The Castle of Indolence/Glossary

by James Thomson

EXPLANATION of the obsolete Words used in this POEM.

ARchimage⸺The chief, or greatest of Magicians or Enchanters.
Atween⸺between.

Bale⸺Sorrow, Trouble, Misfortune.
Benempt⸺named.
Blazon⸺Painting, Displaying.

Carol⸺to sing Songs of Joy.
Certes⸺certainly.

Eath⸺easy.
Eftsoons⸺immediately, often, afterwards.

Gear or Geer⸺Furniture, Equipage, Dress.
Glaive⸺Sword. (Fr.)

Han⸺have.
Hight⸺is named, called.

Idless⸺Idleness.
Imp⸺Child, or Offspring; from the Saxon Impan, to graft or plant.

Kest⸺for cast.

Lad⸺for led.
Lea⸺a Piece of Land, or Meadow.
Libbard⸺Leopard.
Lig⸺to lie.
Losel⸺a loose idle Fellow.
Louting⸺Bowing, Bending.

Mell⸺mingle.
Moe⸺more.
Moil⸺to labour.
Muchel or Mochel⸺much, great.

Nathless⸺nevertheless.
Ne⸺nor.
Needments⸺Necessaries.
Noursling⸺a Nurse, or what is nursed.
Noyance⸺Harm.

Perdie⸺(Fr. par Dieu) an old Oath.
Prick'd thro' the Forest⸺rode thro' the Forest.

Sear⸺dry, burnt-up.
Sheen⸺bright, shining.
Sicker⸺sure, surely.
Soot⸺Sweet, or sweetly.
Sooth⸺true, or truth.
Stound⸺Misfortune, Pang.
Sweltry⸺Sultry, consuming with Heat.
Swink⸺to labour.

Transmew'd⸺transform'd.
Vild⸺vile.

Unkempt⸺(Lat. incompius) unadorn'd.

Whilom⸺ere-while, formerly.
Wis, for Wist⸺to know, think, understand.
Ween⸺to think, be of Opinion.
Weet⸺to know; to weet, to wit.
Wonne⸺(a Noun) Dwelling.

N.B. The Letter Y is frequently placed in the Beginning of a Word, by Spenser, to lengthen it a Syllable.

Yborn⸺born.
Yblent, or blent⸺blended, mingled.
Yclad⸺clad.
Ycleped⸺called, named.
Yfere⸺together.
Ymolten⸺melted.
Yode⸺(Preter Tense of Yede) went

 

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