A CHAUCERIAN WORDLIST

(words occurring frequently and having meanings different from their meanings today)


alderbest - best of all
algate - at any rate
anon - immediately

bet - better
bihete(n) - to promise
bountee - goodness
brenne(n) - to burn
buxom - obedient
boote - help, remedy

cas - chance, accident
clepe(n) - to call
corage - heart
couthe - known
coy - quiet

dangerous - standoffish
dreynt - drowned

em - uncle
emforth - to the extent of
erme - sorrow,be distressed

feere - companion
ferre - farther
fonde(n) - to strive
forward - promise-, agreement
forwhy - because

grete - gist

hem - them
her - their
hight - was called
him thoughte - it seemed to him

keep - heed
kinde - nature

lewdignorant
lust - pleasure

mede - reward
mete(n) - to dream
moot - must, may
mowe - may

ne - not, nor
ner - nearer
nice - foolish
no fors - no matter
not (ne wot) - do not know
nyste - did not know
nys - contraction: ne is

overal - everywhere

peraunter - peradventure

quyte(n) -- to reward, repay

rathe - early

sithe - time
sithen - since
skill - reason
skillful - reasonable
sounen unto - to conduce to
stenten - to stop
sterve(n) - to die
steven - voice
sweven - dream
swich - such
swinke - labor

tho, - adv. then
tho, pron. - those
trow - believe

unnethe - scarcely

verray - true(ly)

wher - whether
wente, n. path
werre - worse
withouten drede - without doubt
wood,adj. - mad, insane
worship - honor
wot (woot) - know
wrie(n) - to turn

yerne - eagerly
yfere - together
ywis - certainly

This page was last updated on February 15,2000

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