Middle English Literature

namo n., adj., adv.
no more, no
others
nat, ne, noght, nought adv.
not
neer adv.
nearer
neissche, nessche adj., adv.
soft,
softly
nice, nyse adj.
foolish
noght adv.
not
nolde p.
would not, did not wish
to
non, none n.
noon
nones, nonys n.
occasion (for the
nones
, for the moment, indeed)
noon pron.
no one, none
noot v.
know not
nought adv.
not
ny, nygh(e) adj.
near
nys v.
is not
O
o, on, oo pron.
one
of adv.
off
ones, onis adv.
once
or prep., adv., conj.
before
other, or conj., adv.
before
other, outher conj.
or
(other . . . other, either . . . or)
other(e), oother, othir, othre
pron., adj. other
overal adv.
everywhere, especially
overychon see
everichon
owe(n) adv.
ought
P
parde(e) interj.
indeed, in truth
pay n.
satisfaction, liking, pleasure
pay v.
please
plain see
pleyn(e)
pleyn adj., adv.
full, clear, fully,
clearly
pleyn(e), playne v.
complain
pleyntis n. pl.
complaints
preve v.
test, prove, discover,
demonstrate
prevy, privee adj.
secret, private,
invisible
Q
queynte adj.
wise, crafty, intricate,
fashionable, fancy
quit(e) v.
pay, repay, requite
quod p.
said
R
recche v.
care
rede v.
read, interpret, advise
reed n.
advice
rehete v.
show good will towards,
rebuke
renne v.
run
rent(e) n.
income
ribaudes n. pl.
rascals, foul-mouthed
speakers
right adv.
quite, very, completely,
exactly
roun(e) v.
whisper, speak
S
sad adj.
steadfast, serious, sober,
powerful
sauf adj.
safe
saugh, say, seigh p.
saw
schend(e) see
shende

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282
Glossary
scho pron.
she
segge n.
person
sekyr see
siker
sekerly see
sikerliche
sely adj.
blessed, worthy, simple,
helpless
semely adj.
beautiful, suitable,
worthy
semely, semyly adv.
fittingly,
decorously
seth(e) see
sitth(e)
sethen, sithen adv.
then,
afterwards
seye, seyn v.
say
sheene, shene adj.
bright, shiny,
beautiful
shende v.
harm, destroy, corrupt
shrew(e) n.
rascal, scold
siker, sekyr adj.
sure, reliable
sikerliche, sekerly adv.
surely,
confidently
sitth(e), sithen adj., adv., conj.
since, then, after, because
skil(e) n.
reason, knowledge
smal adj.
slender
somdel adv.
partly, somewhat
soth, sooth adj.
true
soth, sothfastnesse n.
truth
sothly adv.
truly
spede(e) v.
succeed, prosper
stei(e), steygh, sty(e) v.
rise, ascend
sterve v.
die, starve
stinte v.
stop
streyt adj.
strict
streytly adv.
strictly, exactly
sweven(e) n.
dream
swich, swilc adj.
such, the same
swink(e) n., v.
physical labor, work
swithe, swithely adv.
very, very
much, quickly
swive v.
have sex with
sy p.
saw
syn conj.
since
T
than(ne) adv.
then
that pron.
what
thee, theen v.
thrive
(so moot I thee, as I may
prosper)
ther as conj.
in which, where
thilke adj.
this, that same
this, thise
these
tho adv.
when, then
tho pron., adj. 
those
thoughte v.
seemed (me
thoughte, it thoughte me
, it
seemed to me)
thries adv.
thrice
thriftili adv.
properly, suitably
til(l) prep.
to
to prep.
until
togidre adv.
together
touchyng(e) prep.
concerning
travail(le) n., v.
work
triste n., adj.
trust
trowe v.
trust, think, believe
trowing ger.
belief, opinion
twey num.
two
U
uche adj.
each
unbuxomnes(se) n.
disobedience
unethe, unneth(e) adv.
with
difficulty, rarely, scarcely,
virtually
V
verreili, verreilich(e), verrily adv.
truly

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Glossary
283
verrey, verray, verry adj.
true
vilein n.
unfree tenant, commoner
vileynye adv.
rudeness, discourtesy
vitaille n.
victuals, food
W
weit(e) see
wit(e)
wend(e) v.
go
wenden ppl.
believed
wen(e), weene v.
believe, anticipate,
suppose, think, imagine
wern(e) v.
deny, refuse
werrey see
verrey
werrily see
verreili
whan, whanne adv., conj.
when
whylom adv.
once, once upon a
time, formerly
wif n.
woman, wife
wight n.
person, creature
wisse v.
instruct, advise, guide, direct
wiste p.
knew
wit n.
consciousness, reason,
wisdom, intelligence
wit prep.
with
wit(e), weit(e) v.
know, find out,
understand
withal, withalle adv.
also, indeed
wol v.
will
wolde v.
would, wished, would
wish
won(e) v., p.
live, reside, dwell;
accustomed, habituated
wonede n.
dwelling
wood, wod(e) adj.
insane
woot, wot v.
know, knows
worthe v.
be, become
wost(e) p.
knew, learned
wrooth, wroth adj.
angry,
apprehensive
wust ppl.
known
Y
yaf p.
gave
ye interj.
yea, indeed
ye see
eye
yede p.
went
yen see
eyen
yerne adv.
enthusiastically,
earnestly
yeve(n), yive v.
give
yif conj.
if
yis adv.
yes, yes indeed

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284
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