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Middle English Vocabulary
Basic Middle
English Word List for London Dialect
Since there
is no standardized spelling in the fourteenth century, be
alert for words that look like one thing but mean another.
Also watch for metathesis (inverted letters) such as spelling
the word "Bird" as "Brid." A final warning: quoting sources
written in Middle English will annoy your computer's spell-check.
Allow extra time for proof-reading.
- al, al be, al be that:
although, even if
- als, also: also, as
- anon: at once, immediately
- aventure: chance
- bet: better
- but, but if: unless
- can, kan, conne, con, konne:
to be able, to know, to know how; to learn, to understand.
- cas, caas: case, situation,
event; chance, accident; fate
- certes: certainly
- clepe(n): call, name, mention
- conseil: council; to counsel
or advise; secret(s), confidence(s)
- corage: heart; spirit;
courage; desire
- curious: careful, diligent;
skillful; eager; skillfully made
- daunger: lordship, power,
control; ungraciousness, disdain
- degree: rank, status, social
condition
- del, deel: bit, part
- deme, deeme: judge, decide;
suppose (Mn. E. "deem")
- do, doon: to do, cause.
doon make: cause to be made
- drede: doubt "it is no
drede" (there is no doubt).
- eek, eke: also
- er, ere: before
- estaat: state, condition;
rank, standing
- everich: every; each
- eyen, eien, yen: eyes (see
also "ye" for the singular)
- falle: fall; befall, happen
- fare: fare, go; act, behave
- fayne: glad; as an adverb,
gladly, willingly, eagerly
- for: because (of); for;
in order that
- foul: disagreeable; evil;
miserable
- fre, free: noble, gracious,
generous; free
- fro: from (as in "to and
fro")
- gan, gan to: did (past
tense aux. verb); began to
- gentilesse: refined character,
high breeding, nobility, courtesy
- go, goon: to walk, to go
- grace: a favor; grace;
mercy, pardon; honor, distinction
- gyse: guise; manner, way,
fashion, custom
- han: have (contracted form
of Old and Middle English "haven")
- hap: chance, luck; good
fortune; occurrence (as in Mn. English "happenstance")
- hatan: called, named; ordered;
hated
- hende: clever, noble, courteous
(Mn. English "handy")
- hente(n): to seize, grasp
- highte: is called, is named;
was called, was named
- ilke: same
- intil: unto; as far as
- kinde: nature, race, stock,
species, sort; natural disposition
- koude: knew; knew how to;
could
- lat: let
- leef, lief, leve: dear,
beloved; pleasant, agreeable
- lewed: ignorant, unlearned;
coarse, rude; wicked
- like(n), lyke(n): to like,
enjoy (often in impers. constructions; e.g., me liketh:
it pleases me).
- list, lest: to please (often
occurs in impers. constructions; e.g., "me list," it pleases
me)
- lite, lyte: little
- lust: pleasure; desire
- maistry: domination, mastery
- micel, michel, mickel:
much, many
- mo: more
- moot, moote: may, must
ought to
- so moot I, also moot I,
ever moot I: as I hope
- also so moote I thee:
as I hope to prosper
- most, moste: must; most
- mowe: may (pres. plural
of mowen)
- namely: especially
- nas: was not (contraction
of ne was.)
- nat: not
- ne: not, nor
- nere: were not (contraction
of ne were)
- niste: knew not (contraction
of ne wiste)
- nolde: would not (contraction
of ne wolde)
- not, noot: knows not (contraction
of ne woot)
- nyce: ignorant, foolish,
weak; wanton; precise, scrupulous
- nys, nis: is not (contraction
of ne is)
- nyste: knew not, did not
know (contraction of ne wiste)
- paraventure: perhaps
- povre: poor (like French
pauvre)
- quit, quite: (infinitive)
to reciprocate, repay; (past part.) repaid
- quod: said
- rede, reede: advice, counsel;
to advise, to counsel. (Cf. Old English raed)
- sen, syn: since
- sely: blessed, innocent;
good; kind; happy; poor; wretched; hapless (Cf. Mn. Irish
seelie, Mn. English silly)
- sentence: opinion, sentiments;
moral meaning, significance
- siker: certain, sure, true
- sikerly: certainly, surely,
truly
- sit: sits (contraction
of sitteth)
- sith, sithen: since (not
to be confused with Darth Vader's domain)
- solas: comfort, solace;
amusement, entertainment; pleasure
- solempne: formal; solemn,
serious; ceremonious; festive; merry
- sore, soore: bitterly,
sorely
- sooth, sothe: truth (Mn.
English "Soothsayer")
- soothfastnesse: truth;
truthfulness
- stint, stente, stynthe:
cease, stop; restrain
- sterte: jump, leap, spring,
move suddenly (like Mn. English "start," and "startle."
- sweven: a dream, a nocturnal
vision
- swich: such
- thee, theen: to prosper
(infinitive)
- ther, there: there; where
- thilke: the same (contraction
of "the ilke")
- tho: then
- trowe(n): to believe
- unnethe: scarcely, hardly;
with difficulty
- verray: true (Cf. Mn. French
"Vrai" and Mn. English "very")
- war: aware; wary; prudent
- wende(n): to go, pass,
walk (infinitive).
- wende: thought, supposed
(past tense Old English wenan, Mn. English "ween")
- whilom: once, once upon
a time; formerly
- wight: a person; a creature
- wiste: knew
- wol: will
- wood: mad, crazy; madly
- woot: knows (from "wit")
- wyse: wise; way, manner
- y-: as a verb prefix, it
indicates the past participle.
- yaf: gave
- ye, ey, yghe: eye
- yep: new; keen; fresh (primarily
Northumbrian)
- yif: if; give
- ywis: certainly, surely
*The choice of words for this list originates
in materials provided to me by Professors Martha Bayless and
James Boren at the University of Oregon English Department,
and by Professor Shearle Furnish of West Texas A& M University.
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