← Table of contents
English and Scottish Ballads, Volume V

Volume 5 / Book 5 — GLOSSARY.

Reading edition

☞ Figures placed after words denote the pages in which they occur.

a', all.

aboon, abune, above.

abowthe, about.

abye, abide, pay.

acward stroke, 21, an unusual, out-of-the-way stroke, which could not be guarded against.

ae, one.

aftur the way, 11, upon the way.

agayne, against.

agone, ago.

aik, oak.

alane, alone.

Alcaron, 414, the name of an imaginary deity, by metathesis from Alcoran. Ritson. The original reading is, however, Acoron.

alkone, each one.

al so mote, so may I.

altherbest, best of all.

amain, all, 292, at once.

ance, once.

anker, anchorite.

a-row, in a row.

Arthur-a-Bradley, 351, the title of a ballad.

arwe, arrow;

arwys, arrows.

asay, tried.

assoyld, absolved.

avowè, founder, patron, protector.

awayte me scathe, 80, lie in wait, or lay plots, to do me injury.

awet, know.

awkwarde stroke, 166, an unusual, out-of-the-way stroke.

ayen, again.

ayenst, against.

ayont, beyond.

ayre, by, 197, early.

azon, 39, against, towards [them].

bale, ruin, harm, mischief.

ballup, 264, the front or flap of small clothes.

banis, bane.

barking, 336, leather-tanning.

baylyes, 153, bailiffs, sheriff's officers.

be, by.

bearyng arow, 155, "an arrow that carries well;"

see vol. vii.

became, 184, came.

bedene, 77, in a company, together.(?)

bedyl, 153, beadle, the keeper of a prison.

beforn, 41, before, first.

beft, 203, beaten.

begeck, give a, 198, make a mock of, expose to derision.

beheste, 429, promise.

behote, 99, promise;

96, promised.

beir, noise, cry.

belive, belyfe, quickly, at once.

ben, in.

benbow, 432, bent bow.

bend, 405, turn of a forest.

bescro, beshrew, curse.

bestead, circumstanced, put to it.

bewch, 159, bough.

bigged, built.

bigly, commodious, pleasant to live in.

bil, pike or halbert.

blate, sheepish, foolish.

blowe bost, 55, make boast.

blutter, 195, dirty.

blyve, quickly.

bocking, belching, flowing out.

bode, bid.

boltys, arrows, especially arrows with a blunt head.

bone, boon.

booting, 188, robbing adventure.

borow, surety.

borowe, redeem.

boskyd, made ready.

bote, help, use.

bottys, shooting butts.

boun, boune, make ready;

bown'd, 193, went.

boune, bowne, ready, ready to go;

244, going.

bour, bower, chamber, dwelling.

bowne, boon.

boyt, both.

braide at a, 145, suddenly, in a moment.

braves, bravadoes.

bree, brow.

breeks, breeches.

brenne, burn.

brere, briar, thorn.

breyde, a start, leap.

breyde, started, leaped, stepped hastily.

briddis, birds.

broke, 91, use and enjoy.

browthe, brought.

browzt, brought.

bruik, enjoy.

bryk, breeches.

buske, bush.

buske, dress;

54, make ready to go, go.

busshement, ambush.

but, without;

193, but fail, without fail;

but and, and also.

bydene, 105, all together, forthwith, one after the other.(?)

bystode, put into a plight, circumstanced.

can, as an auxiliary, equivalent to did.

can, know;

coud, knew;

can thanke, feel grateful, (savoir gré.)

cankerdly, with ill humor.

capull, horse.

carefull, sorrowful.

carpe, talk, narrate.

carril, carel, churl.

certyl, kirtle;

41, jacket or waistcoat.

chaffar, chaffer, merchandise, commodity.

charter of peace, deed of pardon, safe-warrant.

chear well, 190, make good cheer, have a good prospect.

chepe, v. buy;

n. bargain.

chere, face.

cheys, choose.

chitt, 258, worn?

chiven, 405, craven?

claw'd, 194, scratched, curried.

clepyn, call.

clipping, embracing.

clouted, patched.

cofer, trunk.

cold, 259, could, used as an auxiliary of the perfect tense.

cole, cowl.

comet, cometh.

commytted, 120, accounted.

comyn belle, 13, town-bell.

coost, cast.

coresed, 62, harnessed. Halliwell. (A guess?)

cote-a-pye, upper garment, short cloak.

coud, could, used as an auxiliary of the perfect tense;

coud his curtesye, 76, [showed that he] understood good manners.

counsel, secret.

covent, convent.

cow, clip.

cowed, could, knew.

cowthe, could.

crack, chat, talk.

craftely, skilfully.

creves, crevice.

crouse, 192, merrily.

curn, 191, quantity of.

curtall fryer, 272, apparently the friar with the curtall (cur) dogs.

curtes, courteous.

cutters, swaggerers, riotous fellows.

cypress, 411, gauze, crape.

dale, been at a, in low spirits?

dame, 86, mother, i.e. Mary.

deale, part.

dee, die.

dee, do;

deen, done.

deft, neat, trim.

demed, judged.

dere, harm.

dere worthy, precious.

derne, secret, privy, retired.

devilkyns, 57, deuced.

did of, doffed.

doen him, betaken him.

doe of, doff.

doubt, doute, fear, danger.

doyt, do.

dree, bear, suffer, endure.

dub, 196, pool.

dule, lamentation.

dung, struck down, put down.

duzty, doughty, brave.

dyght, 100, done.

dyght, ready, made ready;

dyghtande, 111, making ready, cooking.

dysgrate, disgraced, degraded, fallen into poverty.

eftsones, afterward, hereafter.

eild, age.

emys, uncles.

ere, 86, before.

erst, before.

even, exactly.

everyche, euerilkone, everichone, each, every one.

exaltrè, axle-tree.

eylde het the, requite (thee for) it.

eyr, year.

faem, foam, sea.

fail, but, 193, without fail.

faine, glad.

falleth, 114, suiteth.

falyf, fallen.

fánatick, 414, madman.

fang, strap.

fare, way of proceeding;

114, fortune;

for all his frendes fare, seems to mean, notwithstanding the penalties suffered by his friends for their bad shots.

fare, go.

farley, strange.

fault, 367, misfortune.

fay, faith.

fayne, glad.

fe, fee, property, wages, reward.

feardest, 197, most frightened.

federed, feathered.

felischepe, 22, compact of friendship.

fend, find.

fende, defend.

ferd, 10, fear;

probably misspelt.

fere, mate.

ferly, wonderful, extraordinary.

ferre dayes, 47, late in the day.

ferre and frend bestad, 69, in the position of a stranger from a distance.

fet, fetched.

fet, fit, song.

fetteled, made ready.

finikin, fine.

flaps, strokes, blows.

fleych, flesh.

flinders, fragments.

flo, arrow.

fone, foes.

forbode godys, 30, gods forbott, 260, God's prohibition;

over gods forbode, 157, on God's prohibition, God forbid.

force, fors, matter.

forebye, on one side.

for god, before God.

forlorne, lost, forsaken, alone.

forsoyt, forsooth.

forthynketh, repenteth.

fostere, forester;

fosters of the fe, 153, foresters in the King's pay.

foryete, 72, forgotten.

fothe, foot.

foulys, fowls, birds.

free, 272, gracious, bounteous.

frend, foreign, strange;

ferre and frend bestad, 69, in the position of a stranger from a distance.

frese (said of bows), 82?

fu', full.

fynly, goodly.

gang, go.

gangna, go not.

gar, make.

gate, 162, 196, way.

general, 290, perhaps the governor, Nottingham having once been a garrison town. Ritson.

Rather, people;

i.e. in public, with the rest of the world.

ger, 27, gear, affair.

gest, guest.

geste, story.

gie, give.

gif, if.

gillore, plenty.

gin, if.

gladdynge, entertaining.

go, walk.

god, 31, valuables.

gods forbott, 260, God's prohibition, God forbid.

golett, throat, the part of the dress or armor which covered the throat.

gone, go;

ride and go, ride and walk.

gorney, journey.

graff, 225, branch or sapling.

gree, 64, satisfaction.

greece, hart of, a fat hart.

grithe, 16, peace, protection, security for a certain time.

grome, groom;

45, a (common) man.

ha', hall.

had, hold, keep.

hail, wholly.

halfendell, half.

halke, 108, hollow?

hambellet, ambleth.

hame, home.

han, have.

hansell, 23, is the first money received in a new shop, or on any particular day. The passage seems to be corrupt.

hantyd, haunted.

harbengers, harbingers, servants that went on before their lords during a journey, to provide lodgings.

harowed, despoiled.

hart of greece, a fat hart.

hase, neck.

haud, hold.

haulds, 195, things to take hold of.

haunted, resorted frequently.

hawt, aught.

hayt, hath.

he, 39, they.

heal'd, concealed.

hede, head.

hee, high.

hende, gentle, courteous.

hent, took.

heres, here is.

het, it.

het, eat.

heynd, gentle, courteous.

hight, called, are called.

ho, hoo, who.

hode, hood.

holde, 61, retain.

holy, wholly.

hos, us.

housbond, manager.

howt, out;

heyt war howte, 23, a corrupt passage?

huckle-duckle, 424, a term for a loose woman.

humming, heady.

hye, in, aloft.

hyght, promised, vowed.

hynde, servant.

hypped, hopped, hobbled.

i-bonde, bound.

i-chaunged, changed.

i-federed, feathered.

ilk, each;

ilkone, each one.

in fere, in company.

inn, 34, abode, stand.

i-nocked, nocked, notched.

inow, enough.

in same, together.

intil, into, in.

into, in.

in twaine, apart.

i-pyght, put.

i-quyt, rewarded.

i-sette, set.

i-slawe, slain.

ither, each other.

i-wysse, surely.

japes, jests, mocks.

jobbing, 374, knocking together.

kende, kent, knew.

kep, catch;

kep'd, kept, keepit, caught.

kepe;

non odur kepe I'll be, 15, I will be no other kind of retainer, I will have no other relations.

kest, cast.

kilt, tuck up.

knave, servant (boy);

knave bairn, male child.

knop, a knob or swelling from a blow.

kod, quoth.

kyrtell, kirtle, waistcoat, jacket, or tunic.

lad, lead.

laigh, 196, low ground.

lang, longer.

lap, leaped.

launde, an open place in a wood.

launsgay, a kind of dart or javelin;

(a compound of lance, and the Arabic zagaye, says Myrick, Antient Armour, &c.)

lawhyng, laughing.

layne, deception.

leace, lying.

leasynge, lying.

leave, 395, dear.

ledes man, conductor.

lee licht, 171, lonely, sad light.

leese, lose.

lefe, dear, pleasant.

lende, 113, dwell.

lene, 58, grant;

59, lend.

lengre, longer.

lere, cheek.

lere, learn.

lese, lose.

lest, desire.

lesynge, lying.

let, stop;

letna, let not;

lettyng, stopping.

leugh, laughed.

lever, rather.

lewtè, loyalty.

ley, lea.

leythe, light.

liflod, livelihood.

ligge, 332, lay.

lightilé, lyghtly, quickly.

lin, stop.

lin'd, 203, beaten.

list, desire.

list, pleased.

lith, 170, joint, limb.

lithe, hearken.

liver, nimble.

lizt, light.

lokid on, 8, looked in at.

longe of the, thy fault.

longut, longed.

lordeyne, sluggard, clown.

lore, lost.

lothely, with aversion, with hatred.

lough, laughed.

loused, lowsed, loosed.

low, laughed.

lowe, 167, a small hill.

lown, rogue.

lust, desire.

lynde, lyne, linden, lime, tree in general.

lynge, 10, a thin long grass or rush, heather.

lyth, hearken.

lyveray, an allowance of provisions or clothes given out to servants or retainers;

73, levy.

lyzth, lies.

male, portmanteau;

68, [the horse carrying] the portmanteau.

maney, company.

mar, more.

marry, Mary;

marry gep, apparently, Mary go up!

masars, 75, cups, vessels.

masterey, mastery, trial of skill, feat.

mat, may.

maun, must;

maunna, may not.

may, maid.

maystry, trial of skill, feat.

meal-pock, meal-bag.

meatrif, abounding in provisions.

mell, meddle.

menyè, meynè, company.

mete, measured.

methe, meat.

meyt, meythe, might.

mickle, great.

middle streame, 274, middle of the stream.

misters, 203, sorts of.

mo, more.

molde, ground.

mot, may.

mote, meeting.

mought, might.

mow, mouth.

muckle, much.

mych, much.

mylner, miller.

mysaunter, misadventure, ill luck.

myster, need.

myzt, might.

nae, not.

nar, nor, than.

ner, never.

ner, were it not.

ner; they ner, thine ear.

nere, nearer.

next way, nearest way.

nicked, notched, cut, slashed.

niddart, 403, assailed.

nip, bit;

curn nips of sticks, 191, bundle of small sticks.

nipped, pinched.

nombles, numbles, [the eatable] entrails.

nouther, neither.

odur, other.

ohon, interjection of grief, alas.

okerer, usurer.

oltrance, outrance, utterance.

on, one.

onfere, together.

on lyve, alive.

onslepe, asleep.

onys, once.

or, before.

os, us.

ought, owed.

out-horne, a horn blown to summon people to assist in capturing a fugitive.

over all, everywhere.

owthe, out.

owtlay, outlaw.

oysyd, used, followed.

passe, extent, bounds, limits, district;

as the pas de Calais. Ritson.

partakers, persons to take one's part.

pawage, pauage, pavag, toll for the privilege of passing over the territory of another.

pay, satisfaction.

peces, 75, vessels;

unless it be gold pieces.

pinder, pounder, pound-keeper.

pine, pain.

plucke, stroke, blow;

423, bout;

plucke-buffet, 118, is explained by the context.

prece, prese, crowd;

prees, 65, press (of battle).

preced, pressed.

preke, the pin in the centre of a target.

president, precedent.

prest, 29, fast, zealously.

prest, quick, in a hurry;

prestly, quickly.

pricke-wande, a rod set up as a mark. The prick is the peg in the centre of a target.

prycker, 425, a galloping horse.

pryffe, 430, prove.

pryme, six in the morning.

pudding-prick, a skewer to fasten a pudding-bag.

put at the stane, throw the stone as a trial of strength;

putting-stane, the stone used in this exercise.

pyne, suffering;

goddes pyne, Christ's passion.

quequer, quiver.

queyt, qwyte, reward.

raked, 196, proceeded leisurely, sauntered.

raking, 259, 275, walking hastily, running.

rawe, row.

ray, prepare.

raye, 84, striped cloth. "Cloth not coloured or dyed. It is mentioned in many old statutes in contradistinction to cloth of colour." Ritson.

reachles, reckless, careless.

red, advice.

red, rid.

reddely, quickly.

reede, advise.

renne, run.

reuth, pity.

reve, rob, take by force.

revere, river.

reves, bailiffs, receivers.

rewth, pity.

ripe, rip.

ripe, 190, search;

202, cleanse.

rode, rood, cross.

rout, 191, blow.

rowed, rolled.

rowte, company.

rue, 377, to cause to rue.

rung, staff.

ryall, royal.

ryghtwys, righteous, just.

sad, 82, firm, resolute.

sall, shall;

salna, shall not.

salued, greeted.

same, in, together.

sanchothis, 41? (The meaning is that the arrow went between the legs.)

sawtene, sought.

scaith, scathe, hurt, harm.

schet, schette, shot.

schrewde, sharp.

sclo, slay.

scouth, 195, room, range.

screffe, sheriff.

se, see, protect.

seal, 396, Gude seal, God seal, forbid?

seke, search;

20, he was not to seke, he did not require to be looked for.

seker, sure, resolute.

selerer, cellarer, the officer of a convent that furnished provisions.

semblaunte, countenance.

sete, set.

sets, 348, suits.

shawe, 1, 94, 160, grove, wood.

shende, injure, blame.

shete, shoot;

shet, shot.

sheyne, bright.

shone, shoen, shoes.

shope, created.

shot-window, a projecting window.

shradd, 160, (spelt also shard,) an opening in a wood.

shrewed, 63, cursed, precious!

shroggs, 164, shrubs, twigs.

shryve, sheriff.

shuldis, shouldst.

silly, simple.

sith, since.

slack, low ground, valley.

slade, valley, ravine, strip of greensward between two woods.

slawe, slain.

slist, sliced.

slon, slay;

slone, slain.

somers, sumpter horses.

sorowe tyme, 61, sorry, bad time.

sothe, truth.

sound, swoon.

sowt, 40, south.

soyt, sooth, truth.

spar, spare, stop.

sparris, shutst;

sparred, shut.

spear, speir, ask about.

spercles, sparks.

sprunks, 378, concubines?

spyrred, asked, asked for.

stage, 8, story of the house?

stalle, 16, place in general, room, house.

stark, stiff.

stede, place.

sterte, started, rushed.

steven, 168, voice;

164, unsett steven, a time not previously appointed.

stime, a particle of light.

sto', store, a quantity.

stood upon, 356, concerned, was worth his while.

store, set no, make no account of.

stound, hour, time.

stowre, turmoil.

strypes, strokes.

stroke, 259, stretch?

stye, 14, lane.

sune, son.

sweaven, dream.

sweir, niggardly, unwilling to part with any thing.

swinke, toil.

swownd, swoon.

swyre, 430, neck.

syne, then, afterwards.

syth, then.

take, (often) give;

take up (the table), clear away.

takle, takyll, arrow.

tarpe, 111?

tee, to.

teene, tene, harm, trouble, vexation.

than, then.

the, they.

the, thrive, prosper.

then, than.

ther, their.

there, 106, where.

thes, thus.

thir, they.

tho, those.

thocht, thought.

thother, other.

thoucht long, thought lang, grew weary.

thrast, thrust, pressed.

throly, 5, boldly.

throng, hastened.

throwe, space of time.

thrumme, the extremity of a weaver's warp;

40, band or belt?

thryes, thrice.

thynketh, seemeth.

till, to.

tithyngus, tidings.

to, two.

to-hande, two-hand.

toke, committed to.

tortyll, 28, twisted. Qy. reading?

trawale, labor, vocation.

tray, 81, (A.S. trega,) vexation.

tree, staff.

trenchen, 203, cutting.

treyffe, 32, thrive.

tristil tre, 7, tree of trist, or meeting.

trowet, troth.

trusyd, trussed.

trysty tre, tristing tree, tree of meeting.

tyde, time.

tyll, to.

tynde, tine, antler.

tyne, lose.

unketh, strange, stranger.

unneath, unneth, hardly.

untyll, unto.

upchaunce, peradventure, perchance.

venyson, 130, deer-stealing.

voyded, went off.

wa, wall.

wad, would.

wan, got, came.

wane, 70;

wonnynge wane, dwelling-place: wane is perhaps an error for hame.

war, aware.

warden-pies, 368;

wardens are large baking-pears.

warisone, 14, reward.

was, 25, wash.

waur, worse.

waythmen, page ix., hunters, sportsmen (German, Weidmann). Often explained outlaws, rovers.

wed, wedde, pledge, deposit.

wedes, garments.

welde, would.

welt, wielded, disposed of.

wenion, 225, curse, (a word of unknown origin.)

wende, went, weened, thought.

weppynd, weaponed.

west, wist.

wet, wete, know.

whether, whither.

whute, whistle;

whues, whistlings.

wigger, wicker.

wight, strong.

wilfulle, 164, (like wilsom,) doubtful, ignorant.

win, go, get, get on.

winna, will not.

wistna, knew not.

wode, mad.

wode, went.

wodys, woods.

woest, saddest.

wolwarde, without linen next the body.

wone, dwell;

wonnynge, dwelling.

woo, sad.

woodweele, variously explained as woodpecker, thrush, wood-lark, red-breast.

worthe, be.

wroken, revenged.

wrist, 258?

wyght, strong.

wynne, go.

wystly, wistfully, intently.

wyte, 400, wytte, know.

xal, xul, shall.

y-dyght, furnished, prepared.

yede, yeed, went.

yeff, if.

yeffell, ill.

yeft, gift.

yeman, yeoman;

yemanrey, 22, yeomandrie, yeomanry, what becomes a yeoman.

yend, yonder.

yer, years.

yerdes, rods, wands.

ye'se, you shall.

yever, ever.

y-founde, found.

ylke, same.

yode, went.

Yole, Yule, Christmas.

yonder, under.

y-slaw, slain.

zade, went.

zare, readily, quickly.

zatis, gates.

ze, the.

zelpe, boast.

zemen, yeomen.

zet, yet.

zete, eat.

zeue, give.

zone, yon.

zouyn, given.

Transcriber's Notes

Page iv Table of Contents: changed "Landsdale" to "Lands-dale" (13. By Lands-dale hey ho)

Page ix: Footnote [**] added closing quotation mark (... like as it hadde be Robyn Hode and his meynè.")

Page xvi: added closing quotation mark (... "poar cas qil ne poait pluis travailler".)

Page 125: deleted comma after "according" (... which, according to Wyntown, was also frequented by Robin Hood ...)

Page 132, line 64: added sentence final period (In seven yere before.)

Page 141: note references to lines 71 and 72 ammended to 70 and 71 respectively.

Page 212: added closing quotation mark (... in the collection of Anthony à Wood.")

Page 254, line 62: added opening quotation mark ("Thy bags and coat give me;)

Page 270, line 60: added closing quotation mark (Aye, and all their white monèy.")

Page 280, line 44: added opening quotation mark ("My name it is Allin a Dale.")

Page 281, line 62: added closing quotation mark ("I prithee now tell unto me:")

Page 290: added sentence final period (... and the chorus is repeated in every stanza.)

Page 296, line 60: added closing quotation mark (I'd have gone some other way.")

Page 347, line 96: added closing quotation mark (Some merry pastime to see.")

Page 349, line 146: changed placement of closing quotation mark ("So 'tis, sir," Clorinda reply'd.)

Page 349, line 147: added missing comma ("But oh," said bold Robin ...)

Page 379, line 98: added opening quotation mark ("And with the grey goose-wing)

Page 386, lines 74, 75: repositioned opening quotation mark from beginning of line 74 to beginning of line 75

"Ay," quoth the sheriff, and scratch'd his head, "I thought he would have been here; I thought he would, but tho' he's bold,75 He durst not now appear."

Page 406, line 32: ammended punctuation and added closing quotation mark from

Ile give thee buffets sto.'

to

Ile give thee buffets sto'."

Page 406, line 64: added closing quotation mark (Tell me where thou doest wone.")

Page 410, line 18: added opening quotation mark ("Lo! the enemies are within ken:")

Page 411, line 45: added closing quotation mark ("From London I came," the damsel reply'd,)

Page 413, line 86: added opening quotation mark ("O master, tell to me:)

Page 417, line 206: added opening quotation mark ("For the valour thou hast shewn,)

Page 438: delted comma after "flowing" (bocking, belching, flowing out.)

Page 447: changed "weidmann" to "Weidmann" (waythmen, page ix., hunters, sportsmen (German, Weidmann).)

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