Glossary

☞ Figures placed after words denote the pages in which they occur.

a', all.
aboon, abune, above.
abowthe, about.
abye, abide, pay.
acward stroke, 21, an unusual, out-of-the-way stroke, which could not be guarded against.
ae, one.
aftur the way, 11, upon the way.
agayne, against.
agone, ago.
aik, oak.
alane, alone.
Alcaron, 414, the name of an imaginary deity, by metathesis from Alcoran. Ritson. The original reading is, however, Acoron.
alkone, each one.
al so mote, so may I.
altherbest, best of all.
amain, all, 292, at once.
ance, once.
anker, anchorite.
a-row, in a row.
Arthur-a-Bradley, 351, the title of a ballad.
arwe, arrow;
arwys, arrows.
asay, tried.
assoyld, absolved.
avowè, founder, patron, protector.
awayte me scathe, 80, lie in wait, or lay plots, to do me injury.
awet, know.
awkwarde stroke, 166, an unusual, out-of-the-way stroke.
ayen, again.
ayenst, against.
ayont, beyond.
ayre, by, 197, early.
azon, 39, against, towards [them].

bale, ruin, harm, mischief.
ballup, 264, the front or flap of small clothes.
banis, bane.
barking, 336, leather-tanning.
baylyes, 153, bailiffs, sheriff's officers.
be, by.
bearyng arow, 155, "an arrow that carries well;"
see vol. vii.
became, 184, came.
bedene, 77, in a company, together.(?)
bedyl, 153, beadle, the keeper of a prison.
beforn, 41, before, first.
beft, 203, beaten.
begeck, give a, 198, make a mock of, expose to derision.
beheste, 429, promise.
behote, 99, promise;
96, promised.
beir, noise, cry.
belive, belyfe, quickly, at once.
ben, in.
benbow, 432, bent bow.
bend, 405, turn of a forest.
bescro, beshrew, curse.
bestead, circumstanced, put to it.
bewch, 159, bough.
bigged, built.
bigly, commodious, pleasant to live in.
bil, pike or halbert.
blate, sheepish, foolish.
blowe bost, 55, make boast.
blutter, 195, dirty.
blyve, quickly.
bocking, belching, flowing out.
bode, bid.
boltys, arrows, especially arrows with a blunt head.
bone, boon.
booting, 188, robbing adventure.
borow, surety.
borowe, redeem.
boskyd, made ready.
bote, help, use.
bottys, shooting butts.
boun, boune, make ready;
bown'd, 193, went.
boune, bowne, ready, ready to go;
244, going.
bour, bower, chamber, dwelling.
bowne, boon.
boyt, both.
braide at a, 145, suddenly, in a moment.
braves, bravadoes.
bree, brow.
breeks, breeches.
brenne, burn.
brere, briar, thorn.
breyde, a start, leap.
breyde, started, leaped, stepped hastily.
briddis, birds.
broke, 91, use and enjoy.
browthe, brought.
browzt, brought.
bruik, enjoy.
bryk, breeches.
buske, bush.
buske, dress;
54, make ready to go, go.
busshement, ambush.
but, without;
193, but fail, without fail;
but and, and also.
bydene, 105, all together, forthwith, one after the other.(?)
bystode, put into a plight, circumstanced.

can, as an auxiliary, equivalent to did.
can, know;
coud, knew;
can thanke, feel grateful, (savoir gré.)
cankerdly, with ill humor.
capull, horse.
carefull, sorrowful.
carpe, talk, narrate.
carril, carel, churl.
certyl, kirtle;
41, jacket or waistcoat.
chaffar, chaffer, merchandise, commodity.
charter of peace, deed of pardon, safe-warrant.
chear well, 190, make good cheer, have a good prospect.
chepe, v. buy;
n. bargain.
chere, face.
cheys, choose.
chitt, 258, worn?
chiven, 405, craven?
claw'd, 194, scratched, curried.
clepyn, call.
clipping, embracing.
clouted, patched.
cofer, trunk.
cold, 259, could, used as an auxiliary of the perfect tense.
cole, cowl.
comet, cometh.
commytted, 120, accounted.
comyn belle, 13, town-bell.
coost, cast.
coresed, 62, harnessed. Halliwell. (A guess?)
cote-a-pye, upper garment, short cloak.
coud, could, used as an auxiliary of the perfect tense;
coud his curtesye, 76, [showed that he] understood good manners.
counsel, secret.
covent, convent.
cow, clip.
cowed, could, knew.
cowthe, could.
crack, chat, talk.
craftely, skilfully.
creves, crevice.
crouse, 192, merrily.
curn, 191, quantity of.
curtall fryer, 272, apparently the friar with the curtall (cur) dogs.
curtes, courteous.
cutters, swaggerers, riotous fellows.
cypress, 411, gauze, crape.

dale, been at a, in low spirits?
dame, 86, mother, i.e. Mary.
deale, part.
dee, die.
dee, do;
deen, done.
deft, neat, trim.
demed, judged.
dere, harm.
dere worthy, precious.
derne, secret, privy, retired.
devilkyns, 57, deuced.
did of, doffed.
doen him, betaken him.
doe of, doff.
doubt, doute, fear, danger.
doyt, do.
dree, bear, suffer, endure.
dub, 196, pool.
dule, lamentation.
dung, struck down, put down.
duzty, doughty, brave.
dyght, 100, done.
dyght, ready, made ready;
dyghtande, 111, making ready, cooking.
dysgrate, disgraced, degraded, fallen into poverty.

eftsones, afterward, hereafter.
eild, age.
emys, uncles.
ere, 86, before.
erst, before.
even, exactly.
everyche, euerilkone, everichone, each, every one.
exaltrè, axle-tree.
eylde het the, requite (thee for) it.
eyr, year.

faem, foam, sea.
fail, but, 193, without fail.
faine, glad.
falleth, 114, suiteth.
falyf, fallen.
fánatick, 414, madman.
fang, strap.
fare, way of proceeding;
114, fortune;
for all his frendes fare, seems to mean, notwithstanding the penalties suffered by his friends for their bad shots.
fare, go.
farley, strange.
fault, 367, misfortune.
fay, faith.
fayne, glad.
fe, fee, property, wages, reward.
feardest, 197, most frightened.
federed, feathered.
felischepe, 22, compact of friendship.
fend, find.
fende, defend.
ferd, 10, fear;
probably misspelt.
fere, mate.
ferly, wonderful, extraordinary.
ferre dayes, 47, late in the day.
ferre and frend bestad, 69, in the position of a stranger from a distance.
fet, fetched.
fet, fit, song.
fetteled, made ready.
finikin, fine.
flaps, strokes, blows.
fleych, flesh.
flinders, fragments.
flo, arrow.
fone, foes.
forbode godys, 30, gods forbott, 260, God's prohibition;
over gods forbode, 157, on God's prohibition, God forbid.
force, fors, matter.
forebye, on one side.
for god, before God.
forlorne, lost, forsaken, alone.
forsoyt, forsooth.
forthynketh, repenteth.
fostere, forester;
fosters of the fe, 153, foresters in the King's pay.
foryete, 72, forgotten.
fothe, foot.
foulys, fowls, birds.
free, 272, gracious, bounteous.
frend, foreign, strange;
ferre and frend bestad, 69, in the position of a stranger from a distance.
frese (said of bows), 82?
fu', full.
fynly, goodly.

gang, go.
gangna, go not.
gar, make.
gate, 162, 196, way.
general, 290, perhaps the governor, Nottingham having once been a garrison town. Ritson.
Rather, people;
i.e. in public, with the rest of the world.
ger, 27, gear, affair.
gest, guest.
geste, story.
gie, give.
gif, if.
gillore, plenty.
gin, if.
gladdynge, entertaining.
go, walk.
god, 31, valuables.
gods forbott, 260, God's prohibition, God forbid.
golett, throat, the part of the dress or armor which covered the throat.
gone, go;
ride and go, ride and walk.
gorney, journey.
graff, 225, branch or sapling.
gree, 64, satisfaction.
greece, hart of, a fat hart.
grithe, 16, peace, protection, security for a certain time.
grome, groom;
45, a (common) man.

ha', hall.
had, hold, keep.
hail, wholly.
halfendell, half.
halke, 108, hollow?
hambellet, ambleth.
hame, home.
han, have.
hansell, 23, is the first money received in a new shop, or on any particular day. The passage seems to be corrupt.
hantyd, haunted.
harbengers, harbingers, servants that went on before their lords during a journey, to provide lodgings.
harowed, despoiled.
hart of greece, a fat hart.
hase, neck.
haud, hold.
haulds, 195, things to take hold of.
haunted, resorted frequently.
hawt, aught.
hayt, hath.
he, 39, they.
heal'd, concealed.
hede, head.
hee, high.
hende, gentle, courteous.
hent, took.
heres, here is.
het, it.
het, eat.
heynd, gentle, courteous.
hight, called, are called.
ho, hoo, who.
hode, hood.
holde, 61, retain.
holy, wholly.
hos, us.
housbond, manager.
howt, out;
heyt war howte, 23, a corrupt passage?
huckle-duckle, 424, a term for a loose woman.
humming, heady.
hye, in, aloft.
hyght, promised, vowed.
hynde, servant.
hypped, hopped, hobbled.

i-bonde, bound.
i-chaunged, changed.
i-federed, feathered.
ilk, each;
ilkone, each one.
in fere, in company.
inn, 34, abode, stand.
i-nocked, nocked, notched.
inow, enough.
in same, together.
intil, into, in.
into, in.
in twaine, apart.
i-pyght, put.
i-quyt, rewarded.
i-sette, set.
i-slawe, slain.
ither, each other.
i-wysse, surely.

japes, jests, mocks.
jobbing, 374, knocking together.

kende, kent, knew.
kep, catch;
kep'd, kept, keepit, caught.
kepe;
non odur kepe I'll be, 15, I will be no other kind of retainer, I will have no other relations.
kest, cast.
kilt, tuck up.
knave, servant (boy);
knave bairn, male child.
knop, a knob or swelling from a blow.
kod, quoth.
kyrtell, kirtle, waistcoat, jacket, or tunic.

lad, lead.
laigh, 196, low ground.
lang, longer.
lap, leaped.
launde, an open place in a wood.
launsgay, a kind of dart or javelin;
(a compound of lance, and the Arabic zagaye, says Myrick, Antient Armour, &c.)
lawhyng, laughing.
layne, deception.
leace, lying.
leasynge, lying.
leave, 395, dear.
ledes man, conductor.
lee licht, 171, lonely, sad light.
leese, lose.
lefe, dear, pleasant.
lende, 113, dwell.
lene, 58, grant;
59, lend.
lengre, longer.
lere, cheek.
lere, learn.
lese, lose.
lest, desire.
lesynge, lying.
let, stop;
letna, let not;
lettyng, stopping.
leugh, laughed.
lever, rather.
lewtè, loyalty.
ley, lea.
leythe, light.
liflod, livelihood.
ligge, 332, lay.
lightilé, lyghtly, quickly.
lin, stop.
lin'd, 203, beaten.
list, desire.
list, pleased.
lith, 170, joint, limb.
lithe, hearken.
liver, nimble.
lizt, light.
lokid on, 8, looked in at.
longe of the, thy fault.
longut, longed.
lordeyne, sluggard, clown.
lore, lost.
lothely, with aversion, with hatred.
lough, laughed.
loused, lowsed, loosed.
low, laughed.
lowe, 167, a small hill.
lown, rogue.
lust, desire.
lynde, lyne, linden, lime, tree in general.
lynge, 10, a thin long grass or rush, heather.
lyth, hearken.
lyveray, an allowance of provisions or clothes given out to servants or retainers;
73, levy.
lyzth, lies.

male, portmanteau;
68, [the horse carrying] the portmanteau.
maney, company.
mar, more.
marry, Mary;
marry gep, apparently, Mary go up!
masars, 75, cups, vessels.
masterey, mastery, trial of skill, feat.
mat, may.
maun, must;
maunna, may not.
may, maid.
maystry, trial of skill, feat.
meal-pock, meal-bag.
meatrif, abounding in provisions.
mell, meddle.
menyè, meynè, company.
mete, measured.
methe, meat.
meyt, meythe, might.
mickle, great.
middle streame, 274, middle of the stream.
misters, 203, sorts of.
mo, more.
molde, ground.
mot, may.
mote, meeting.
mought, might.
mow, mouth.
muckle, much.
mych, much.
mylner, miller.
mysaunter, misadventure, ill luck.
myster, need.
myzt, might.

nae, not.
nar, nor, than.
ner, never.
ner, were it not.
ner; they ner, thine ear.
nere, nearer.
next way, nearest way.
nicked, notched, cut, slashed.
niddart, 403, assailed.
nip, bit;
curn nips of sticks, 191, bundle of small sticks.
nipped, pinched.
nombles, numbles, [the eatable] entrails.
nouther, neither.

odur, other.
ohon, interjection of grief, alas.
okerer, usurer.
oltrance, outrance, utterance.
on, one.
onfere, together.
on lyve, alive.
onslepe, asleep.
onys, once.
or, before.
os, us.
ought, owed.
out-horne, a horn blown to summon people to assist in capturing a fugitive.
over all, everywhere.
owthe, out.
owtlay, outlaw.
oysyd, used, followed.

passe, extent, bounds, limits, district;
as the pas de Calais. Ritson.
partakers, persons to take one's part.
pawage, pauage, pavag, toll for the privilege of passing over the territory of another.
pay, satisfaction.
peces, 75, vessels;
unless it be gold pieces.
pinder, pounder, pound-keeper.
pine, pain.
plucke, stroke, blow;
423, bout;
plucke-buffet, 118, is explained by the context.
prece, prese, crowd;
prees, 65, press (of battle).
preced, pressed.
preke, the pin in the centre of a target.
president, precedent.
prest, 29, fast, zealously.
prest, quick, in a hurry;
prestly, quickly.
pricke-wande, a rod set up as a mark. The prick is the peg in the centre of a target.
prycker, 425, a galloping horse.
pryffe, 430, prove.
pryme, six in the morning.
pudding-prick, a skewer to fasten a pudding-bag.
put at the stane, throw the stone as a trial of strength;
putting-stane, the stone used in this exercise.
pyne, suffering;
goddes pyne, Christ's passion.

quequer, quiver.
queyt, qwyte, reward.

raked, 196, proceeded leisurely, sauntered.
raking, 259, 275, walking hastily, running.
rawe, row.
ray, prepare.
raye, 84, striped cloth. "Cloth not coloured or dyed. It is mentioned in many old statutes in contradistinction to cloth of colour." Ritson.
reachles, reckless, careless.
red, advice.
red, rid.
reddely, quickly.
reede, advise.
renne, run.
reuth, pity.
reve, rob, take by force.
revere, river.
reves, bailiffs, receivers.
rewth, pity.
ripe, rip.
ripe, 190, search;
202, cleanse.
rode, rood, cross.
rout, 191, blow.
rowed, rolled.
rowte, company.
rue, 377, to cause to rue.
rung, staff.
ryall, royal.
ryghtwys, righteous, just.

sad, 82, firm, resolute.
sall, shall;
salna, shall not.
salued, greeted.
same, in, together.
sanchothis, 41? (The meaning is that the arrow went between the legs.)
sawtene, sought.
scaith, scathe, hurt, harm.
schet, schette, shot.
schrewde, sharp.
sclo, slay.
scouth, 195, room, range.
screffe, sheriff.
se, see, protect.
seal, 396, Gude seal, God seal, forbid?
seke, search;
20, he was not to seke, he did not require to be looked for.
seker, sure, resolute.
selerer, cellarer, the officer of a convent that furnished provisions.
semblaunte, countenance.
sete, set.
sets, 348, suits.
shawe, 1, 94, 160, grove, wood.
shende, injure, blame.
shete, shoot;
shet, shot.
sheyne, bright.
shone, shoen, shoes.
shope, created.
shot-window, a projecting window.
shradd, 160, (spelt also shard,) an opening in a wood.
shrewed, 63, cursed, precious!
shroggs, 164, shrubs, twigs.
shryve, sheriff.
shuldis, shouldst.
silly, simple.
sith, since.
slack, low ground, valley.
slade, valley, ravine, strip of greensward between two woods.
slawe, slain.
slist, sliced.
slon, slay;
slone, slain.
somers, sumpter horses.
sorowe tyme, 61, sorry, bad time.
sothe, truth.
sound, swoon.
sowt, 40, south.
soyt, sooth, truth.
spar, spare, stop.
sparris, shutst;
sparred, shut.
spear, speir, ask about.
spercles, sparks.
sprunks, 378, concubines?
spyrred, asked, asked for.
stage, 8, story of the house?
stalle, 16, place in general, room, house.
stark, stiff.
stede, place.
sterte, started, rushed.
steven, 168, voice;
164, unsett steven, a time not previously appointed.
stime, a particle of light.
sto', store, a quantity.
stood upon, 356, concerned, was worth his while.
store, set no, make no account of.
stound, hour, time.
stowre, turmoil.
strypes, strokes.
stroke, 259, stretch?
stye, 14, lane.
sune, son.
sweaven, dream.
sweir, niggardly, unwilling to part with any thing.
swinke, toil.
swownd, swoon.
swyre, 430, neck.
syne, then, afterwards.
syth, then.

take, (often) give;
take up (the table), clear away.
takle, takyll, arrow.
tarpe, 111?
tee, to.
teene, tene, harm, trouble, vexation.
than, then.
the, they.
the, thrive, prosper.
then, than.
ther, their.
there, 106, where.
thes, thus.
thir, they.
tho, those.
thocht, thought.
thother, other.
thoucht long, thought lang, grew weary.
thrast, thrust, pressed.
throly, 5, boldly.
throng, hastened.
throwe, space of time.
thrumme, the extremity of a weaver's warp;
40, band or belt?
thryes, thrice.
thynketh, seemeth.
till, to.
tithyngus, tidings.
to, two.
to-hande, two-hand.
toke, committed to.
tortyll, 28, twisted. Qy. reading?
trawale, labor, vocation.
tray, 81, (A.S. trega,) vexation.
tree, staff.
trenchen, 203, cutting.
treyffe, 32, thrive.
tristil tre, 7, tree of trist, or meeting.
trowet, troth.
trusyd, trussed.
trysty tre, tristing tree, tree of meeting.
tyde, time.
tyll, to.
tynde, tine, antler.
tyne, lose.

unketh, strange, stranger.
unneath, unneth, hardly.
untyll, unto.
upchaunce, peradventure, perchance.

venyson, 130, deer-stealing.
voyded, went off.

wa, wall.
wad, would.
wan, got, came.
wane, 70;
wonnynge wane, dwelling-place: wane is perhaps an error for hame.
war, aware.
warden-pies, 368;
wardens are large baking-pears.
warisone, 14, reward.
was, 25, wash.
waur, worse.
waythmen, page ix., hunters, sportsmen (German, Weidmann). Often explained outlaws, rovers.
wed, wedde, pledge, deposit.
wedes, garments.
welde, would.
welt, wielded, disposed of.
wenion, 225, curse, (a word of unknown origin.)
wende, went, weened, thought.
weppynd, weaponed.
west, wist.
wet, wete, know.
whether, whither.
whute, whistle;
whues, whistlings.
wigger, wicker.
wight, strong.
wilfulle, 164, (like wilsom,) doubtful, ignorant.
win, go, get, get on.
winna, will not.
wistna, knew not.
wode, mad.
wode, went.
wodys, woods.
woest, saddest.
wolwarde, without linen next the body.
wone, dwell;
wonnynge, dwelling.
woo, sad.
woodweele, variously explained as woodpecker, thrush, wood-lark, red-breast.
worthe, be.
wroken, revenged.
wrist, 258?
wyght, strong.
wynne, go.
wystly, wistfully, intently.
wyte, 400, wytte, know.

xal, xul, shall.

y-dyght, furnished, prepared.
yede, yeed, went.
yeff, if.
yeffell, ill.
yeft, gift.
yeman, yeoman;
yemanrey, 22, yeomandrie, yeomanry, what becomes a yeoman.
yend, yonder.
yer, years.
yerdes, rods, wands.
ye'se, you shall.
yever, ever.
y-founde, found.
ylke, same.
yode, went.
Yole, Yule, Christmas.
yonder, under.
y-slaw, slain.

zade, went.
zare, readily, quickly.
zatis, gates.
ze, the.
zelpe, boast.
zemen, yeomen.
zet, yet.
zete, eat.
zeue, give.
zone, yon.
zouyn, given.