Middle English Vocabulary Education September 15-19

1) Murne (adj.) - Sorrowful.

Ther lete we hem sojurne,
And speke we of chaunces hard and /murne/.

- Arthour and Merlin

Pronunciation: /murn@/

2) Caboche (v.) - To bend.

There nedeth no more but to /caboche/ his heed,
alle the over jawes stylle thereon,
and the labelles forsayd.

- MS. Bodl. 546

Pronunciation: /kAbOtS@/

3) Scellum (n.) - A thief. A cant term.

But if a drunkard be unpledg’d a kan,
Drawes out his knife, and basely stabs a man,
To runne away the rascall shall have scope;
None holds him, but cry, Lope, /scellum/, lope!

- Taylor’s Workes, 1630

Pronunciation: /skElum/

4) Demester (n.) - A judge. The term is still retained in the Isle of Man.

A yoth was thenne /demester/
Of Israel foure score 3eer.

- Cursor Mundi, MS. Coll. Trin. Cantab.

Pronunciation: /dEmEstEr/

5) Nubilated (adj.) - Clouded.

About the beginning of March, 1660, I bought accidentally
a Turkey-stone ring; it was then wholly serene;
toward the end of the moneth it began to be /nubilated/.

- Aubrey’s Wilts, MS. Royal Soc.

Pronunciation: /nubIlAtEd/