April 17th: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "faldyng," a noun meaning "coarse woolen cloth."
Pronunciation (I think): fal-DEENG.
Source: "The Miller's Prologue and Tale," line 3212.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
See you Monday!
April 16th: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "nevene," a verb meaning "to call by name."
Pronunciation (I think): nev-EN-eh.
Source: "The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue and Tale," line 821
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
April 15th: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "conseil," a noun meaning "secrets."
Pronunciation (I think): cawhn-SAIL.
Source: "The Monk's Prologue and Tale," line 2028.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
April 14th: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "henten," a verb meaning "to seize."
Source: "The Knight's Tale," line 904
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
April 13th: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "woodnesse," a noun meaning "madness" or "fury."
Pronunciation (I think): wude-NESS-eh.
Source: "The Pardoner's Prologue," line 496.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
April 10th: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "shawe," a noun meaning "grove."
Pronunciation (I think): shah-WEH.
Source: "The Cook's Prologue and Tale," line 4367.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
See you Monday!
April 9th: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "penyble," an adjective meaning "attentive" or "devoted."
Pronunciation (I think): pen-EH-bleh.
Source: "The Clerk's Prologue, Tale, and Envoy," line 714.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
April 8th: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "wynke," a verb meaning "to close both of one's eyes."
Pronunciation (I think): weenk-EH.
Source: "The Nun's Priest's Tale," line 3306.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
April 7th: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "povre," an adjective meaning "poor."
Pronunciation (I think): puhv-REH.
Source: "The General Prologue," line 225.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
April 6th: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "salwes," a noun meaning "willow branches."
Pronunciation (I think): sawl-WEHS.
Source: "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale," line 655.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
April 3rd: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "assoile," a verb meaning "absolve."
Pronunciation (I think): as-WEHL-eh.
Source: "The Pardoner's Prologue," line 387.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
See you Monday!
April 2nd: Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "Flaundres-ward," an adverb meaning "in the direction of Flanders."
Pronunciation (I think): flawn-DREHS-word.
Source: "The Shipman's Tale," line 300.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
Happy April 1st! No joke: All this month we'll look at words from "The Canterbury Tales." This is because of its famous first line: "Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote..."
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
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My main references have been:
- Harvard's Geoffrey Chaucer Website: chaucer.fas.harvard.edu
- Middle English Compendium: quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-eng...
Both are user-friendly and un-paywalled.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
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Today's word from the "Canterbury Tales" is "parfay," an expression meaning "by my faith."
Source: "The Miller's Tale," line 3681.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish #ChaucerianEnglish
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March 31st: The outdated term for today is "cleche gret mede," meaning "take great reward."
Pronunciation (I think): cleh-CHEH greht MEHD-eh.
Source: "The Pearl Poet." (Late 1300s.) Cleanness; see line 12.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
#jest in #middleenglish meant #history so perhaps you can call Will Averill a #jester as he tells this #emotionallytrue story of life in #lawrenceKansas which is funny and bold. Get yours in honor of April fools.
March 17th: The outdated term for today is "whilom," meaning "formerly" or "previously."
Source: Gower, J. (Circa 1390.) Confessio Amantis; see Book IV ("Ceix and Alceone").
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
March 11th: The outdated word for today is "myrknes," meaning "darkness."
Pronunciation (I think): MEHRK-nes.
Source: Rolle, R. (Circa 1400.) Love is Life (Cambridge University Library manuscript DD.5.64, III).
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
What a ride down #English language #History 🤩:
“How Far Back In Time Can You Understand English?”, Colin Gorrie (www.deadlanguagesociety.com/p/how-far-ba...
Via HN: news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4706...
#Languages #Linguistics #Writing #OldEnglish #MiddleEnglish #England
March 6th: The outdated term for today is "ben fordon," meaning "come to grief."
Source: Mannyng, R. (Circa 1338.) Mannyng's Chronicle; see line 85 in the Prologue.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
See you Monday!
March 2nd: The outdated word for today is "eisell," meaning "vinegar."
Pronunciation (I think): eyes-ELL.
Source: Anonymous. (Circa 1540.) Untitled carol from a manuscript at Balliol College, Oxford.
First line: "Now, blessed bird, we pray thee a boon."
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
This was such a mindfuck! I tapped out at 1200s. How far did you get? www.deadlanguagesociety.com/p/how-far-ba... #language #words #english #middleenglish #oldenglish
February 26th: The outdated word for today is "hagherlych," meaning "as is fitting" or "decently."
Pronunciation (I think): hag-HER-leek.
Source: "The Pearl Poet." (Late 1300s.) Cleanness; see line 18.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
February 23rd: The outdated word for today is "heggen," meaning "to trim hedges."
Pronunciation: heg-GEN (with a double hard "g").
Source: Langland, W., Wright, T. (1877). Piers Plowman (C-text; see line 19). London: Reeves and Turner.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
February 20th: The outdated word for today is "tendeþ," meaning "to set on fire."
Pronunciation: tend-ETH.
Source: Anonymous. (Circa 1250.) Floris and Blanchefleur. See line 672.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
See you Monday!
February 19th: The outdated word for today is "targeþ," meaning "delay."
Pronunciation: tar-GETH (with a hard "g").
Source: Anonymous. (Circa 1250.) Floris and Blanchefleur. See line 226.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
February 13th: Today's outdated word is "ambesas," meaning "snake eyes" (as in dice).
Pronunciation (I think): am-BEHS-as.
Source: Coleridge, H. (1863.) A Dictionary of the First, or Oldest Words in the English Language. London: John Camden Hotten.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
See you Monday!
February 6th: The outdated word for today is "sunder-lupes," meaning "severally."
Pronunciation (I think): SUN-der-lup-EHS.
Source: "The Pearl Poet." (Late 1300s.) Patience; see line 12.
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
See you Monday!
February 4th: The outdated word for today is "bidene," meaning "together" or "at once." This is sometimes spelled "bydene."
Pronunciation (I think): bi-DEHN-eh.
Source: Anonymous. (1300s.) The Stanzaic Morte Arthur (where it's used lots).
#OutdatedWords #MiddleEnglish
