M
ma, III, 490, 15, 27, 29: bit, whit.
Mable, booke of, III, 422, 61: some book of predictions, like Thomas Rymer’s.
made, a lie, I, 478, 25: told.
made, men, III, 406, 37: raised. made a bow o bere, V, [264] a, 2: contributed.
mae, III, 301, E; 349, 46; IV, 490, 27: more.
maen, mane, meen, n., II, 107, 2: moan.
magger of, in the, III, 307, 1: in spite of, maugre.
maick, make, mate.
maid, may, used loosely of a young wife: II, 300, 6, 8; 307, 33; V, [227], 7. So κόρη, παρθένος, in Homer, of a young wife, and puella of married woman often.
maid of a place, as, maid of the Cowdenknows, IV, 200, 12, 13; 202, J 2, 3; 203, 8; 205, 14: the eldest daughter of the tenant or proprietor, who is generally called by the name of his farm.
maid alone, II, 149, 2: solitary, like burd-alone, I, 298, 2 (which, however, is there used of a man).
maiden, IV, 30 a: an instrument for beheading, resembling the guillotine.
maigled, IV, 41, note *: mangled.
maik. See make.
mail, rent. lodging-maill, III, 474, 38.
main. man o the main, is it to a man o the might, or till a man o the main, II, 403, 7, 8: main can have no sense distinct from might, and man of the might, man of the main, is simple verbiage. In B 4, H 6, we have, to a man of micht or a man of mean: man of mean cannot be wrenched into man of low degree, and we do not want that sense even if we could legitimately get it, for the antithesis is not between the man of micht and the man of mean degree, but between both these and the robber or robbers of the last half of the stanza. The stall copy, 405, 5, 6, having only grammar in mind, reads man (one) that’s mean, and but for rhyme might perhaps have gone so far as, a man of means. IV, 146, 21, reads, man o mine, to avoid the difficulty. See mean.
main, n., IV, 473, 39: moan. See mane.
ma-i-ntn, V, [303] a: maintain, support.
mair, IV, 21, 14: more, bigger.
mairly, IV, 59 f., d 2; e 2, g 2: a rhyme used for mair.
maist, II, 169, 7: almost.
maistly, I, 138 b, d 5: mostly, almost. See mostly.
make, maik, maicke, I, 127, 14; 128, 11: 129, D 8; 347, 23, 30; 348, 11, 17: mate, consort. I, 403, 12; II, 46, 1; IV, 344, 7; V, [184], 44: match, like; and so in, what is my lineage or what is my make, IV, 341, D 8.
make, III, 37, 67: for made, p. p.
making, IV, 208, 3: doing, deportment.
maks, V, [307] b: makes.
male, III, 63, 134; 68, 247, 255: (O. Fr. male) trunk. male-hors, III, 74, 374.
mall, with the leaden mall, III, 357, 42: mallet, hammer (referring to the weight of his stroke).
mallasin, malison.
man, V, [191], 8, 12: vassal. V, [304] b, 3: husband.
man, mane, maun, mun, I, 16, B 8, 9, 12-16; 146, 5, 6; V, [197], 12; [219], 29; [220], 4; [248], 12, 13: must.
mane, maen, main(e), meane, meen, I, 72, 20; 448, A 1, 3; etc.: moan, complaint, lament; often nothing more than utterance, enunciation, as, I, 253, 1; 394, A 2; 395, C 4; III, 489, 1.
mane, v., I, 72, 23: moan. See mean.
maney, III, 109, 4: meny, followers. See menë.
mang, I, 108, 6: among.
manhood, manhead, manheed, men (man) o your, men to your, I, 108, 14; 109, 13; IV, 446 f., 14: a strange way of saying, if you are men (man) of true valor, willing to fight one by one. III, 422, 59: manly deed, exploit demanding courage.
manie, mennie, V, [270], 8: maunna, must not.
mankie, V, [173], 3: calamanco, a stuff made in the Low Countries.
manratten, manrydden (A. S. manrǽden), III, 359, 95; 362, 95: homage, vassalage.
manrent, IV, 34 b: homage, vassalage. See manratten.
mansworn, I, 394, 3; IV, 442, 10: perjured.
marchandise, III, 92, 22: dealing.
march-man, III, 296, 8: one who lives on the march, or border.
March-parti, Marche-partes, III, 310, 58, 67: Border-part, -parts, Border, Borders.
marie, III, 491, 14: mare.
marie. See mary.
mark, II, 62 b, 11; 132, 29; IV, 202, K 2: murky. the mark, II, 164, 3. See mirk.
marke, merk, I, 394 ff., B 1; C 2; III, 68, 243, 246; 69, 270: two thirds of a pound.
marke hym, III, 297, 44: commit himself by signing the cross.
marries, IV, 487, 25: maids. See mary.
marrow, I, 147, 5; 148, G 4; 149, I 4; IV, 165, 13; 168, 2; V, [41], 16: (of man or woman) mate, husband, wife. IV, 165, 8, 9; B 2; 166, 2, 3; 167, D 6; 169, 5, 6; 170, G 3; H 3: match, equal in rank, equal antagonist. bear ye marrow, 169, 4: should perhaps be, be your marrow, as in 170, G 3.
mary, marie, marrie, marry, II, 369, 13, 15, 19, 20; 370, 13, 14, 17; 371, 14, 15, 20, 21, etc.; 390, 25; 391, 19; IV, 487, 25; 489, 26: a queen’s lady, maid-of-honor (cf. III, 381 b; 385, 18; 386, 19; etc.), maid (like abigail).
mary mild, IV, 213, 13: marigold; cf. V, [259], 5.
Mas (James Melvine), III, 471 a: Magister, Mr. Mess James Murray, V, [196], 51: see Mess.
masar, maser, III, 65, 175; 83, 86, 175: a drinking-vessel, of wood, especially of knotty-grained maple, often mounted with bands or rings of precious metals. See Way’s note, Prompt. Parv., p. 328.
mass, in the frequent formula, when bells were rung and mass was sung and a’ men bound to bed, II, 70, 21, etc.: a domestic religious service at the end of the day. evening-mass, II, 168, A 4.
mast, maste, III, 296 f., 22, 31; V, [79], 22: mayst.
master-man, II, 16, 2: captain of a ship. V, [191], 19: chief.
masteryes, make, III, 92, 27: do feats of skill.
mat, matt, mat he (ye) dee! wae mat fa, mat(t) worth!==mot, in the sense of may: II, 27, 7, 10; 472, 25, 33; IV, 391, 6; 392, 9, 21; 428, 6; V, [166], 10; [306], 10. See met.
maught, maugt, might.
maugre, maugre in theyr teethe, III, 67, 225: in spite of.
maun, I, 16, B 8, 9, etc.; C 7-10, etc.; 17, D 5-7, etc.; 146, 5, 6; 183, 25, 26: must. 71, 39 in pret. sense. See man, mun.
maunna, I, 185, 25: must not. See manie.
mavosie, I, 465, 8: mavis, song-thrush.
maw, sea-maw, II, 360, 3; 363, 7; 365, 5; IV, 482, 6: sea-mew, gull.
maw, v., I, 427, 13, 15: mow.
mawys, I, 326, 2: mavis, song-thrush.
may, mey, I, 115, B 1, 3, etc.; 173 f., 6, 10; III, 93, 39; 286, 45; IV, 432, 9; 515, 2: maid.
may, optative, frequently put after the subject, as, Christ thy speed may bee! thou mayst sune be! I may be dead ere morn! III, 355 f., 5, 23; 359, 87; 370, 8, 11; IV, 365, 18.
may be==is, like can be: II, 448, 33; 451, 100. might be==was, III, 452, 10. (So, possibly, might see, I, 434, 30.)
may gold, III, 497, 13: marigold.
mayne, strength.
maystry, mastery.
me, I, 243 f., 5, 15: men, French on.
me, ethical dative, sawe I me, etc., III, 65, 184; 68, 249; 75, 381; 79, 147; 80, 169.
meal, III, 163, 77: meal-bag.
meal, II, 230, 14, 15; 362, 36: mold, dust, earth. See meel.
mean, man of, I, 358, 30; II, 233, F 3; 400, 4, 5; 404, 6, 7; V, [36], B 8, 9: mere verbiage, I judge; mean looks like an attempt to escape from main, which see. (man of mean, II, 233, F 3, not being joined with man of might, might be understood as, man of main, or violent man.)
mean, meane, meen, v., I, 426, 5; V, [246], 4, 6: moan, lament. I, 388, A 7, 10: bemoan, lament the state of. not to mean, V, [160], 2: not to be pitied. mean, V, [160], 1, is doubtful, but the verb corresponding to moan is to be preferred. See mane, menyd.
mean, n., moan. See meen.
meany, III, 307, 3, 10: troop. See menë.
meaten, meeten, II, 434, 17; III, 33, 158: measured.
meathe, IV, 378, 9; 380, 17: landmark.
meatrif, III, 163, 87: abounding in food.
meckle, meikle, muckle, IV, 513, 6, 7: much.
medder, V, [221], 11: mother.
medill-erthe, I, 327, 27. See middle-earth.
meed, I, 68, 10, 14; II, 172, 33: mood, heart, state of feeling.
meed, warld’s meed, I, 108, 14; IV, 446 f., 14: seems to be corrupted from mate (make). Woreldes make is a familiar phrase in Old English, and not unfrequent in ballads.
meel, meel or mor, III, 281, 8, 10: mold, earth, ground; but perhaps an error for mede, mead. See meal.
meen, v., moan, lament. See mean, v.
meen, mean, I, 427, 5; II, 124, 39; 417, 11; III, 389, 12, 13: lamentation. See mane.
meen, I, 222, 8; 315, 8; IV, 416, 10: moon.
meet, I, 148, F 10: (causative) pass, put, thrust in.
meet, meete, II, 46, 45: even, equal. II, 229, 13: scant, close, and so, perhaps, II, 436, 61.
meeten, meaten, II, 434, 17: measured, by measure. See met.
meiht, I, 243, 3: mayst.
meikle, meickle, mickle, muckle, I, 72, 24, 25; 86, 2, 3; 309 f., 2, 4; 330, A 3, B 3; IV, 514, 5: much, great.
meisseine, V, [132], 7: spanker, or perhaps, Fr. misaine, foresail.
mell, I, 299, 6; 304, 10; F 6; 305, 12; V, [108], B 6: mall, wooden hammer, beetle.
mell, IV, 177 b, I 7: mail.
mell, III, 172, 24: meddle.
meller’s hoops, I, 304, F 5: mill-casings, the circular wooden frames which surround mill-stones.
melten (goud), IV, 471, 37: molten.
menë, menye, meany, menyie, meynë, maney, monie, III, 72, 335: followers, band.
menement, V, [242], 9, 11, 13: amendment.
menji, menji feathers in her hat, V, [163], 13: many.
mennie, manie, V, [270], 8: maunna, must not.
mensked, I, 334, 11: honored, dignified.
menyde (of hir songe), I, 326, 2: moaned, uttered, delivered. See mean.
menye, menyie, household, retinue, people: III, 91 a; IV, 127, 4, 5. See menë.
mere, IV, 493, 21: more.
meri. See mery.
merk, marke, I, 394 f., B 1, C 2: two thirds of a pound.
merk. See merkes.
merk, v., mark, merked them one, III, 297, 47: took their aim at.
merkes, III, 75, 397: distances between the bounds.
merke-soote, I, 334, 4: mark-shot, distance between the marks (cf. III, 75, 397), from bow to target, bow-shot.
merlion, merlyon, II, 45, 21, 33: merlin, the smallest of British falcons.
merrilye, III, 329, 11: in good or valiant fashion. So, nearly, IV, 477, 8.
merry (men). See mery.
merry Cock land, III, 250, 1: corruption of the merry Scotland of 249, I, J, 1; 251, M, 1; 252, O, 1.
merrys, I, 327, 22: mars, marrest.
mery, meri, merry, merrie, myrri, myrry (men), II, 386, 12; III, 66, 205; 71, 316; 73, 340; 97, 9; 114, 121, 131; 116, 2; 285 f., 30, 48; 309, 37; 330, 17; 430, 5; 431, 4; 432, 2; 433, 2; IV, 234, 39; V, [191], 4, 14: a standing phrase for followers, companions in arms.
mese, I, 328, 45: course (at table).
mese, III, 484 a, 16: mitigate.
Mess, an epithet said to be contemptuous for a priest or parish minister (as one who says, or said, mass), so Mess John, IV, 442, 10, 12; but there is no reason to suppose disrespect in V, [196], 51. See Mas.
mestoret, V, [80], 42: needed.
met, I, 324, 3; IV, 455, 4; V, [195], 9: mat, may. See mat.
met, pret. of mete, III, 60, 73: measured. p. p. met, mete, III, 60, 72; 203, 17; IV, 465, 23; 467, 13.
methe, meat.
mett, meet.
met-yard, III, 105, 27: measuring-rod.
mey, V, [161], 9: maid. See may.
meynë, III, 27, 96; 58, 31; 61, 95, 97; 76, 419: retinue, suite, household, company, body of people. See menë.
meythe, III, 112, 59: might.
micht, v., V, [299], 4: might.
micht’ll, might well.
mickle, great, much. See meikle.
midder, mideer, mother.
middle-earth, medill-erthe, I, 327, 27; II, 59, 25: (A.S. middangeard, middaneard), earth (conceived as being the middle of the universe; see miðgarðr in Vigfusson).
middle stream, III, 125, 19: middle of the stream.
middle waist, IV, 523, 6: middle of his waist.
mid-larf, crowing a, II, 230, 5, 8: corrupt (changed by Scott to merry midnight). Taking into account the young cock crew i the merry Linkem, II, 239, B 4, midlarf may stand for some locality (suggestion of Professor Kittredge).
might be==was, III, 452, 10. See may, can.
mild, maidens mild, II, 312, 1; 314, C 1, D 1; 316, 1: meek, gentle, demure. So Mild Mary, II, 315, E 7; Mary(-ie) Mild, III, 395, M 1, 3; 396, N 1; 398 a, c 4; Mary Mile, III, 386, 5, 6, 8. Corrupted to Moil, IV, 507 b, S 2; Miles, IV, 511 a, 5. myld(e) Mary, of the Virgin, III, 97, 7, 17; 98, 35: lenient, compassionate. myld myȝth, V, [283], 13.
milk-dey, IV, 262, 26; 524, 6: dairy-woman.
mill, mille, IV, 503, 13; 505, 45; V, [221], 15, 16; [224], 25: mile.
millaine, I, 286, 42, 45: of Milan steel. See myllan.
mill-capon, II, 477 b, D 27: a poor person who asks charity at mills from those who have grain grinding, the alms usually given being a gowpen, or handful, of meal.
millering, II, 467, 42: waste meal, sweepings of a mill (dust [which] lyes in the mill, II, 470, 43).
mill-town, mill-toun, II, 471, 18; V, [238], 29: miller’s steading or place.
miln, I, 18, 11: mill.
milner, mylner, III, 85, 4; 360, 111: miller.
min. See mind.
mind, II, 216, 12, 15; 218, 13, 16: recollection. her mind she keeped, II, 72, 13: did not forget what she had promised. for changing o her min, 81, 32: seems to mean, lest she should change her mind; but the sense is not striking.
mind. mind o, on, I, 481, 26; IV, 194, 16, 9; 195, 15; 196, 17; 197, 17, etc.: remember. pret. mind, I, 183, 30. mind of, on, mind to, I, 470, 16; IV, 403 f., 14, 28; 437, 24: remind of. he mind’t him on, V, [18], 5: remembered.
minde, ffor the maydens loue that I haue most minde, II, 58, 5: elliptical or corrupt. Comparing 59, 24 (where the MS. reads, wrongly, most meed) we see that for is not to be taken with minde. We must understand most in mind or most mind to or of, or, possibly, minde may be (from minnen, remember) had in mind.
minge (A. S. myndgian), III, 355, 6; 362, 72: utter. minged, II, 59, 21: didst name the name of, mention (or, perhaps, only bore in mind). myn, III, 358, 72.
minikin, V, [201] b: little, pretty little.
minion, I, 284, 12: dainty.
minnie, minny, II, 473, 16, 17; IV, 69, 16; 294, C 9, 10; V, [115], 9: mother. IV, 6, 15; V, [250], 14: dam.
mint to, II, 469, 31; IV, 493, 20; V, [28], 67; [238], 21: put out the hand towards, move towards. minted as, V, [9], 7: took a direction as if, made as if.
mire, myre, I, 428, 13, 14; 429, 7, 8; III, 475 b: swamp, bog. mire an moss, bog, an miery hole, IV, 22, 12; cf. 184, 5.
mirk, myrke, mark, I, 326, 16; IV, 517, 14: dark.
Mirry-land toune, III, 244, B 1: probably a corruption of the merry Lincoln of A 16, 17; 246, D 1; 251, L 1.
miscarry me, IV, 267, 11: get me into trouble; fail, disappoint me (?).
misgae, misgave.
misgiding, V, [117], 15: ill treatment.
misguide, misgiding, V, [117], 15; [119], 15: ill treatment.
miss, n., IV, 317, E 5; 325, C 5, D 3: mistress, whore.
miss, n., II, 465, 4: wrong or injury.
miss(e), v., I, 210, 12: omit, fail. miss your Wanton slack, IV, 22, 10, 12: fail to keep him tightly reined (?).
mis-sworn, I, 395, C 5: mansworn, perjured.
mister, myster, III, 450 a; IV, 268, 26; 464, 15: need, requirement, an exigency. misters, III, 164, 90: sorts of.
mistkane, I, 105 a, 18, if not miswritten, seems to be simply a phonetic variation of mistane.
mith, mithe, n., I, 334, 6, 7, 11: might.
mith, mithe, v., II, 139, 10; IV, 493, 19: might. mith slain, II, 165, 23: might [have] slain.
mode, I, 328, 47: spirit.
modther, IV, 260, 3, 7: mother.
mody, mudie, I, 334, 10: proud, high-spirited.
mold, molde, mane of molde, I, 327, 20: earth. ouer the mold, into the Scottish mold, I, 433, 21, 23: land, country. I, 434, 37; II, 246, 7: ground.
Moll Syms, I, 126, 13; IV, 448, 7: a well-known dance tune of the sixteenth century.
mome, III, 352, 7: dolt.
monand, n., II, 87, 36: moaning.
mone, I, 326, 1: moan, lamentation, complaint. See meen.
monie, IV, 437, 2: menie, company, suite. See menë.
montenans. See mountnaunce.
monty, IV, 42 a, note §: staircase. (Fr. montée.)
mood, giue me, III, 105, 23: though give me my God looks like a bold change, it is not improbable. We have, yeve me my savyour, in the Romaunt of the Rose, 6436, le cors nostre Seigneur, 12105, Michel. And again: For it was about Easter, at what times maidens gadded abrode, after they had taken their Maker, as they call it. Wilson, Arte of Logike, fol. 84 b. “In 1452 John Bulstone (of Norwich) bequeathed to the church of Hempstede ‘j pyxte, to putte owre lord god in.’” Academy, XL, 174. (These last two citations furnished by Prof. J. M. Manly.) Again, the Breton ballad, Ervoan Camus, Revue Celtique, II, 496, st. 6, has ‘she has received my God.’ (Dr F. N. Robinson.) See V, [297] a.
moody-hill, moudie-hill, mould-hill, IV, 148 f., 48; 150, g, h 48: mole-hill.
mool, mools. See moul.
morn, morrow. the morn, III, 480, 18; 482, 14; 488, 19; 489, 11; IV, 517, 18: to-morrow. the morn’s morning, IV, 373, 8.
mornin’s gift, morning gift, II, 132, 32; 135, 28: gift made the morning after marriage.
mort, III, 307, 8; IV, 26, 8: note on the horn to announce the death of deer.
mose-water. See moss-water.
moss, muss, mose, I, 78, 32; 99, 6; III, 4, 3, 48; 440, 10; IV, 443 f., 6, 19; 445, 8: bog.
moss-water, mose-water, II, 193, 21; 195, 33; V, [224], 19: water of a peat-bog.
most, I, 328, 50: greatest.
mostly, maistly, IV, 242 b: almost.
mot, I, 473, 5: must.
mot, mote, I, 333, 2; III, 7, 9; 68, 243; 75, 394; 113, 81; IV, 137, 29; V, [82], 25, 27; [83], 44, 50, 53; [283], 3: may.
mote, III, 68, 253: meeting.
moten, molten.
mothe, mouthe, I, 334, 4, 6: for meahte (mohte), might.
mother-in-law, II, 71, 11; 72 f., 14, 15: stepmother.
mother-naked, I, 344, 33: naked as in, or coming from, the womb.
mothly, III, 148, 27: motley.
motion, III, 216, 38: proposal.
mou, moue, mow, I, 302, B 8; III, 149, 34; IV, 277, 10; V, [115], 9; [268], 18; [269], 13: mouth.
moudie-hill. See moody-hill.
moue, I, 16, C 15: put up in ricks.
mought, V, [76], 28; [83], b 25, etc.: mote, may. III, 30, 98: might, were able.
moul, mouls, mool, mools, IV, 329, A b, after 16; 330, D d 20: mould, dust, ashes (of the dead). I, 184, 10; II, 233, 6; 429, 6; IV, 492, 6; V, [210], 10: earth of a grave. See meal, II, 230, 14, 15.
mould-hill. See moody-hill.
mould-warpe, III, 420, 20: mole.
mountnaunce, montenans, I, 327, 31; III, 64, 168: amount.
mouthe. See mothe.
mow, III, 149, 34: seems to be meant for mouth (lip). But perhaps we may understand grimace (for a tyrant to make faces at). See mou.
mow, mows, IV, 224, 22; 225, 20: jest.
moyen, IV, 42 a, note: means.
mucell. See muckle.
muck, IV, 323, 6: dung.
muck the byre, IV, 293, 9; 294, C 9, 10; 295, D 9; 297, 9: carry out dung from the cow-house.
muckle, mukle, mucell, meikle, IV, 398, 6; 494, 33: big. IV, 399, 40; V, [271], 13: much.
mudie, III, 434, 27, 28: bold. See mody.
muir, moor.
mullertd, IV, 86, 12: miller.
mun, maun, man, II, 59, 20; 314, 28; IV, 343, 6: must.
mune, moon.
munt, I, 304, E 2: come to, make out.
mure, V, [202] b: moor, heath (?).
muss, III, 4, 3, 4, 8: moss, bog. See moss.
myght, welcome myght thou be, III, 65, 177: Old Eng. 2d pers. pres. ind. == mayst.
myght neuer no tyme to sleepe, III, 77, 441: probably corrupt, and to be read, no tymë slepe; but the construction is not unknown.
myȝth, n., V, [283], 13: might, power.
myld, mylde. See mild.
myle, two myle way, III, 64, 168: the time it takes to go two miles.
myllan, III, 309, 31: Milan steel. See millaine.
mylner, milner, III, 81, 4; 97, 8: miller.
myn, III, 358, 72: say. See minge.
myneyeple, III, 308, 30: corruption of manople, a gauntlet protecting the hand and the whole forearm (?). Skeat.
myre. See mire.
myrke, mirk, mark, I, 327, 30: dark.
myrri, myrry. See mery.
myrthës can, III, 66, 210: knows pleasant stories.
mysaunter, III, 13, 10: mischance.
myster, III, 68, 244: need, occasion. See mister.
mystery, mysterie, III, 495, B b, after 7; IV, 517, 15: craft.