Middle English Vocabulary Education July 21-25

1) Slubberdegullion (n.) - A paltry dirty wretch.

Quoth she, although thou hast deserv’d,
Base /slubberdegullion/, to be serv’d
As thou did’st vow to deal with me,
If thou had’st got the victory.

- Hudibras, I, iii 886

Pronunciation: /slubErdEguliOn/

2) Barbel (n.) - A small piece of armour which protects part of the
bassinet. [note that in medieval English cookbooks a "barbel" was a
carp-like freshwater fish of the genus Barbus]

His /barbel/ first adoun he deth,
Withouten colour his neb he seth.

- Gij of Warwike

Pronunciation: /bArbEl/

3) Tailde (adj.) - Carved.

The wardes of the cyte of hefen bryght
I lycken tyl wardes that stalworthly dyght,
And clenely wroght and craftyly /taylde/
Of clene sylver and golde, and enamaylde.

- Hampole, MS. Bowes

Pronunciation: /taIld@/

4) Guzzle (n.) - A drain or ditch. Sometimes a small stream. Called
also a guzzen

This is all one thing as if hee should goe about
to jussle her into some filthy stinking /guzzle/ or
ditch.

- Whateley’s Bride Bush, 1623

Pronunciation: /guzEl/

5) Lorne (v./adj.) - Lost; undone; destroyed. Still in use, in the
sense of forsaken. Also, to lose anything.

The stewardys lyfe ys /lorne/,
There was fewe that rewyd ther on,
And fewe for hym wepyth.

- MS. Cantab. Ff. ii. 38

Pronunciation: /lOrn@/