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(delwedd B8540) (tudalen i)
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A GLOSSARY
OF
PROVINCIAL WORDS AND PHRASES
IN USE IN
WILTSHIRE.
BY
JOHN YONGE AKERMAN,
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, Edinburgh, and
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Honorary Member of the Royal Society of Antiquaries
of France.
LONDON:
JOHN RUSSELL SMITH,
OLD COMPTON STREET, SOHO.
M.DCCC.XLII.
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(delwedd B8540b) (tudalen i-B)
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It is the intention of the compiler to add the profits which may accrue from
the publication of this work, to the found now collecting to defray the expenses
of building a school-house for the children of labouring persons in the
parish of Broad Blunsdon, in Wiltshire.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY J. WERTHEIMER AND CO.,
CIRCUS PLACE, FINSBURY CIRCUS.
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(delwedd B8541) (tudalen ii)
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"
Our sparkfull youth laugh at their great grandfathers’
English, who had more care to do well, than to speak
minion like, and left more glory to us by their exploiting
of great acts than we shall do by our forging anew words
and uncuth phrases.
" Great, verily, was the glory of our tongue before the
Norman Conquest, in this, that the Old English could
express most aptly all the conceits of the mind in their
own tongue without borrowing from any.’* — Camden^$
Remainet, p. 25, edit. 1636.
f
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(delwedd B8542) (tudalen iii)
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3PREFACE.
** Thb etymologist," says Cornelius
Agrippa in
the preface to his remarkable work on "The
vanity of the arts and sciences," in which he
anticipates the resentment of their various pro-
fessors — ** the etymologist will derive my name
from the gout /"*
Bearing this bitter sarcasm in lively remem-
brance, I trust I have not gone too far for
derivations in the list of provincial words which
follows, and that my anxiety to prove them
will not provoke the censure or the ridicule of
the critic and the scholar.
Having, in my boyhood, resided in a district
of North Wiltshire remote from large towns,
I became acquainted with many — I may say
nearly all — the provincialisms in use by the
rural population; and the cares and anxieties
* Etymologiis suis Agrippa nomen indent podagricum.
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(delwedd B8543) (tudalen iv)
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IV
PREFACE.
of later life have not been sufficient to efilEice
them from my memory: but, great was my
astonishment and delight, when, on my first
acquaintance with Anglo-Saxon literature, I
discovered that what for many generations past
has been considered a barbarous and vulgar
jargon, was once the language of Bede, of
Alfred, and of Aelfric!
This will scarcely be credited by persons less
familiar than myself with these provincialisms;
but, I am persuaded that any doubt they may
entertain, will be dispelled on comparing the
words in the list with those of similar signifi-
cation in the Anglo-Saxon language. Some of
these derivations are palpable and indisputable,
while many words are retained to this hour as
they originally existed.
Every educated man knows that the basis of
our language is the Anglo-Saxon; but, it may
be questioned whether many persons are aware
of the existence of so many primitive Anglo-
Saxon words in the dialects of the West of
England.
The phrase "Dialects of the West of En-
gland," will be well understood by those who
have made provincialisms their study. They
t ■
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(delwedd B8544) (tudalen v)
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PREFACE.
V
will not require to be told, that this dialect,
with its modifications, prevails among the rural
population of the counties of Devon, Dorset,
Somerset, Hants, Wilts, Berks, Hereford, part
of Warwick, and even Surrey, Sussex, and
Kent; and that there are a few words which
alone will suffice to identify a native of those
counties, and distinguish him from a native of
the more Northern provinces. The title, master,
will suffice. In the West this word is pro-
nounced measter, or maester; but in the North
maister, muster or musther. On the other hand,
there are certain words which are occasionally
pronounced the same, in nearly every part of
England. Among these are
Coom for Come.
Lang — Long.
Fram — From.
Mon — Man.
Crud — Curd.
The only difference is, that in the north of
England these words are invariably thus pro-
nounced, while in the west, the pronunciation
differs sometimes even in the same village.
Similar variations may be discovered in
Saxon writings, where in the same page come
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(delwedd B8545) (tudalen vi)
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VI
PREFACB.
is spelt cym, cum, and cum, an irregularity
which leads to the inference that the word was
pronounced differently, and that the scribe was
perplexed by it.
There is another fact which denotes the
common origin of the English Language, much
as the dialects differ in many respects. This
consists in the transposition of vowel and con-
sonant, or rather in the retention of the ancient
orthography. Thus we find in the West of
England,
Hapse for Hasp.
Wapse — Wasp.
Thurgh— Through.
Girt — Great.
Claps — Clasp.
"While in the North of England we have
Crud for Curd.
Brid — Bird.
and several others.
There is a pecuHarity in the dialects of the
West of England, which deserves especial
notice: this is the sound of the diphthong oi
as wi. Thus spw^ile, for spoil. The w is
also often sounded before a vowel, as st«;one,
for stone; tti^oad for toad, &c.: while the o is
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(delwedd B8546) (tudalen vii)
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PRBFACB.
Vll
frequently converted into o, as shart for short,
fark for fork, &c. These peculiarities may be
traced wherever the West-country dialect is
spoken, and distinguish it in a marked manner
from the dialects of the North of England.
With regard to the sound of the vowel a, it has
been observed that it is invariably like a in hall
or fall; but this is not always the case; many,
and especially the old people, give it the sound
of ae or ea, and such was doubtless the pro-
nunciation of the Saxon Ml, all,
*’ If the consonants, those natural sinews of
words and language," says Mr. Bosworth,
"suffer such changes, it may safely be pre-
sumed that those flexible and yielding symbols
—the vowels — should be exposed to still greater
confusion; — a confusion almost sufficient to
induce one to imagine that they are of no
weight or authority in Anglo-Saxon ortho-
graphy."* These remarks on the Anglo-Saxon
language, apply to the pronunciation of the
dialects of the West of England, in which we
find all sorts of liberties taken with the vowels.
The list which follows might be greatly
enlarged, if mere corruptions and vulgarisms
♦ Elements of Anglo-Saxon
Grammar, 8vo. p. 51.
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(delwedd B8547) (tudalen viii)
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Vlll
PREFACE.
were admitted as in some glossaries which have
been published during the last ten years, and
which serve to swell the number of words
without adding one jot of philological informa-
tion: nevertheless, if I had not aimed at con-
ciseness, I should have inserted many words of
well known meaning, which are to this day
pronounced in Wiltshire precisely as we may
suppose they were pronounced among the
Anglo-Saxons. Among these are Sheawe,
Sceape, show; Sheame, Sceame, or Sceome,
shame; Neowe, Neop, new; Navvel, Napel,
navel; Niddle, Naebl, needle; and many others.
It is evident that several compilers of works
of this description, have set down to their task
in utter ignorance of the Anglo-Saxon lan-
guage; and, consequently, not being aware of
the irregularities in the orthography of that
language, have looked in vain for the deriva-
tions of words which otherwise might have
been readily illustrated.* In saying this I do
not pretend to a critical knowledge of the
Anglo-Saxon tongue; and, I trust, these re-
marks will not be taken in ill part, but rather
* This remark applies only to some of these glossaries,
but to mention their titles would be invidious.
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(delwedd B8548) (tudalen ix)
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PREFACE.
IX
have the effect of stimulating to further inquiry
those who are desirous of illustrating the pro-
vincial dialect of their native county. A Uttle
more care, and one half of the industry they
have manifested, will, if directed to the proper
source, amply reward them for their trouble:
they will find that, instead of our primitive
words being derived from foreign languages,
they are, in nearly every instance, of decided
Anglo-Saxon origin, thus justifying the remark
of Camden, that " the Old EngHsh could
express most aptly, all the conceits of the mind
in their own tongue, without borrowing from
any."
In conclusion, I fear that I may have over-
looked some words which ought to have found
a place in this vocabulary. Should this be dis-
covered by those into whose hands it may fall,
I entreat that I may be favoured with a commu-
nication; and if the work should ever reach a
second edition, due acknowledgment shall be
made, and proper attention paid to such addi-
tions and emendations as may be required.
J. Y. Akerman.
Lbwisham, Kent,
26th April, 1842.
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(delwedd B8549) (tudalen x)
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10
For the convenience of those who are un-
acquainted with Anglo-Saxon, the alphabet is
here given.
S a a
B b
b P P
p E c c*
R P
r D b d
S r s
Ee e e T
c t F p
f D )>«
th K s gt
U u u
H h h F
p w I 1
• 1 X
X X L 1
1 Y •
y y MCO m
m Z z
z N n n
* C before a vowel is frequently sounded as Ch.
t G in the middle of a word is often liquid, and
sometimes is suppressed altogether.
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(delwedd B8550) (tudalen 001)
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A
GLOSSARY,
Ssc.
A.
Afeard, Aveard. Afraid. This and some
of the following words may be found in
Chaucer and other early English writers.
Aftermath. A.S. -^ptep, after; and MatS,
mathy a, mowing. See also Lattermath.
A g g. To hack, to cut clumsily.
All a hoh. All on one side. A.S. Apoh.
All amang. All among, mingled; as when
two flocks of sheep are driven together.
Alius. Always.
B
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(delwedd B8551) (tudalen 002)
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2
All in a charm. "They are all in a charm,"
they are all talking aloud. See Charm.
All in a muggle. All in a litter.
Amwoast. Almost.
A n a n. ‘Nan. What do you say?
Anchor. The chape of a buckle.
Aneust, or Aneoust. Much the same,
" neoust of a neoustness/’ nearly alike.
A n i g h s t. Near to.
Anont, Anunt. Against, opposite.
A p a s t. Past, after, beyond.
A r c h e t. An orchard.
Arra-one. Ever a one.
Athert. Athwart.
A thin. Within.
Athout. Without.
A 1 1 e r y. Irascible, choleric.
A t w o. Divided, separated.
Avore, Afore. Before.
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(delwedd B8552) (tudalen 003)
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3
Awver drow. To overthrow, to upset.
A X. To ask, to enquire. A.S. Acpan, to ask.
Ax occurs frequently in Chaucer, and
other old writers of a later period than
that poet.
Ax en. Ashes. A.S. Axan.
B.
Bachelor’s Buttons. The wild scabious.
Backside. The back yard or court of a
house; ** Backside and appurtenances" is
yet used in legal instruments.
Backsword. The game of single-stick. This
does not appear to be an early term; it
was probably adopted at the time of the
introduction of the rapier in England;
the backsword, or sword with a back, being
a cutting, and not a thrusting weapon.
Bad, Bod. To take off the husks of walnuts.
Badger. A corn-dealer. I am at a loss for
the etymology of this word. It is evi-
dently a corruption; — the first syllable,
perhaps, from Bepe, barley; the other
from Eepepa, a reeve or bailiff.
Bag. The udder of a cow.
Bane. To afflict with mortal disease. A.S.
Bana« destruction.
Bannis, Banticle, Bannistickle. The
fish called the Sticclehack. A.S. Ban, a
bone; and Sticel, a prick or sting.
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(delwedd B8553) (tudalen 004)
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4 B
a n n u t. A walnut. Could this fruit have
received its name from the bone-like ap-
pearance of the shell? Somner says
Wal-hnut, signifies bi, foreign nut.
Barken. An enclosed place^ as a rick-barken,
a rick -yard; but the proper name is evi-
dently BarteUf from Bepe, barley; and
cun, an enclosure.
Barm. Yeast. A.S. Beopma. This is the
usual term for yeast in Wiltshire; though
the Anglo-Saxon word, Erift, is used as
well as Beopma.
Baste. To beat. This word is clearly from
the Norman French Bastonner.
Bavin. A faggot untrimmed.
Beet. To replenish fire with fuel. A. S.
Betan, to make better, to improve, to
restore. " When joined with pyp, fire^^
observes Mr. Bosworth, "it signifies to
mend or repair a fire."
B e 11 o c k. To cry out or roar when beaten,
or frightened; a corruption of Bellow.
Bennets, Bents. The seed-stalks of grass.
They have an old rhyme in Wiltshire —
" Pigeons never know no woe,
Till they a bennetting do go;"
meaning that pigeons at this time are com-
pelled to feed on the seed of the bent, the
stubbles being cleared and the crops not
being ripe.
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(delwedd B8554) (tudalen 005)
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5
Besom. A.S. Befom. A birch-broom.
B e t w i t. To taunt, to upbraid .
Bibble. To tipple.
Bibbler. Corruption of bibber, a tippler.
A.S. Bebp, a cup.
Bide. "I shall be glad to see ‘e where I do
bide." A. S. Byan, to dwell; Bye, a
dwelling.
Bide, v*n. To stay, to remain.
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(delwedd B8555) (tudalen 006)
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6 Bill. A
bill-hook.
Bird-batting. The catching of birds by
night with a net known as the bat folding
net.
Bist. art. A.S. fu bijt;, thou art.
Bittle. A beetle. A.S. Bitel, Bed.
B latch. Black, sooty.
Blather. A bladder.
Bleeding-heart. The wall-flower.
Blink. A spark of fire: glimmering or inter-
mittent light. A.S. Blin, ceasing, rest,
intermission. Ben Jonson in his Sad
Shepherd, Act 2, Scene 6, uses the
words " withouten blin." Butan Blinne,
is used in Saxon MSS. in the same sense.
Blissey. A blaze. A.S. Blyfa, a torch;
Blifiep, an incendiary.
B 1 o b b s. Water blobs, water lillies.
Bloody Warrior. The dark coloured
wall-flower.
Bloomy. Hot. "Bloomy hot."
Blowings. Blossoms.
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(delwedd B8556) (tudalen 007)
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7 Bobbant,
Bochant. A romping forward
girl.
Bobbish. "Purty bobbish, thank’e," pretty
well.
Boistins. The first milk of a cow after
calving. A.S. Beojr, Byjr, Byjtinj.
Bolderstones. Large insulated stones
found on the Downs and sometimes in the
vallies. The word is now used in geology
for a stone which has been rolled in an
antediluvian torrent.
Boy’s love. The herb southern wood.
Bran new. They have also vire new. These
terms may have been originally applied to
things fresh from the forge.
Brave. In good health, hearty.
Brevet about. To beat about, as a dog for
game,
Brow. Brittle. I am at a loss for the ety-
mology of this word: there is the Saxon
Bpip, a fragment.
Bucking. A washing.
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(delwedd B8557) (tudalen 008)
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8
Bunt. To strike with the head, as a young
animal pushes the udder of its dam.
Bur. The sweetbread of a calf or lamb.
Burrow, oftener Bur*. A rabbit burrow, a
place of shelter. Come into the bur’,
means come on the leward side of a hedge
out of the wind. The Anglo-Saxon Buph,
used for a town, meant originally a place of
shelter.
B u 1 1 r y. A cottage pantry. Skinner derives
the word Buttery from the French Bouter,
a place where provisions are laid up.
c.
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(delwedd B8558) (tudalen 009)
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9 Caddie.
A dispute, noise, contention, con-
fusion. " Don’t caddie me," don’t tease
me. A cadlin person, means a trouble-
some or annoying one.
Callow-Wablin. A callow unfledged bird.
A.S. Calo, bald, without hair. Wabble,
to walk in a floundering and unsteady
manner.
Canker. A fungus, a toadstool. ** Toad’s
cheese."
Cantankerous. Contentious, quarrelsome.
Carriage. A drain, water carriage.
Cass’n. Canst not.
Cats’ cradle. A child’s game played with a
piece of string, " scratch cradle."
Cham. To chew, champ.
Charm. " They are all in a charm," they are
all talking loud. A.S. Cyjim, a noise,
shout, clamour: jynnijpa cypm, uproar
of sinners. — Ccedmouy xxxiv. 17.
C h a w m. A chasm, a crack in the ground.
C h i 1 V e r. An ewe lamb. A.S. Cilpeplamb.
Thwaites* HepL Leviticus v. 6.
C h i m 1 e y. A chimney.
C h i s m. To germinate. See the succeeding
word.
Chit. To bud, or germinate. A.S. Cit$.
The tender shoot of a herb from the root
upwards; hence the term " little chit"
applied to a child. ** The whate be chitting
a*ter thease rains."
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(delwedd B8559) (tudalen 010)
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10
Chitterlings. The entrails. The entrails
of a pig cleaned and boiled, are a common
dish in Wiltshire. The word is also
applied to an old-fashioned frill in the
west of England, as — " here comes old
Warder wi’ his chitterlin vrill."
C h o r, C h a r. To do household work in the
absence of a domestic servant, as a char-
woman. In Wiltshire they say, "one good
choor deserves another/* instead of one
good turn, &c.
Chop. To exchange, to barter. A.S. Cope-
man, a merchant, a dealer. It may safely
be conjectured that in primitive times
almost all dealings were a system of barter,
and that Chope-man was as often applied
to a dealer as Cheap-man.
Chump. A log of wood.
Clane. Clean. A.S. Clane or Claen.
Claps. A clasp.
C 1 a t. A cowclat, cow dung. A.S. Clut?
C 1 a u t. The Marsh Ranunculus. " As yellow
as a claut.**
J *• • •
^ * mm
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(delwedd B8560) (tudalen 011)
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11
C 1 a V y. A mantel- piece. Mr. Jennings thinks
that this word, which is used in Somerset-
shire, is derived from the practice of
hanging or keeping keys on the shelf
above the fire place, which seems highly
probable; though I am inclined to think
that the word is not derived from the
Latin Clavis, but rather from the French,
Clavier, a chain on which keys are strung.
C lee t. A patch. A.S. Cleoc, a clout. Hence
the white patch in the Target was called
" the clout."
C 1 e e t, to. To mend with a patch.
Clim. To climb. The i is sounded in this
word as in hinge.
Clout. A box on the ear.
C 1 u m. To handle roughly or clumsily. A.S.
Clom, a band, bond, bandage, chain, &c.
Clumian, to keep close, press, &c.
C 1 y t e n. An unhealthy appearance, especially
in children.
Clytenish. Sickly, pale, unhealthy looking.
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(delwedd B8561) (tudalen 012)
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1^
Clytes. The herb aparine. A.S. Clate, a
burr. This weed is considered excellent
food for goslings, who are very fond of it.
Cobnut. A child’s game with nuts. In the
Isle of Wight a cob-nut is a large
nut.
Cock-sqwoilin. The barbarous practice of
throwing at cocks, formerly a custom at
Shrove-tide. This unmanly pastime is, I
fear, not entirely abolished in some parts
of England. I have seen the poor un-
fledged nestlings of small birds stuck upon
a gate post and thrown at by countrymen.
Query if the word Sqwoiliuy is from
Cpellan, to kill? Sqwoilin is also used
for throwing.
Colley. The soot on a kettle. Shakspeare
uses the word Collied, and the word Collier
comes from the Anglo-Saxon Col, Coal.
Coom hedderl Addressed to horses in a
team. A.S. Eum, come; Hibep, hither.
See "Ga ooti"
C r a i s e y. The butter-cup. Supposed cor-
ruption of crows-eye.
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(delwedd B8562) (tudalen 013)
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13
C r a u p. preU of to creep.
Craw. The bosom, the crop of a bird: ** a
spelt th’ drenk down’s craw!" he spilt the
drink down his bosom.
C r e e n y. Small, diminutive.
Crim. A small quantity. Dutch, Kruim, a
crumb, a fragment.
Crock. A pot; more commonly applied to an
earthen pot: hence " crockery ware."
A.S. Cpocca, a pot or pitcher.
((
that shent all the browet.
And cast adoun the Crokk the col^s amyd."
Deposition of Richard II. p. 10, v. 3.
Cross-grained. Ill tempered, peevish,
irritable.
Crowner. A Coroner. This officer is so
called by Shakspeare and other writers of
the Elizabethan age.
Crusty, Surly.
Cubby-hole. A snug place.
Cue. The shoe of an ox.
Cull. Tom Cull— the fish called "Miller’s
Thumb."
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(delwedd B8563) (tudalen 014)
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14
Cusnation, An expletive compounded of
curse and nation.
Cute. Acute, This supposed mutilation of
the word has been carried across the
Atlantic I but its original is, perhaps, the
A.S. Cut5e, expert, able.
Dabster. A proficient.
Dad dick; Rotten wood.
Dad dicky. Decayed, rotten.
D aglets. Icicles. A.S. Daaj, Daj, any-
thing hanging or dangling.
Dain. Noisome, or infectious effluvia.
Da’ us, Day’us, Deyhus. A dairy. The
word is always pronounced as the Anglo-
Saxon Huf, thus BrevfhuSf Woodhus, &c.
Deaw. Dew. A.S. Deap.
Deawbit. A breakfast, a meal taken while
the dew is on the grass. A.S. Deap,
dew, and Bite, a biie or bit.
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(delwedd B8564) (tudalen 015)
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15
Deawbitter, A dewbeater; one who has
large feet or who turns his toes out, so
that he brushes the dew off the grass in
walking.
D e a w-c 1 a w. A dewclaw.
Desperd. Desperate.
Dewsiers. The valves of a pig’s heart.
Grose says this is a corruption of Jews’
ears.
Dishwasher. The wagtail. In the north
of Wiltshire this name is often given
to the yellow wagtail only; but in other
parts of the county it is given to both
descriptions of wagtail, doubtless from the
constant sweeping motion of its tail.
Dock. The common mallow, to which great
medicinal virtues are attributed by the
country people. A decoction of dock-root
called " dock-root tea," is considered an
excellent purifier of the blood; and the
leaf is supposed to be good for the sting
of a nettle. When a child is stung, he
plucks a dock-leaf, and, laying it on the
part affected, sings —
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(delwedd B8565) (tudalen 016)
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**
Out ‘ettle,
In Dock,
Dock zhall ha’
A new smock;
‘Ettle zhant
Ha* narrun!"
In Chaucer’s " Troilus and Cressida," the
expression " Nettle in Docke out," has
much puzzled the glossarists.
Doff. To do off, to doff the coat or hat.
Dogged. Very, excessive, as dogged cutCy
always pronounced as two syllables, —
dog-ged.
Don. To put on, to do on.
D o n n i n g s. Clothes, apparel.
D u t. To extinguish, to put out.
Dowel. The devil. A.S. Deopol.
Downarg. To contradict, to argue in an
overbearing manner.
Dowse. A blow. " A Dowse in th’ chops."
Dow sty. Dusty.
Drattle. A corruption of a profane oath,
" God throttle," but not thus understood
now.
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(delwedd B8566) (tudalen 017)
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17
D r a w t. The throat.
Drouth. Thirst. A.S. DpujatSe, or Dpujo^e.
D r u t h y. Thirsty, dry.
Drowd. Thrown.
Drowning-hridge. A sluice-gate.
D u b h e d. Blunt, without point.
Dubbin o’ drenk. A mug of beer.
D u d d e r, or D u t h e r. To confuse, deafen,
confound with noise.
D u d g e. A barrell; " peg the dudge" — tap
the barrel.
Dumble dore. The humble bee. Dumble,
dull or stupid; and Dopa, a drone.
Dumble, Dummell, orDomell. Stupid,
dull.
Dumpy. Short, stunted. Now generally used.
Dunch. Deaf. " Dunch as a bittle," deaf
as a beetle.
Dunch-dumpling. A hard dumpling,
made of flour and water.
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(delwedd B8567) (tudalen 018)
|
18
E.
Earnest. See " Yemest," deposit
money
given to bind a bargain.
Eath, or Yeath. Earth.
E e z. Yes. The Anglo-Saxon response Iryj-e,
must have had the exact sound of this
word, the g being but slightly sounded, or,
perhaps, sometimes not sounded at all:
thus Eeclypobe, under the Normans,
became yclyped, and the Ce prefixed to so
many Saxon words, made room for y.
Elder n. An elder tree, anything made of
elder.
E 1 m i n. Made of elm, *< an elmin tree."
Em p t. To empty, to pour out.
E o w. An ewe. A.S. Eap, or Eopa.
Ether Edder. A hedge; also the twisted
wands with which a "stake hedge" is made.
They have a rhyme in Wiltshire on the
formation of a " stake and ether hedge" —
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(delwedd B8568) (tudalen 019)
|
19
*’ An eldem stake and black-thorn ether,
Will make a hedge to last for ever."
They say that an elder stake will last in
the ground longer than an iron bar of the
same size. Both these words are from
the Anglo-Saxon, E8ep and Ebop.
E 1 1 1 e. A nettle.
Evet, or Effet. An eft. A.S. Epeca,
Epece.
F.
Faggot. A trimmed bundle of fire wood. A
word generally known, derived from the
French Fagot. See Bavin.
Fags. I’fags. Indeed! truly! Ffaith.
Fang. To strangle, to bind a wounded limb
and stop the flow of blood. The Anglo-
Saxon Fan^, signifies a taking; but it is
probable that it was also used for binding;
the binding of a thief must have been
included in the old manorial rights of
infangetheofe and outfangetheofe.
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(delwedd B8569) (tudalen 020)
|
20
Fashion. A corruption of Farcey, a disease
in horses. An old Wiltshire farmer, when
his grand-daughters appeared before him
with any new piece of finery, would ask
what it all meant. The girls would reply,
^^fashiout granVather!" when the old
man would rejoin, " Ha! many a good
horse has died o* th’ fashion!"
F e a t i s h. Fair, tolerable, middling. " How
be ‘e?" " Featish, thank’e."— " There’s a
featish crop o* grass yander I" Chaucer
says of the prioress —
" And Frenche she spake ful fayre and fetisly."
ProL to Cant. Tales,
Fend. A term used by boys at play by way
of interdiction. French Defendre?
F i 1 1 e n. A pretence.
F 1 e m. A farrier’s lancet for bleeding cattle.
Flem-stick. The small staff used to strike
the flem into the vein.
Flick, or Vlick. The fat of a pig before it
is melted down into lard.
Flitch. Impertinently busy, lively. A.S.
Flitan? to strive, contend, dispute, rebel, &c.
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(delwedd B8570) (tudalen 021)
|
21
Fluke, or Fiook. A hydatid worm found
in the livers of rotten sheep; so called,
probably, from its resemblance to the
plaice, A.S. Floe.
Flump. To fall down heavily, " to come down
flump like a twoad from roost."
Flush. Fledged.
F o o t y. Paltry, trifling, valueless.
Fot, or Vot. pret, of to fetch.
Fractious. Quarrelsome, fretful.
Fresh liquor- Unsalted hogs’ fat.
Froar. Frozen.
F r u m. Fresh, juicy; applied to corn, grass,
vegetables, &c. Fpum in Anglo-Saxon,
signifies original^ primitive^ first. Fpum-
cyn, is seed. But the word may be from
Fpom, strong,, stout.
Fusty. Thirsty.
F u z. Furze.
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(delwedd B8571) (tudalen 022)
|
22
G.
Gabbern. Large, comfortless, illcontrived
rooms or houses are called Gabbern. The
first syllable of this word seems to have
some relation to the one which follows; the
second is evidently from the A.S. Epn, a
house, or place.
(i a by. A stupid or silly fellow.
G a 1 1 e r e d. Gallowed, frightened.
Galley crow. A scare crow in a garden,
called in the Isle of Wight " a galley
baggar." These words appear to be
formed from the Anglo-Saxon Cselan, to
frighten, terrify.
Gaily. To frighten.
Gambrel. An iron or wooden splinter used
in hanging up a pig, sheep, &c., by the
tendons of the hock.
Ga oot. A.S. Ira ute, go outwards! Ad-
dressed to horses in a team. See C o o m
h e d d e r.
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(delwedd B8572) (tudalen 023)
|
23
Game. A garden.
G a w n e y. A simpleton.
Gear. The harness of horses, &c.
G e a t. A gate. A.S. Ixeac. See also Y a t e
and Yeat.
Gee. To agree, to go on well together.
G i e. To give.
Girt. Great.
G i X. The dry stalks of hemlock. See Kecks.
G 1 o X. The sound of liquids when shaken in
a harrel.
G I u t c h. To swallow.
Grained. Dirty. Shakspere uses the words,
‘* black and grained spots.’* — Hamlet,
Act. iii. Scene 4.
G r a m f e r. Grandfather.
G r a m m e r. Grandmother.
Grip. A grip of wheat is the handful grasped
in reaping. A.S. Iljiip, a gripe or grasp.
Grist, Griz. To gnash and shew the teeth
angrily. A.S. Iipijt;, a grinding.
)7a&p by^ pop anb copa jpifcbicunj.
Matt, XXV. 30,
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(delwedd B8573) (tudalen 024)
|
24
G r m. A forked stick used by thatchers for
carrying bundles of straw.
Gubbarn. A foul, filthy place, a gutter, a
drain.
Gule. r. to laugh, to sneer, to make mouths.
This word appears to be of Norman
French origin, and to be analogous to our
term " making mouths" or grinning.
Gumption. Ingenuity, common sense.
G u r g e n s. Pollard, coarse flour.
G u s s. The girth of a saddle.
Guzzle. A filthy drain.
Guzzle. To drink voraciously.
H.
Hackle. The straw cover of a bee-hive,
the straw covering of the apex of a rick.
The Anglo-Saxon Hsecla, signifies a cloak
or mantle.
Hackle, r. to agree together.
Hackle. The mane of a hog.
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(delwedd B8574) (tudalen 025)
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25
H a i n. A field of grass preserved for mowing.
H a k k e r. To tremble with passion. A.S. Acol.
pojihc 3 dcol, afraid and trembling.
Ccedmon, p. 117, v. 18.
H a m e s. The pieces of wood attached to the
collar of a horse in drawing.
H a n d e r. The second to a pugilist.
Handy. Skilful, clever.
Handy. Near to.
Haps. A hasp. A.S. Ha&pj*.
Harl. Entangled, knotted.
H a r n e n. Made of horn. A.S. Hypnen.
H arrest. Harvest.
Harvest-row. The shrew mouse. A.S.
Ha&pejieft, harvest; and Scpeapa, a shrew.
Somner says that this little animal, by
biting cattle, so envenoms them that they
die. Mr. Bosworth, in his valuable dic-
tionary of the Anglo-Saxon language,
observes, that this is a fable, and that the
term shrew was, in consequence of the
belief in it, applied to a woman of viru-
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(delwedd B8575) (tudalen 026)
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26
lent tongue. Dr. Johnson also repudiates
the helief in the poisonous qualities of the
shrew-mouse; hut there seem to be some
grounds for the popular notion in country-
districts. During my walks of a sum-
mer’s evening, I have often found a dead
shrew-mouse lying in my path with half-
a-dozen blue-bottles buzzing its requiem,
and have been much puzzled to discover
the cause of its death. After repeated
examinations, I have failed to discern the
slightest puncture by which blood had been
drawn. I have always supposed that these
creatures were the vanquished in single
combats between the males, and that a very
minute wound, though not sufficient to
produce blood, was capable of inflicting
death. I shall mention one more circum-
stance, and then leave the habits of this
curious animal to be studied by our natural-
ists. I have often seen cats bring the
shrew-mouse into the house and kill it,
but they never ate it!
Hash. Harsh, rough, severe. A.S. Hafpe.
hafpe hepe-ftpa&ca, rugged army roads. —
Ccedmon 157, 29.
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(delwedd B8576) (tudalen 027)
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27
Hatch. A half door. The buttery hatch, in
old halls, was a half door with a ledge on
the top. A.S. Hseca.
Haulm, Helm, Ham. The stalks of pease,
&c.; as pease-haulm. A.S. Healm.
Hazon. To scold. A.S. Hifcan?
Hecth. Height. The village of Higham in
Kent is in Domesday Book called Hecham.
H e ft. Weight. " Heft un"— feel the weight
of it. Ha&ptan, to take; Hsepe, to heave.
H e 1 e. To pour out of one vessel into another.
H e r e n c e. Hence,
Hereright. Hence. On the spot.
H i d 1 o c k. To be in concealment.
Hike off. To move away hastily, to decamp.
Hilt. A young sow kept for breeding.
Hinge. The heart, liver and lungs of a sheep.
A.S. Injepipe.
Hire. To hear. A.S. Hypan.
Erehype fe 8e eapan ha&bbe. — Luke, viii. 8.
Hit. A good crop. "The apples hit well t*
year." Query, from Ha&tan, to promise?
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(delwedd B8577) (tudalen 028)
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28
Hob-lantern. A Will-o’-the-wisp, a Jack-
o’-lantern.
Hocks. To cut in a haggling unworkmanlike
manner.
Holt. Hold! stop I
Hoop. A bull-finch.
Hosstenger. Horse stinger — the dragon fly.
H o u 8 e n. Plural of house.
Howed for. Provided for.
Huckmuck. A strainer used in brewing.
Hud. V. to hide.
Hudgy. Thick, clumsy.
Hudmedud. The same as Galley crow.
Huff. Strong beer.
Huffed. Offended.
H u n k e d. See U n k e d.
H y n. pron. Him, but more frequently it, ex,
gr. ** poor zowl on hyn .’" — poor sowl of
him. " I cant aupen hynt maester*’ — I
can’t open it, master. I am not aware that
this retention of the Anglo-Saxon pronoun,
Hine or Hyne, has been hitherto noticed.
See the remarks under U n.
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(delwedd B8578) (tudalen 029)
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29
I.
I n n e r d 8. Inwards. ** Pigs innerds,"
entrails,
see Chitterlings. A.S. Innepa&pbe.
In on. An onion.
Ire. Iron.
Izzard. The letter Z.
J.
Jack o’ Lantern. The same as Hob-
lan tern.
Jan. John.
Janders. The jaundice.
Jiffy. A moment of time, a very short space.
Jobbett. A small load. " A mere jobbett."
Jod, The letter J.
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(delwedd B8579) (tudalen 030)
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30
K.
Keatch, Ketch. To congeal.
Keck. t7. to reach as if sick.
Keeker. The wind pipe.
Keeks, Kecks y. The dry stalks of hem-
lock. **As dry as kecks." Used in some
of the more northern counties.
Keep. Growing food for horses or cattle.
Kerf. A layer of hay or turf.
Keys. The seed vessels of the sycamore and
ash.
K i h h 1 e. v. to clip a stone roughly.
K i t. The entire quantity. " The whole kit."
K i V e r. A cover, a cooler used in brewing.
L.
Lady’s night-cap. A wild flower, a
species of bind weed«
Lannock. A long narrow piece of land.
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(delwedd B8580) (tudalen 031)
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31
Latter-math* The same as Aftermath.
Law. When a fox, hare, or any animal is
suffered to start hefore the hounds are set
on, it is said to have law. The lawing of
dogs in old times was the cutting off some
of the claws of their fore-feet, so as to
deprive them of their fleetness.
Lear or Leer. Empty, the craving of an
empty stomach. " I feel quite leer" — I
am faint with hunger. A.S. L»pne{*,
emptiness.
Lease, t?. a. to glean. A.S. Lefan, to gather,
to collect, to glean.
Leasing. Gleaning after the reapers. This
word is found wherever the west country
dialect is spoken. That it is used in
Hampshire will he seen from the follow-
ing anecdote: — When Cohhett lived at
Botley, he on one occasion forhad the
poor people to come gleaning in his corn-
fields. A day or two afterwards, as he
rode through the village, he saw written
on a wall in huge uncial letters —
" We will go a leasin in spite of old Cob I"
Cobhett got off his horse, and rubbing out
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(delwedd B8581) (tudalen 032)
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32
the word leasing substituted thieving^ and
so left it.
L e mf eg. A fig, an Elleme fig. Query, were
the first figs introduced into England,
brought from Elleme in Turkey }
Lent, Length. The loan of a thing.
Lew. To "get into the Lew,*’ means to get
into a place sheltered from the wind. A.S.
Hleop, shelter, asylum. Sometimes writ-
ten Hleo.
*] hip pecebej- hleop, and his dwelling’s
shelter, — Ccedmon^ 112.
On f iir^r holtep hleo, within this grove’s
shade, — Ihid, 39.
L e w t h. Warmth. A.S. Hleop’S.
L i d e. The month of March, Lib-Mona’5, now
obsolete. " The vulgar in the West of
England," says Aubrey, " doe call the
moneth of March, Lide, A proverbial
rythm —
" Eate leeks in Lide, and ramsins in May,
And all the year after physicians may play."
See Anecdotes and Traditions Printed by the
Camden Society, p. 83, t^o. cxlviii.
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(delwedd B8582) (tudalen 033)
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33
Lief, Liefer. Rather.
L i 1 1. To loll out the tongue.
Limber. Limp, flaccid.
Lissom. Nimble, Lithesome.
Lock. A small quantity of hay. Used as " a
lock of hair" or " lock of wool."
Longful. Long, tedious, <‘ A longful time."
Lords and Ladies. The common Arum.
L w 1 e. A lowle eared pig; a long eared pig.
Lug. A pole on which fowls roost, or on
which clothes are hung.
L u g. A pole. A pole in land measure, 5^
yards.
Lummakin. Awkward, ungain, clumsy,
heavy.
M.
M a g o 1 1 y. Frisky, playful.
Main. Very. " Main sprack," very sprack
or lively; " main good/* very good.
D
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(delwedd B8583) (tudalen 034)
|
34
Mammered. Perplexed. I cannot find the
original of this word: there is the A.S.
Mamepun^, a sleeping or slumbering.
M a n d y. Saucy, impudent, frolicksome.
Maunder. To talk menacingly and vaguely.
Mauthern. The ox-eyed daisey.
M a w k i n. A coarse piece of sacking, attached
to a stick, with which the charcoal sticks
are swept from the oven previous to putting
in the batch.
May. The hawthorn blossom.
May-be. Perhaps, possibly.
May-bittje. The may beetle. The cock-
chafer. See Bittle.
M a z z a r d* The head. I have not been able
to trace the etymology of this word, which
is also used in Gloucestershire.
M e a s t e r. Master. Sometimes Maester; but
the former is nearer the Anglo-Saxon
Ms&^eftep, in which the ^ was, probably
suppressed; thus giving the exact sound of
measter.
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(delwedd B8584) (tudalen 035)
|
35
Mickle. Much. A.S. Micel. << Many a
little makes a mickle."
Miff. Offence. "He’s in a miff" — he’s
offended.
Millard. A miller.
Millard. The white moth which flies at
twilight.
Mint. A mite^ A corruption; the word mite
being Anglo-Saxon.
M i n t y . Full of mites.
M i X e u, M u X e n. A dung heap. A. S.
Myxen.
Moocher. A truant; " a blackberry
moucher" — a boy who plays truant to
pick blackberries. The word is in some
counties pronounced differently: Shaks-
pere uses it thus: —
" Shall the blessed sun of heaven prove a micher and
eat blackberries.*’— F&Tt I. Hen. IV. Act ii. Sc. 4.
Moots. The roots of trees left in the ground.
See St owls.
M o p. A statue fair for hiring servants.
More. A root: " a strawberry more." In
Anglo-Saxon Moji-beam, is a mulberry
tree; peal-mojia, is a parsnip.
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(delwedd B8585) (tudalen 036)
|
36
Mostindeal. Ordinarily, generally, "Where
do you live?" ** Most in deal at the ‘Vise,"
(at Devizes).
M o t h e r y. Thick, mouldy, as beer or vinegar
when stale.
M ought. Might.
Monster. ». To muster.
Muddle, Muggle. Confusion. " A muddle-
headed fellow." « Muddle-headed," tipsy.
Muggy. Warm moist weather.
Mullock. Rubbish, a confused heap. Used
by Chaucer and other old writers.
M u n. Probably a corruption of man; as
" Does’t kneow that, mun?" But the
word is now applied to man, woman, or
child, and sometimes to a horse, dog, or
other animal.
M u X e n. A dunghill, See M i x e n.
M w o i I e. V, " To get into the mwoile," to get
into the mud.
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(delwedd B8586) (tudalen 037)
|
37
N.
Naght. Naught. A.S. Naht.
Nail-passer. A gimlet. I do not find this
implement thus mentioned in any book,
but the name has a primitive sound.
Narra one. Never a one. Often clipped —
nar’n.
Nash or Nesh. Tender, chilly. A.S. Naej-c.
Nashun^ Nation. Very, extremely. ‘* Na-
tion strange," " nation queer," " nation
dark."
Nat. Not. A.S. Nat.
Niest. Nearest. A.S. Nyhfc.
Nire, Nigher. Nearer. A.S. Nyp.
N i t. Not vet.
Nitch. A burthen of hay, straw, wood, &c.
*’ He’s got a nitch" — he is dnmk.
Not-cow. A cow without horns. A.S. Hnot,
shorn or clipped. This term seems to be
applied as Chaucer uses it in describing
the yeoman: —
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(delwedd B8587) (tudalen 038)
|
38
" A not-hed hadde he with a broune
visage."
Prol. to Cant. Tales.
That is to say a head with the hair clipped
shorty or denuded of its usual coveriug.
Nummet. A luncheon. A.S. Non-mete,
noon-meat.
N u n c h e o n, N u n c li i n, f. e. N o n c h y n e.
The noon cut or slice. In old accounts we
find the entries — " paid viii. men for their
noonchyne"— but we never see among the
same entries the word dinner, which
appears to be of Norman French intro-
duction. The little bags in which plough-
men and plough-boys take out their meals
into the fields, are called " nunchin-ba^s,’*
N u n c 1 e. An uncle. Shakspere makes the
fool address Lear as " nuncle."
0.
O n g a i n 1 y. Corrupted from ungainly i
On,Onmistake. For in mistake; a palpable
retention of the A.S. on for in. " I run
agen hyn on th’ street.’
»i
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(delwedd B8588) (tudalen 039)
|
39
Onpossible. A corruption of impossible.
O r g a n y. The herb penny royal. A.S. Opjane.
p.
Pasmets. Parsnips.
Peart. Pert, impertinent.
P e a z e n. Rural of pease. A.S. Piofan.
Peel. A pillow on which lace is made. A.S.
Pile, a pillow.
Peg. A pig.
Pelt. A passion, rage, ire. ** A come in, in
such a pelt J*
Pewit; The lapwing.
Pick. A hay-fork, a prong.
Pig-all, Pighaw. The white thorn berry.
Pip. A small seed.
Pish! Pishty! A cry or call to a dog.
Pitch in. Used in distinction to paving; the
latter being performed with flat even
stones, the former with small uneven
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(delwedd B8589) (tudalen 040)
|
40
ones, like those in the carriage roads in
London.
Plash. V. To partially cut off the branches
of a hedge, and entwine them with those
left upright.
P 1 i m. To swell.
Pon or Pan-shard. A fragment of broken
earthenware. A.S. Sc8&pb or Sceapb.
Eal ]>a, sceapb, all the pieces.
P w 1 1. A blow with a stick.
P r i n i t. Take it. French, Prenez.
Pue. The udder of a cow or sheep. A.S.
Pufe a purse, a small bag.
Pure, Purely. In good health, ** quite
purely," quite well; Pup, sound.
P u r 1 e y. Weak sighted.
P w i n t. A pint.
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(delwedd B8590) (tudalen 041)
|
41
Q.
Q u a m p. Still, quiet.
Quanked. Overpowered by fatigue. A.S.
Cpanian, to be weary or faint; Cpencan,
to quench.
Q u a r. A quarry.
Q u a r, io. To work in a quarry.
Quarrel. A square of window glass. French
Quarre.
Quavin-gog. A quagmire.
Quest. A wood-pigeon, a strange person.
** Thee bist a queer quest." The vulgar
explanation of this phrase is, that a half-
witted fellow got up a tree to rob what he
supposed was a wood-quest’s nest, when
he discovered it was the nest of an owl
full of young ones, who, when the fellow
attempted to take one of them, manifested
their indignation at the intrusion by hissing
and pecking, upon which he exclaimed,
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(delwedd B8591) (tudalen 042)
|
42
**Thee bist a queer quistl*’ It seems,
however, more probable that it originated
in the remark pu cpyft, thou sayesty ad-
dressed to a person who talked strangely
or incoherently.
Quid. To suck.
Quilt. To swallow.
Qui skin’. Complaining.
Q u i s t. A wood pigeon. See Quest.
Q u o p. To throb.
Q w a t. To squat.
R.
Race. Calves’ race. The heart liver and
lungs of a calf. A.S. Raca, the throat.
The wind’pipe is always a conspicuous
object in this collection.
Rack. A rude narrow path, like the track of
a small animal. This may assist the
Glossarists in their interpretation of the
word ^* rack*’ in Shakspere’s xxxiii. Sonnet.
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(delwedd B8592) (tudalen 043)
|
Rafty.
Rancid. ^^^aS
Ramshackel. Loose^ untidy, ungainly.
Rathe. Early, soon, quickly, " Rathe ripe;"
early ripe. A.S. Hpat5e, Rs&t^e, or Rat5,
quickly, soon, early.
pee hpat5e, anb pjut pptij. — Luke xvi. 7.
Do pa’Se f set fu bon pylc. — John xiii. 28.
The word is also used hy the old English
poets —
‘‘ An set them ther to, both raihe and gone."
How the goode wif thought her daughter.
** Bring the rathe primrose which forsalcen dies.
Milton, Lycidas.
Hence our "rather do this" for ** sooner do
this." Spenser uses it in several places.
R a u g h t. pret, of to reach.
Reer. Raw, underdone. A.S. Hpepe, under-
done.
Revel. A parochial festival.
Riddle. A coarse sieve. A.S. Ribbel.
R o m m e 1 i n. Anything rank and overgrown.
A corruption probably of the A. S.
Rumebhce, abundantly, fully.
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(delwedd B8593) (tudalen 044)
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44
R o n g. Tlie step of a ladder.
Rowney or Rawny. Thin, uneveUi like
badly manufactured cloth.
Rubble. Rubbish.
Rudderish. Hasty, passionate.
Ruddle. A red ochreous composition with
which sheep are marked.
Rumpled-skein. Anything in confusion,
a disagreement.
Rusty. Restive.
Ryemouse. A bat. A.S. Hpepe-mus.
s.
S a a c e. Saucyness, impertinence.
Sally-withy. A willow. This is a curious
compound, both Sahl and pi’Si^ signifying
in Anglo-Saxon, a willow. Ps. cxxxvi. 2.
S a r s e n s. Bolderstones.
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(delwedd B8594) (tudalen 045)
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45
S a w 1. Soul. A.S. Sapl; sometimes Sapul,
which is still more like the provincial
sound.
S c a u t. v. To strain with the foot in supporting
or pushing anything.
Scaut. The pole attached to the axle of a
waggon, and let down to prevent its running
back while ascending a hill. This is
doubtless an Anglo-Saxon word.
Scran. A bag. A.S. Scpm.
Sume penbon, pop)>am lubaf h»pbe scpm, &c.
John xlii. 29.
Screech. The Missel thrush. A.S. Scpic.
S c r o u g e. To squeeze.
S c r o w. Cross. ** Main scrow," very cross.
Scrunch. To crunch.
Sewent, Shewent, Suity. Even, regular.
Shard. A gap in a hedge.
Sharp. The shaft of a cart.
S h’i m. It seems. *’ He’s a fine fellow, shim."
He’s a fine fellow it seems.
Shirk off. To decamp, to retreat in a
cowardly manner.
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(delwedd B8595) (tudalen 046)
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46
S h o g g off. The same as shirk off.
S h o w 1. A shovel.
Shrammed. Chilled.
S k i e 1. A beer cooler used in brewing.
Skillin. A penthouse. A.S. Scylban, to
protect or defend. In old German Schillen
signifies to cover.
S 1 a n. A sloe. A.S. Slan. Prunum sylves-
tris. — Lye.
Slat. A slate. A.S. Slat, ^. of Slitan.
Slat. To split or crack.
He flat jran. — Psalm Ixxvii. 18.
S 1 e e z y. Of thin texture, as bad cloth.
Slink, to. The same as ** shirk off" or ** shog
off." A.S. Slmcan.
S 1 i z e. To look sly.
Sloop. To change.
S 1 o X. To waste or pilfer. «
Sluggard’ s-guise. A sluggardly habit.
" Sluggard’s guise
Loth to bed
And loth to rise."
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(delwedd B8596) (tudalen 047)
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47
S m i c k e t. A smock, a shift.
Snead. The pole of a scythe. A.S. Snseb.
The two handles are called the nibs, the
rings that fasten the handles are called the
quinnetSy and the ring which secures the
blade is called the pole-ring. The word
Snead is used in neighbouring counties,
and in Derbyshire according to Mr.
Bos worth.
Sowlegrove. The month of February; now
obsolete. Aubrey says, " The shepherds
and vulgar people in South Wilts, call
Februarie * Sowlegrove ‘ and have this
proverb of it; — viz. ‘ Soulgrove sil lew,*- —
February is seldome warme — sil pro seld,
seldome." — Anecdotes and Traditions.
Printed by the Camden Society, p. 83,
No. cxlvii.
Spade. The gum of the eye. A.S^-Speb?
Spanky. Shewy.
Sprack. Lively, active, inteligent. "A
sprack un," a lively one. This word is not
applied merely to the talkative, or it might
be supposed to be derived from Spraec.
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(delwedd B8597) (tudalen 048)
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48
Sprawing. A sweetheart.
S p r e a t h. Active, able.
Spreazed. Chapped by cold.
Spuddle. To stir about.
Squab. The youngest or weakest pig of the
litter, or the weakest bird of the brood.
Squelch. To fall down heavily, " a veil down
squelch" he fell down heavily.
S q w o i 1. To throw. See ** Cock-sqwoilling."
S t a d d 1 e. The pillars on which a com or hay
rick stands.
Stale. The handle of a prong, rake, &c.
A.S. Seel.
S t a r k y. Stiff, dry. A.S. Steapc.
Steanin. A road made with small stones.
A.S. Stsenen, stony.
Stem. A period of time. Ex, " We have
had a stem o* dry weather." A.S. Scemn.
Hie h»j:bon hiopa stemn ^efetenne,
they had their time set. — Ingr, Sax.
Chron* p. 116.
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(delwedd B8598) (tudalen 049)
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49
Stinge. (The g soft). A sting. A.S. Stincg.
Stout. The Gad-fly. A.S. Stut. Aubrey
says that when the gad-fly stung the cattle
belonging to Simon Brunsdon, the parish
clerk of Winterton Basset, they would
run over that champaign country, and
their master would follow them, crying
out "Good St. Katharine of Winterbourne,
stay my oxen!" I have often seen cattle
thus run when attacked by their tormentor
the Stout, and can imagine the vexation of
the honest clerk in the days when there
were no enclosures. This anecdote will
be found in the volume of "Anecdotes
and Traditions, Published by the Camden
Society, No. cliv.
Stowls. The roots of large trees left after
they are cut down. See also Moots.
Strommelling. Awkward, ungainly, unruly.
Stuck. A spike. A.S. Sue.
Stwon-dead. Stone dead —
dead as a stone.
Stwonen. Made of stone. A.S.
Staenen.
Sultedge, A coarse apron.
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(delwedd B8599) (tudalen 050)
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60
S w a n k e y. Swaggering, strutting. A. S.
Span^ettan?
Swap or Swop. To barter, or exchange.
The same as Chop.
Swath. The grass as it lies after being cut
down by the mower. A.S. Spat5e.
Swig. To suck.
Swilter. To consume slowly, without bursting into a flame. A.S. Spole? Spy
It?
Swingeing. Great, violent. ‘* A swingeing
blow" — " a swingeing price."
S wit tie. To cut a stick; "to cut and
swittle," to cut and leave the pieces about
the room.
Swyrd. A sword. A.S. Spypb.
Sy the. To sigh.
T.
Tack. A shelf, a mantel-piece. “Up on th’ Tack."
Tack. Pasture for cattle.
Tackle. Instruments of agriculture.
Tackle. Food and drink. "This be capital tackle.”
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(delwedd B8600) (tudalen 051)
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51
Tailings, Tail-ends. Refuse corn not saleable at market, but kept by the
farmers for their own use.
Tallot or Tallet. A hay-loft over the stable.
Tang. v. To tang the bell is to pull it. Mr.
Bosworth observes that it is probable the
Anglo-Saxon Tang, which signifies tongs, or forceps, is derived from the idea
of holding or pulling, a conjecture which this Wiltshire word seems to
confirm.
Tang. v. To make a noise with a key and a shovel at the time of the swarming of
a hive, not, as is supposed, to induce
them to settle, but to give notice of
the rising of the swarm, which could
not be followed if they went on a
neighbour’s premises, unless this
warning was given; so that this rude
kind of music was called tanging, it
being an imitation of a bell.
Tarblish. Tolerable. "Tarblish middlin’ thankee."
Teart. Sharp, painfully tender, as a wound. A.S. Teart.
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(delwedd B8601) (tudalen 052)
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52
T e e 1. To place any thing in a leaning position
against a wall, &c. A.S. On uUe, in a
fixed station. See Bosworth’s Diet. Voce
Tille.
T e f t, Heft. To try the weight of anything
with the hand.
Thee, pron. You; but as frequently the pro-
noun your or thy, Ex. "What’s thee
name?" It occurs in the Anglo-Saxon
version of the Gospels thus, when the
Jews question John the Baptist: — Hpsec
fejjt: pu be fe j-yljium r — John i. 22.
T h e e s u m. These. Often " theesum here."
Them m in. Those.
There-right! Addressed to horses at
plough, when required to go straight for-
ward. A.S. faepjuhte, directly. In our
version of the New Testament straightway
is used where we find the A.S. there-right,
Thic. This.
Thissum. This. A.S. (ujjum, to this, to
these.
Thuck. That.
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(delwedd B8602) (tudalen 053)
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53
Tid. Childish, silly. When a child affects
simplicity they say " Coom, coom dwont
‘e be tid,** A.S. Tibbp, weak, imbecile.
Tibbep, a child.
T i d d 1 e, <o. To bring up by hand the young
of a creature which has died or been
removed from it. Tibbpian to nourish,
feed, &c.
T i d d 1 i n. A tiddlin* lamb, is a lamb brought
up by hand.
Timersome. Timorous.
Tine. To divide a field with a hedge. A.S.
Tynan, to hedge in, enclose, to shut.
fe plancobe pin-jeapb, anb befcynbe hyne.
Matt. xxi. 33.
This line illustrates the close affinity
of the Wiltshire dialect, with the Anglo-
Saxon. A countryman would describe
the same thing in these words: — ** He
planted a vinyeard and tyned un." To
tine a stake hedge, is to put in the top or
enclosing band.
Tine. To light; to tine a candle. A.S.
Tenban, to inflame, to set on fire.
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(delwedd B8603) (tudalen 054)
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54
Tiney. Diminutive, very small. Now not
peculiar.
Tit. A teat. A.S. Tic, Tyc, Tytt.
Todge. Any thick spoon meat, as gruel.
A.S. To-jepeopbe. A taking to food, a
refreshing. Mr. Bosworth finds this word
in a MS. in the Cottonian Library, en-
titled, " Guthlaci Monachi vita et Mira-
cula" Vesp. D. 21. In some counties
the word Stodge is used, which shews that
it is not a mere vulgarism. Doubtless
the principal food of the humbler ranks in
Saxon times was of the description called
" Todge." Though the fork is an older
implement than some suppose, the knife
and the spoon were the only ones in geperal
use — hence " he who eats with the devil
must have a long spoon."
To do. A fuss, to make a fuss.
Tom Cull. The fish called Miller’s Thumb.
Tongue. The tongue of a buckle.
Tramp. A vagabond, a pedlar.
Trounce. To punish by legal process.
Tump. A hillock. Welsh, Twmp.
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(delwedd B8604) (tudalen 055)
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55
T u m p y. Uneven, covered with hillocks.
Tun. A chimney. "Up th’ tun*’— up the
chimney. Among many other things to
which the Anglo-Saxons gave the name
of Tun, was Tower, which a chimney
resembles; and the chimnies of early days
were built in the form of towers.
T w i r e. To look wistfully.
Twit. To reproach.
T w o a d. A toad.
T’year. i.e. this-year, a form of expression
retained in " to-morrow," " to-day," &c.
u.
Un. Him, it. A.S. Hme, Hyne, accusative
of He. *’ I put un in my pocket" — I put
it in my pocket. " Gie th* prong to un" —
Give the prong to him. Ihere cannot be
a doubt that Un is the accusative of the
Anglo-Saxon pronoun hme, and that Um
is also the plural Hym them. We find in the
most popular writers of the end of the
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(delwedd B8605) (tudalen 056)
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56
seveDteenth century, the word them
written thus [‘em]. Here are examples
of the use of hine or hyne:
Da plujon ealle fa leopnmj-cnyhtaf,
and popleton hyne. — Matt, xxvi. 57.
Da bepenbe he hme anb cibbe Petjie,
&c. — Mark viii. 33.
And this of hym.
Da cpsetS he to hym: Fapai$. — Matt.
viii. 32.
Unked or Hunked. Lonely. Mr. Bos-
worth says this word is from Un-cpyb,
without speech, solitary.
Uppin’-stock. A horse-block.
V.
Vamplets. Rude gaiters to defend the legs
from wet.
Vaught. Fot, pret. of to fetch.
Vet. The feet. A.S. Fet.
Vinney. Mouldy. A.S. Finnic.
Vriz. Frozen.
V u d d 1 e d. Fuddled, drunk.
V u d d 1 e 8. A spoilt child.
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(delwedd B8606) (tudalen 057)
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57
W.
Wapse. A wasp. A.S. vaeps. It is singular that the Piatt-Deutsch, or old
Saxon word for this insect, is paps, while in Dutch and German it is Wesp.
There is a very common story in Wiltshire of a woman who wished to shew off
her lubberly boy as "a sprack un," and, accordingly, called him in
to say his letters in the hearing of some old dames who came to drink tea
with her. The hornbook was produced, and Tommy was asked the name of the
first letter. "I dwont kneow un, mother," said the child,
scratching his head, “You must tell m’ th’ vust." His mother then helped
his forgetfulness, and moved the point of her scissors to the next letter.
"What be thuck un, Tommy?" "I dwont kneow," replied the
boy, "I kneows un by zite, but I caant call un by’s neäme. "What’s
thuck thing as vlies over the gearden. Tommy?" The child considered a
moment and then replied with a grin, "Wapse!"
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(delwedd B8607) (tudalen 058
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58
War. Beware, take care. A.S. var, aware.
War. pret. of the verb to be. "i war, he
war, she war, &c. This "vulgarism" is
even heard within the walls of London;
but it is Anglo-Saxon.
^ fappa min
fpeojtop pa&pe.
That Sarah my
Sister were.
Ccedmon 128, 26, 27.
W a r n d. Warrant. " You’ll get un, I warnd."
Wassail. A drinking song.
Wasset man. A scare crow.
Weeth. Tough and pliable; a with. A.S.
pe’Sel, a swaddling band.
Weigh -jolt. A see saw.
Wetched. Wetshod.
Wic. A week. A.S. ^ic.
Winney. To utter a subdued neigh like a
horse.
With. A twisted willow wand, with which
faggots are bound. A.S. ^i^^e, a willow
band.
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yn 
aith
δ δ [ˈːˑ