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verb Stɲæzan, spargere, dispergere, To Stray, to scat

ter.

"This prest was drunke, and goth ASTRAYDE."

Gower, lib. 4. fol. 84. pag. 2. col. 1.

"And ouer this I sigh also

The noble people of Israel

Dispers, as shepe upon an hille
Without a keper unaraied :

And as they wenten about ASTRAIED
I herde a voyce unto hem seyne."

Ibid. lib. 7. fol. 156. pag. 2. col. 1.

"Achab to the batayle went.
Where Benedad for all his shelde
Him slough, so that upon the felde
His people goth aboute ASTRAIE."

Ibid. lib. 7. fol. 156. pag. 2. col. 2.

S. Johnson says-To Stray is from the Italian Straviare from the Latin extra viam. But STRAVAN, Streapian, Streopian, Stɲepian, Strezian, Strægian : and Strap, Streop, Streo, Strea, Stɲe, were used in our own mother tongues, the Gothic and Anglo-Saxon, long before the existence of the word Straviare, and the beginning of the corrupted dialect of the Latin called Italian, and even of the corrupted dialect of the Greek called Latin. And as the words To Sunder and Asunder proceed from Sond, i. e. Sand; so do the words To Stray, To Straw, To Strow, To Strew, To Straggle, To Stroll, and the well-named Strawberry (i. e. Straw'dberry, Stray-berry), all proceed from Straw, or, as our

peasantry still pronounce it, Strah*. And Astray, or Astray'd, means Strawed, scattered and dispersed as the Straw is about the fields.

" Reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed."-St. Matthew, chap. xxv. ver. 24.

ATWIST.

The past participle Le-tpired, Atpised, Atpisd, of the verb Tpiran, Tpýran, Le-tpýran, torquere: Tpiran from Tpa, Tpæ, Tp1, Tpу, Tpeo, two.

AWRY.

The past participle Appуded, Appуd of the verb Prýðan, Priðan, To Writhe.

In the late Chief Justice Mansfield's time, for many years I rarely listened to his doctrines in the Court of King's Bench without having strong cause to repeat the words of old Gower;

"Howe so his mouthe be comely

His worde sitte euermore AWRIE."

Lib. 1. fol. 29. pag. 2. col. 2

ASKEW.

In the Danish, Skiav is wry, crooked, oblique. Skiaver, to twist, to wrest. Skiavt, twisted, wrested.

"Me lyst not of the chaffe ne of the Stree
Make so longe a tale, as of the corne."

Chaucer. Man of Lawes Tale, fol. 22. pag. 1. col. 1.

"And with that worde all sodenly
She passeth, as it were ASKIE,
All cleane out of the ladies sight."

Gower, lib. 4. fol. 71. pag. 1. col. 1.

ASKANT.

ASKANCE.

[Probably the participles Aschuined, Aschuins.] In Dutch, Schuin, wry, oblique. Schuinen, to cut awry. Schuins, sloping, wry, not straight.

ASWOON.

The past participle Aruand, Aruond of the verb Suanian, Arpunan, deficere animo.

"Whan she this herd, ASWOUNE down she falleth
For pitous ioy, and after her swounyng

She both her yong children to her calleth."

Clerke of Oxenfordes Tale, fol. 51. pag. 1. col. 1.

"And with that word she fel ASWOUNE anon,
And after, whan her swounyng was gon
She riseth up."

Doctour of Phisikes Tale, fol. 65. pag. 1. col. 1.

ASTOUND.

The past participle Estonné [Estonnéd] of the French verb Estonner (now written Etonner), to astonish.

"And with this worde she fell to grounde

ASWOUNE, and there she laie ASTOUNDE."

Gower, lib. 4. fol. 83. pag. 1. col. 2.

ENOUGH.

In Dutch Genoeg, from the verb Genoegen, to content,

to satisfy. S. Johnson cannot determine whether this word is a substantive, an adjective, or an adverb; but he thinks it is all three.

"It is not easy," he says, "to determine whether this word be an adjective or adverb; perhaps, when it is joined with a substantive, it is an adjective, of which Enow is the Plural*. In other situations it seems an adverb; except that, after the verb To have or To be, either expressed or understood, it may be accounted a substantive."

According to him, it means,-" In a sufficient measure, so as may satisfy, so as may suffice. 2. Something sufficient in greatness or excellence. 3. Something equal to a man's power or abilities. 4. In a sufficient degree. 5. It notes a slight augmentation of the positive degree. 6. Sometimes it notes Diminution! 7. An exclamation noting fulness or satiety."

In the Anglo-Saxon it is Lenog or Genoh: and appears to be the past participle Lenoged, multiplicatum, manifold, of the verb Lenogan, multiplicare.

* In his Grammar, he says,-" Adjectives in the English language are wholly indeclinable; having neither case, gender, nor number; being added to Substantives, in all relations, without any change."

FAIN.

The past participle Fæzened, Fægen, Fægn, lætus, of the verb Fægenian, Fægnian, gaudere, lætari.

"Of that men speken here and there,
How that my lady beareth the price,
How she is faire, how she is wise,
How she is womanliche of chere:
Of all this thing whan I maie here
What wonder is though I be FAINE."

Gower, lib. 1. fol. 23. pag. 1. col. 2.

"For which they were as glad of his commyng
As foule is FAINE whan the sonne upryseth."
Chaucer. Shypmans Tale, fol. 69. pag. 1. col. 1.

"Na uthir wyse the pepyl Ausoniane

Of this glade time in hart wox wounder FANE.”

Douglas, boke 13. pag. 472.

LIEF. LIEVER. LIEVEST.

Leof, Leofɲe, Leofest.

"I had as LIEF not be, as live to be in awe

Of such a thing as I myself.".

Shakespeare's Iulius Cæsar.

No modern author, I believe, would now venture any of these words in a serious passage: and they seem to be cautiously shunned and ridiculed in common conversation, as a vulgarity. But they are good English words, and more frequently used by our old English writers than any other word of a corresponding signification.

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