the ecliptic, A. pr. 71; (4) terrestrial, the distance of a place N. or S. of the equator, A. ii. 39. 24; B 13, E 1797.
Latoun, s. latten, a compound metal, like pinchbeck, containing chiefly copper and zinc, A 699, 3251, C 351, F 1245 ”

“ Plentevous, adj. plentiful, A 344; plenteous, B 1. p 1. 40; B 2. p 1. 78; Plentevouse (for Plentevous, before a vowel) , B 1. m 2. 17; Plentivous, adj. fruitful, B 3. m 1. 1. 'Plentivos, plentevous, habondant, fertile, riche': Godefroy. ”

“ Du. kwaad; M. Du. quad. 'Een quade boom brengt voort quade vruchten,' a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit; Matt. vii. 17; in Dutch New Test., A.D. 1700. 'Quaet jaer; Ger. schwarz jahr; Ital. mat anno; Fr. maitvaise année. "Wat quaet jaer! hoe zuldi hu ghelaten?"—Het Spel van de V vroede en van de V dwaesen Maegden. ”

“ Remuable (1) , adj. changeable, variable, T. iv. 1682. O. F. remuable; where muable is from Lat. mutabilis: see Godefroy. (See below.)
Remuable (2) , adj. capable of motion (Lat. mobilibus) , B 5. p 5. 23. ”

“ Orizon rectum, or right horizon, A. ii. 26. 21. This means the horizon of any place situate on the equator, which could be represented by a straight line upon a disc or 'table' of the astrolabe.
Orloge, s. clock, 5. 350; Orlogge, B 4044. F. horloge.
Ornaments, pl. L. 1107; Ornamentes, E 258.
Orphelin, adj. orphaned, B 2. p 3. 21. F. orphelin.
Orpiment, s. orpiment, G 759, 774, 823. 'Orpiment, trisulphide of arsenic; it occurs in nature as an ore of arsenic, and is usually in combination with realgar, or red sulphuret of arsenic'; Webster. ”

“ Upon lyve, alive, T. ii. 1030; Of lyve, out of life, T. v. 1561; Bringe of lyve, cause to die, T. ii. 1608; My lyve, in my life, T. ii. 205; Of my lyve, in my life, 26. 48 (see vol. iv. p. xxxi) ; By thy lyf, during thy life, B 1621; Thy lyf, during thy lifetime, 17. 19; His lyve, in his life, T. v. 165, 436; L. 1099; His lyf, during his life, B 3369, E 1731; Hir lyve, in their life, D 392; Lyves, pl. B 3284, F 233; Lyves, gen pl. souls', lives', G 56. And see Lyves, adv.
Lyflode, s. means of living, I 685. Mod. E. livelihood. ”

“ It is the A.S. lira, flesh, muscle; Icel. lær, the thigh, the leg above the knee, the ham; Danish laar, the thigh. Halliwell gives: 'Lire (1) , flesh, meat; swynes lire [swine's flesh] , Ord. and Reg. p. 442; lyery, abounding with lean flesh; North of England ”

“ The infin. would be plicchen, variant of plukkien (A.S. pluccian) or plukken; cf. shrighte, prighte, twighte (all in Chaucer) .
Plighte (2) , 1 pr. s. plight, pledge, F 1537; Plighte, pt. s. L. 2466; D 1051; Plighten, pt. pl. L. 778; Plight, pp. plighted, pledged, 7. 227; T. iv. 1610; C 702; Plighte, imp. s. D 1009. A.S. plihtan. ”

“ Pax, s. the 'osculatorium,' or 'pax-brede,' a disk of metal or other substance, used at Mass for the 'kiss of peace,' I 407.
Pay, s. pleasure, 5. 271; 18. 70; more to pay, so as to give more satisfaction, 5. ”

“ Men, pl. of Man; also a weakened form of Man, in the sense of 'one,' or 'some one'; used with a singular verb; A 149, 1524, &c.; see Man.
Mena, error for Mene, I 11 n.
Mencioun, s. mention, 5. 29; A 893, B 3311, H 106; made of m., made mention of, B 54.
Mende, v. mend, T. v. 1426; 2 pr. pl. profit, gain, T. ii. 329.
Mendinants, pl. mendicant friars, D 1907, 1912. See note.
Mendite, for Me endyte, G 32 n.
Mene, adj. middle, B 3. m 9. 18; mean, A. ii. 44. 14 (see Mote) ; mene whyle, mean while, T. iii. 50; B 546, G 1262; of middle size, T. v. 806; Mene, adj. pl. intermediate, 7. ”

“ Lighte, pt. s. lighted; either in the sense (1) lightened, made light, made happy (see the note) ; or (2) illuminated, B 1661.
Lighte, v. alight, descend, HF. 508; pr. pt. alight, L. 1713; Lighte, pt. s. alighted, B 786, 1104, F 169, 1183, 1248; in th' alighte, alighted in thee, B 1660.
Lighten, v. shine, I 1037; shine out, B 3. m 11. 8; Lighted, pp. brightened, 1. 74; Light, pp. lighted, illuminated, L. 2506; Lighte, imp. s. illumine, G 71.
Lighter, adv. comp. more easily, more readily; The lighter merciable, more readily merciful on that account, L. 410. ”

“ Propretee, s. peculiarity, speciality, individuality, B 2. p 6. 70; peculiarity, 10. 69; characteristic, B 2364; quality, B 5. p 6. 48; peculiar possession, T. iv. 392; property, A. i. 21. 41; Propretees, pl. properties, A. i. 10. 5.
Proscripcioun, s. proscription, B 1. p 4. 174.
Prose, s. prose, L. 66, 425; B 96, I 46.
Prose, v. write in prose, 16. 41.
Prospectyves, s. pl. perspective-glasses, lenses, F 234. No doubt Chaucer here makes the usual distinction between reflecting mirrors and refracting lenses. ”

“ Rape, s. haste, 8. 7. Icel. hrap, a falling down.
Rape, v.; in phrase rape and renne, corrupted from an older phrase repen and rīnen (A.S. hrepian and hrīnan) , i.e. handle and touch, clutch and seize (see note) , G 1422. ”

“ Lyve; see Lyf.
Lyvely, adv. in a lively way, 3. 905. See Lyfly.
Lyves; see Lyf.
Lyves, adv. in life; hence, as adj. living, alive, T. iv. 252, 767; HF. 1063; A 2395, E 903, 1864; no lyves creature, no living creature, T. iii. 13. ”

“ Label, s. the narrow revolving rod or rule on the front of the astrolabe, A. i. 22. 1. See Fig. 6, in vol. iii.
Laborer, s. labourer, A 1409, 2025 n.
Láborous, adj. laborious, D 1428.
Labóur, s. labour, T. iv. 422; B 381; Lábour, 1. 106.
Labóure, ger. to toil, A 186; Lábouren, ger. to take pains, E 1631; Labóuren, 1 pr. pl. toil, D 1482; pr. pl. T. iii. 1265; Láboured, 1 pt. s. refl. toiled, took pains, T. iv. 1009; Labóured, pp. exercised, B 1298. ”

“ Pyke, v. (1) peep, T. iii. 60; ger. (2) , to pick at, T. ii. 1274; Pyketh, pr. s. (3) makes (himself) tidy or smooth, E 2011. F. piquer, 'to prick, pierce, or thrust into [hence, peep into] , ... to stiffen a coller': Cotgrave.
Pykepurs, s. pick-purse, A 1998.
Pyled, pp. peeled, bare, bald, A 4306. See Piled.
Pyn (pin) , the pin which passes through the central hole in the Astrolabe and its plates, A. i. 14. 1. See Pin. ”

“ Mister, s. trade, handicraft, occupation, A 613; need, R. 1426; Mester, occupation, A 1340; what m. men, men of what occupation, what sort of men, A 1710. See Mester.
Misterye, s. ministry, profession, I 895; Misterie, ministry, I 900. From Lat. ministerium.
Mistihede, s. mystery, 4. 224. M.E. misty, mystical, from F. mystique, 'mysticall': Cotgrave. ”

“ Placebo, vespers of the dead, so called from the initial word of the antiphon to the first psalm of the office (see Ps. cxiv. 9 in the Vulgate version) , I 617; a song of flattery, D 2075.
Plages, s. pl. regions, B 543; quarters of the compass, A. i. 5. 8, ii. 31. 11. Lat. plaga.
Plain, adj.; see Playn.
Plain, adv. plainly, clearly, B 990; Plein, B 886. See Playn.
Plane, s. plane-tree, A 2922; Planes, pl. R. 1384.
Plane, v.; Planed, pt. s. planed, made smooth, D 1758.
Planete (planéte, plánet) , s. planet, 3. 693, 823; T. iii. 1257; A. ii. 4. 9; Planetes, pl. A. pr. 77. ”

“ Pénible, adj. painstaking, B 3490; Peníble, painstaking, careful to please, E 714; Penýble, inured, D 1846. O.F. penible, 'en parlant des personnes, dur à la peine, infatigable'; Godefroy. 'Penible, painful, laborious'; Cotgrave. ”

“ Posseth, pr. s. pusheth, tosseth, L. 2420; Possed, pp. T. i. 415. F. pousser; Lat. pulsare.
Possessioners, s. pl. men who are endowed, D 1722.
Possessioun, s. possession, D 1200; large property, great possessions, wealth, F 686 ”

“ Las, s. lace, snare, entanglement, L. 600; A 1817, 1951; net, A 2389; Laas, lace, i.e. thick string, A 392; band, G 574; lace (i.e. laces) , R. 843; Lace, snare, entanglement, 18. 50. Compare 'Ge qui estoie pris où laz Où Amors les amans enlace': Rom. de la Rose, 15310.
Lash; see Lasshe.
Lasse, adj. comp. less, R. 118; A pr. 42; A 4409, C 602; lesser, A 1756; smaller, B 2262; less (time) , A 3519; lasse and more, smaller and greater, i.e. all, E 67; the lasse, the lesser, R. 187. See Lesse. ”

“ Ravisshing, adj. swift, violent, B 1. m 5. 3; enchanting, 5. 198; Ravisshinge, violent, B 2. m 2. 4; rapid, swift, B 4. m 6. 7; destroying (Lat. rapidos) , B 1. m 5. 40.
Ravyne, s. ravening, greediness, 5. 336; B 2. m 2. 10; ravin, prey, 5. 323; Ravynes, pl. plunderings, B 1. p 4. 51; Ravines, thefts, I 793. O.F. ravine, L. rapina.
Ravysedest, 2 p. s. pt. didst ravish, didst draw (down) , B 1659. See Ravisshe.
Rawe, adj. raw, I 900.
Rayed, pp. striped, 3. 252. Cf. rayé, 'streaked'; Cotgrave; from O.F. raie, Low Lat. radia. See Radiatus in Ducange, and Catholicon Anglicum, p. ”

“ Liveth, pr. s. A 1028; Liveden, pt. pl. lived, D 1877; Livinge, pres. pt. living, 22. 2, 52.
Livere (1) , s. liver, D 1839.
Livere (2) , s. liver (one who lives) , B 1024.
Liveree, s. livery, A 363.
Livinge, s. life-time, 7. 188; manner of life, C 107; state of life, G 322; Lyvinge, C 847.
Lixt, liest; see Lye (2) .
Lo, interj. lo! 1. 15, 18; A 3017; T. i. 302, 399, 469, 480, 514, 1049, &c. (Very common) .
Lode (lòòdə) , s. load, A 2918.
Lodemenage, s. pilotage, A 403. 'Lodemanage is the hire of a pilot, for conducting a ship from one place to another': Cowel, Law Dict. ”

“ Natal, adj. who presides over nativities, T. iii. 150. Compare the expression Iouem Genethlium in Jerome, as quoted in the note to Cant. Tales, D 677.
Nath (for ne hath) , pr. s. hath not, T. v. 1199; A 923.
Nathelees, nevertheless, A 35, 1832, 2473, B 621, C 813, G 717, I 91; Natheles, R. 1481; L. 4, 188; A. pr. 21; 2. 111; 5. 390.
Nativitee, s. nativity, birth, T. ii. 685; L. 2576; B 3206, F 45; Nativite, A. ii. 4. 44; Nativìtez, pl. A. ii. 4. 1.
Nature, s. nature, A 11; kind, race, 5. 615; seed, I 577; Nature of resoun, rational being, B 5. p 2. 7. ”

“ The insertion of excrescent p occurs after m in other words in Chaucer; as in solempne, dampne.
Lampes, pl. lamps, L. 2610; G 802.
Langáge, s. language, A 211, F 100.
Lange, adj. long (Northern) , A 4175. (Correctly lang, without e.) See Long.
Langóur, s. weakness, 1. 7; slow starvation, R. 214; B 3597; languishing, R. 304; Lángour, s. illness, sickness, R. 970; F 1101.
Languisshe, v. fail, HF. 2018; Languissheth, pr. s. languishes, E 1867, F 950; Languisshing, pres. pt. 5. 472; 7. 178. ”

“ Pomely, adj. marked with round spots like an apple, dappled, A 616; Pomely-gris, dapple-gray, G 559. Cotgrave has 'Gris pommelé, a dapple gray.' Also 'Pommelé, daple, or dapled; also round, or plump, as an apple.' Also 'Pommeler, to grow round or plump like an apple ”

“ Pardee (F. par Dieu) , a common oath, A 563, 3084, B 1977, C 240, E 1234, F 696; L. 508; Parde, 3. 721; 5. 509, 571; L. 16; B 3974, C 672; Pardieux, T. i. 197; Par dieux, T. ii. 759. Dieux is from Lat. Deus, nom.; dieu, from Deum, acc.
Pardoner, s. pardoner, seller of indulgences, A 543, 669; C 318; Pardoneer, C 932.
Pardoun, s. pardon, A 687, C 906; Pardon, C 927.
Paregal, adj. fully equal, T. v. 840. 'Parivel, Parigal, Paregal, tout à fait égal'; Godefroy. ”

“ Icel. lulla, to loll about; lullari, a sluggard.
Lomb, s. lamb, L. 1798; B 617. See Lamb.
Lond, s. land, A 194, 400, 579; B 127, 3225; country, B 3548; upon lond, in the country, A 702; Londe, dat. land, 7. 194; B 522, 2077, G 950.
Lone (lòònə) , s. dat. loan, B 1485; gift, grace, D 1861. The nom. form is lòòn. ”

“ Rouketh, pr. s. cowers, crouches, is huddled up, A 1308. Cf. Icel. hrūga, a heap; hrūga, to pile up; Dan. ruge, to brood. See rūken, in Stratmann.
Roule, v. gad (lit. roll) , D 653. Cf. F. rouler.
Roum, adj. roomy, spacious, A 4126; Rowm, large, wide, A. i. 2. 2. A.S. rūm.
Roum, s. room, space, L. 1999. A.S. rūm.
Roumer, adj. roomier, larger, A 4145.
Rouncy, s. a hackney, nag, A 390. O.F. roncin; cf. Span. rocin.
Round, adj. round; Rounde, pl. 9. 24; 12. 4. See Rond.
Rounde, adv. roundly, i.e. easily, with an easy (not jerky) motion, B 2076; Round (for Rounde before a vowel) , round, A. 589 ”

“ Percher, s. mortar, T. iv. 1245 n. (A kind of large wax-candle; see Nares and Halliwell.)
Percinge, s. piercing; for percinge = to prevent any piercing, B 2052.
Perdurable, adj. imperishable, B 1. p 1. 15; everlasting, eternal, B 1. m 5. 2; B 3. m 9. 2; B 2699, I 75, 119, 124; Perdurables, adj. pl. everlasting, I 811.
Perdurabletee, s. immortality, B 2. ”

“ Milton (Vacation Exerc. l. 71) seems to apply the word to a combination of lenses, or telescope.
Prosperitee, s. prosperity, L. 590, 906.
Prospre, adj. prosperous; prospre fortunes, success, well-being, B 1. ”