A Bundle of Ballads Part 28

GLOSSARY.

Abye: First English - abicgan, pay for.

a.s.soiled: absolved.

Avowe: "I make avowe," I declare; not "I make a vow."

Avow-e: advocate.

Awayte: "awayte me scathe," watch for opportunity of doing hurt to me.

Balis: evils.

Banis: slayers. First English - bana, whence "bane," destruction or harm.

Barker: tanner.

Bedene: all bedene: bidene: promptly, altogether.

Belife: blive: quickly.

Bent: coa.r.s.e gra.s.s.

Bete: make better, amend.

Bewray: disclose.

Bickered: skirmished.

Blave: stayed. First English - belaf (allied to German blieb.) Boot: help, remedy. First English - bot.

Borrow: borowe: (noun) security. (verb) give security for.

borowhood: state of being security.

borrowed: redeemed, released by the fulfilment of conditions.

Bra': braw: fine; French - brave.

Braid: at a braid, with a sudden start.

Brittling: breaking up (of the deer) and distribution of its parts according to the usual custom.

Brook: broke: have use of, enjoy.

Busshement: ambush.

Busk: make self ready. Icelandic - bua, prepare; sik, oneself; sk, for sik, was in old Norse or Icelandic a suffix marking the reflexive form of a verb.

Caddie: younger brother. French - cadet, a young fellow who runs on errands.

Clim: Clement.

Clough: a cliff or fissure of rock, a glen between steep banks.

Con thank: know thanks to be owing; therefore, pay thanks.

Coresed: cuira.s.sed, harnessed.

Dang: struck, forced.

Dauties: darlings.

Dee: as in Kemp Owyne; do.

Dele: division, "never a dele," never a bit.

Dereworthy: precious.

Derne: secret.

Devilkins: of the devil's kind.

Dight: made ready; dightand: being made ready.

Do gladly: make good cheer.

Do him drink: make him drink.

Donkir: moister.

Dowie: dull, sorrowful.

Dree: suffer, endure.

Dule: sorrow. French - deuil.

Eftsoons: again soon, soon after.

Fause: false.

Fay: faith.

Fend of: defend from.

Fere: companion. In fere: in companions.h.i.+p, together.

Ferre and fremd bestad: one from afar and among strangers.

Fet: fetched.

Flattered: floated to and fro.

Flyte: scold.

Fone: foes.

Force: no force: of no importance, no matter.

Forthinketh: repenteth.

Fosters of the fee: foresters in charge of the stock of deer.

Fou: bushel.

Freke: fighting-man.

Frese: curl, bend.

Fynly: substantial, heavy. First English - findig; Prov. Scot. - findy.

Fytte: canto, song. First English - fitt (fem.) a song, poem.

Gane: (as in Sir Patrick Spens) convenient, proper for.

Garred me gang: made me go; Gang maiden: remain unmarried.

Gest: deed, adventure.

Gif: if.

Glede: live-coal.

Glent: pa.s.sed suddenly, flashed.

Goodman: the master of the "good" or little property of house and field. There is the same sense of "good" in the first use of "goodwife," or "goody."

Gowk: cuckoo.

Grain, cloth in: cloth of special quality with a fast purple dye.

Graithit him: dressed himself.

Gramercy: great thanks. French - grand merci.

Gree: satisfaction.

Gurly: gurgly.

Halfendell: the half part.

Halk: flat ground by a river.

Halse bane: neck bone.

Haud: hold.

Hie: high. First English - heah.

Hie: make haste. First English - higan.

Hilt: covering.

Ilke: same.

Iwis: certainly. First English - gewis. For the prefix i-, answering to First English and German ge-, see Y-. This old adverb is often printed as if the prefix were the p.r.o.noun I and wis were a verb.

j.a.pes: trivial mockings.

Jimp: slender.

Kell: coif, woman's headdress.

Kipples: rafters.

Knowe: knoll, little hill.

Lap: started, were rent.

Launsgay: lancegay, a form of spear.

Lease: leasing: falsehood.

Leeful: "its leeful lane," "its lane," alone; a Scottish idiom joins to "lane" the genitive p.r.o.noun, "his lane,"

"their lane," etc. "Leeful," compa.s.sionate, the harp played of itself compa.s.sionately.

Lemes: gleams.

Lend: give. See Robin Hood - G.o.d lend. First English - laenan, to give, lend.

Lend: dwell, come into contact. See Robin Hood - "when ye together lend." Icelandic - lenda, to land; lendir saman, come close together.

Lere: learn, teach. First English - laeran. See Robin Hood - "this lesson shall we lere;"