Also the following: v. a verb in the infinitive mood; ger.-gerund;
pr. s. (and pt. s.) mean the third person singular of the present (and
past) tense, except when I or 2 (first person or second person) is
prefixed; pr. pl. (and pt. pl.) mean, likewise, the third person plural
of the present (and past) tense; imp. s. = second person singular of the
imperative mood; and imp. pl. second person plural of the same.
Other contractions, such as s. = substantive, and pp. past participle,
will be readily understood.
Further information as to the etymologies of the words is given in
Mayhew and Skeat's Concise Middle-English Dictionary, and in Skeat's
Concise Etymological Dictionary.
The references are to the lines. When 'A' is prefixed to a number,
the reference is to the 'A-text' of the Prologue, i. e. the upper text on
Pp. 2-41.
This Glossary may be compared with that to the Minor Poems.
A large proportion of the words here given occur in that also.
A, art. about, some, 2075.
A-bak, adv. aback, back, 864.
Abite, s. habit, dress, A 146.
Able, adj. fit, 320.
Aboght, pp. bought dearly, 1387;
paid for, 2483. See note to 1.
1387.
Abood, I pt. s. remained, waited,
309. Pt. t. of abyden.
Accordeth, pr. s. agrees, beseems,
2583; Accorded, pp. agreed,
1635. See Acorde.
Accusour, s. accuser, 353.
Acheve, v. achieve, 1614.
Achoked, pp. choked, 2008.
A-compas, adv. in a circle, 300.
Acord, s. agreement, 159.
Acorde, I pr. s. grant, allow, 3;
Acordeth, pr. s. agrees, con-
cerns, 955; Acordeden, pt. pl.
agreed, 168, 1739. See Ac-
cordeth.
A-doun, adv. downwards, down,
178, 250, 792, 1413, 1726.
A-fer, adv. afar, 212.
Afered, pp. frightened, afraid,
A 53; 2321. A. S. á-færan.
Affermed, pp. agreed upon, 790.
After, prep. after, by inheritance
from, 1072; according to, 2651.
A-fyre, adv. on fire, 2493.
Again, prep. when exposed to,
2426; Agayn, in comparison
with, 189; towards, 112. See
Agein.
Agasteth, pr. s. frightens, 1171;
Agaste, pt. s. frightened, 1221;
Agast, pp. afraid, 1534. A. S.
á-gæstan.
Agein, prep. against, towards,
turned towards, 48. See Again.
Ageyns, prep. against, 330.
Agilten, v. do wrong, 436; A-
gilte, pt. s. wrongly committed,
2385; Agilt, pp. done wrong,
463. A. S. á-gyltan.
Ago, pp. gone, dead, 916; past,
1766, 2359; Agoon, gone, 1110.
Agreved, pp. grieved, vexed, 345.
Agroos, pt. s. shuddered, was ter-
rified, was seized with fear, 830;
grew terrified, 2314. Pt. t. of
M. E. agrisen.
Agroted, pp. surfeited, cloyed,
2454. See Murray's Dict.
Ake, v. ache, 705.
Al, adj. all; al and som, the
whole gist of the matter, the
whole matter, 997, 2384.
Al, adv. quite, entirely, 1765,
1766.
Al, conj. although, even if, 58,
160, 384, 1392, 1420, 1841,
2392.
Alday, adv. always (F. toujours),
A 310; 1250, 1877.
Alder, gen. plur. of all;
alder, of us all, 298. See note.
Alderfirste, adv. first of all,
2635. See above.
Aldermost, adv. most of all,
2117, 2567. See Alder.
Algate, adv. at any rate, 361,
461; nevertheless, 238.
Algates, adv. at any rate, at all
A-londe, adv. on land, ashore,
2166; him were lever, a-londe,
he would rather be on land,
2413.
Aloon, alone; her aloon, all by
herself, 2378.
Al-outerly, adv. entirely, abso-
lutely, 626. Lit.' all utterly.'
A-mis, adv. amiss, wrong, 1291.
An, prep. on, 1191.
And, conj. if, 319, 1790.
A-night, adv. by night, at night,
1292, 1475.
Anker, s. anchor, 2501.
Anon-right, adv. immediately,
115, 1503.
Answerden, pt. pl. answered,
1847.
Apayd, pp. pleased, satisfied, 766;
evel apayed, ill-pleased, 80.
O. F. apaier; Lat. ad-pacare, to
Apparaile, v. prepare, 2473.
Apparaunce, s. appearance, 1372.
Appetyteth, pr. s. seeks to have,
desires, 1582.
Appreved, pp. approved as true,
Aray, s. array, dress, 1505.
Arayed, pp. dressed, 1207.
Areste, s. delay, 806; hesitation,
1929; and hence, deliberateness
of action, deliberation, 397.
Areysed, pp. extolled, praised,
1525. See Areysen in Mid. E.
Dict.
Aroos, pt. s. arose, stood up, 831.
Arowe, adv. in a row, 554.
Artow, for Art thou, thou art,
986.
Arwes, pl. arrows, 972.
A-say, s. trial, test, A 28. See
Assay.
Ascaunce, conj. in case that, on
the chance that, 2203. Kilian
gives a Mid. Du. quantsuys,
meaning 'as if.'
A-slepe, adv. asleep, 547.
Aspe, s. aspen, 2648. A. S. aps,
asp. (Aspen is an adjectival
form.)
Aspectes, pl. (astrological) as-
pects, 2597.
Assay, s. trial, 9; doon his assay,
make his attempt, 1594. See
Asay.
Assayen, pr. pl. try, 487.
Assure, v. make sure; her assure,
refl., be bold enough, 908.
Asterte, v. escape, 1802; escape
from, 2338; Asterten, v. 1615.
(From sterten, to start.)
A-stoned, pp. astonied, amazed,
A 164.
A-swown, adv. in a swoon, 2207.
Atake, pp. overtaken, 2182.
Atempre, adj. temperate, mild,
128, 1483.
Atones, adv. at once, at one and
the same time, 1840; at once,
1815.
A-two, adv. in two, asunder, 758,
2347, 2657.
Auctoures, pl. authors, 575. See
Autour.
Auncestres, pl. ancestors, 2536.
Aungellyke, adv. like an angel,
236.
Autoritees, pl. authorities, A 83.
Autour, s. author, 1228; Au-
tours, pl. A 88. See Auc-
Aventure, s. chance, 1051; mis-
fortune, 637; Aventures, pl. ad-
ventures, 1515.
Avisee, adj. deliberate, 1521.
O. F. avise, pp.
Avisement,
S. determination,
1417; Avysement, considera-
tion, 407.
Avyse thee, imp. s. bethink thy-
self, consider, 335; 2 pr. s. subj.
509; Avysed her, pt. s. re-
flected, considered, 867.
A-whaped, pp. terrified, scared,
132, 814, 2321. See Murray's
Dictionary. Cf. Gothic af-
hwapjan, to choke.
Axen, v. ask, 835; Axeth, pr. s.
1456, 1509, 1724, 1804; Axen,
pr. pl. 1833.
Axing, s. question, A 239.
Ay, adv. ever, 1834. Icel. ei.
Ayeins, prep. at the approach of,
1356. See Ageyns.
Aylen, v. ail, 1833.
Badde, adj. bad, A 277.
Balade, s. ballad, 270; Balades,
pl. 423. See note to 1. 423.
Balkes, pl. balks, the transverse
beams beneath the roof, 2253.
Balles, pl. balls, 2003.
Bane, s. death, 2159, 2180; bane,
slayer, 2147. A. S. bana.
Bare, 2 pt. s. didst bear, 2229.
Barge, s. barge, vessel, 2150.
Barres, pl. ornamental bands,
Be, pp. been, 2120; be as be may,
however it be, 1852.
Become, v. go to, 2214.
Bedote, v. befool, 1547.
Began, 2 pt. s. didst begin, 2230
(the older form is begunne);
Begonne, pp. begun, 196, 1007.
Begon, pp. begone; wo begon,
beset by wo, distressed, 2497 ;
wo begoon, 1487. See Bego in
Murray's Dictionary.
Begyle, v. beguile, 1570; Be-
gylde, pt. s. 2219.
Bekes, pl. beaks, 148.
Beknew, pt. s. confessed, 1058.
Benched, pp. provided with
benches, 294. (Cf. y-benched
well clene'; P. Plowm. Crede,
205.)
Bente, dat. a grassy slope, A 234.
Bere, s. bear, 1214. A. S. bera.
Bere, s. bier, 1866. A. S. bær.
Beried, pp. buried, 787.
Berth, pr. s. beareth, 298.
Besette, v. place, dispose, use,
employ, 1069; Besette, pt. s.
disposed of, 2558.
Beshende, v. bring to ruin, 2696.
See note.
Beste, s. beast, 113, 1094.
Besy, adj. busy, eager, active,
103.
Bet, adv. comp. better, 801, 1076,
2700; faster, 1213.
Betake, I pr. s. deliver, entrust,
2297.
Beth, imp. pl. be, 411.
Bethoghte, pt. s. bethought him,
1439.
Beting, pres. pt. beating, 863.
Betraising, s. betrayal, 2460.
See Ch. Min. Poems.
Betraysed, pp. betrayed, 266.
Betwix, prep. betwixt, between,
729.
Bigonne, pp. begun, 229. See
Began.
Biker, s. quarrel, 2661.
Bileve, s. belief, faith, 2109.
Bit, s. bit, 1208.
Blew, pt. s. blew, 1364; Blowe,
pp. blown, 1365, 1385.
Blosmes, pl. blossoms, 143, 157.
Blythe, adj, merry, of good
cheer, 647.
Blyve, adv. quickly, 60, 1473,
2176; As blyve, as quickly as
may be, 435. For bi lyve, with
life.
Boden, pp. ordered, 366. Pp. of
M. E. beden (A. S. béodan).
Boghten, 2 pt. pl. bought, 258.
Boles, pl. bulls, 1432. Icel. boli,
a bull.
Bone, s. request, 1596; petition,
2340. Icel. bón.
Boor, s. boar, 980. A. S. bár.
Boost, s. noise, hence, boast, 267.
See Bost.
Bore, pp. born, 2234.
Borwe, s. pledge; to borwe, in
pledge, 2105.
Bost, s. noise, outcry, 887; Boost,
boast, 267. See note to 1. 887.
Bote, s. boot, help, 1076, 2710;
remedy, 1992. A. S. bót.
Botomlees, adj. bottomless, 1584.
Bountee, s. goodness, kindness,
devotedness, 522.
Box, s. boxwood, 866.
Box, s. blow, 1388.
Brast, pt. s. burst, 1033. Pt. t. of
bresten.
Braunes, pl. brawns, muscles,
1071.
Brayd, s. start, 1166. Icel.
brago, a quick movement.
Breden, ger. to breed, to arise,
1156. Cf. Verg. Æn. iv. 2.
Brennen, pr. pl. burn, 2610;
Brende, pt. s. burnt, 1751, 2419;
Brente, pt. pl. 731; Brend, pp.
A 292.
Brid, s. bird, 1757.
Brimme, s. brim of a lake, water,
2451.
Broken, pp. ship-wrecked, 1487.
Brond, s. brand, torch, 2252.
Brood, s. brood, 133.
Brosten, pp. broken, 1300, 2416.
See Brast.
Brotel, adj. fickle, 1855, 2556.
From brot-, pp. stem of bréotan,
to break.
Brouken, pr. pl. subj. may they
enjoy, profit by, 194. A. S.
brúcan.
Brydel, s. bridle, 1208.
But, conj. unless, 35, 1616, 2645;
But and, but if, 1790; But-if,
unless, 609, 2400.
By, prep. with respect to, about,
271; By the morwe, at morn,
49.
By, adv. by, at hand, 2091.
By and by, adv. one after another,
in order, 304.
Can, I pr. s. know, 1987; pr. s.
knows, 1175. See Coude.
Capoun, s. capon, 1389.
Carole, s. carol, 687.
Carpenter, s. carpenter, 2418.
Cas, s. case, affair, 1558; adven-
ture, 1630; mischance, 1056.
Cas, s. case for arrows, quiver,
982.
Caste, pt. s. cast, 311.
Caughte, pt. s. pulled, 1854.
Cave, s. cave, 1225.
Ceptre, s. sceptre, 1131.
Certes, adv. certainly, 1628.
Chaf, s. chaff, A 529.
Charge, s. burden, 2514; weight,
620; consequence, 2383.
Charge, v. load, 2151.
Chees, I pt. s. chose, 146; pt. s.
513, 698, 965, 1455; imp. s.
choose, 1449. See Chese.
Chere, s. face, countenance, 64,
265, 1762; appearance, 2079;
Doth him chere, makes him
good cheer, 2452.
Cherl, s. churl, 136.
Cheryce, v. cherish, 472.
Chese, v. choose, 1811. A. S.
céosan, pt. s. céas. See Chees.
Chevisaunce, s. borrowing, 2439.
See note.
Chivalrous, adj. chivalrous, vali-
ant, 1905.
Clepe, ger. to call, 1889; 1 pr. s.
164; Cleped, pp. 724, 1689.
A. S. cleopian.
Clere, adj. pl. clear, beautiful,
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