Note 53 — Chapter XIII · THE WOMAN
Reading edition
“Ai is the man’s diphthong, and soundeth full: ei, the woman’s, and soundeth finish [i.e. fineish] in the same both sense, and vse, a woman is deintie, and feinteth soon, the man fainteth not bycause he is nothing daintie.” Thus what is now distinctive of refined as opposed to vulgar pronunciation was then characteristic of the fair sex.