I. So they wrote what we now write Aye. As it was the same as the first personal pronoun, there was often a play on it, as in Two Gent. i. 1, R. and J. iii. 2.
Iceland-dog (H. V. ii. 1), a shaggy kind of dog imported from Iceland, a great favourite in England at that time.
Idle (M. for M. iii. 2, Oth. i. 3), empty, void, of no force, idel, A.S., eitel, Germ.: "And the earth was idel and void" (Wicklif).
Imp, graft, hence child, young devil, by ellipsis of the devil. As a verb it was a term of falconry, meaning to splice a broken feather of the wing (R. II. ii. 1), which was effected by running a needle up the broken feather, the other end of which was run up the feather that was to be added.
Incense, properly Insense (M. Ado, v. 1, R. III. iii. 2, H. VIII. v. 1), inform, put sense, as it were, into.
Incony (L. L. L. iii. 1, iv. 1). This is usually understood to mean fine, delicate, pretty; but the following passage of the old play The Shoemaker's Holiday gives the true sense and origin of it: "There they shall be knit, like a pair of stockings, in matrimony; there they'll be in conie." Cony, like lamb, mouse, etc., was in fact one of the endearing terms then in use between married couples; so that to be in cony was to be in a state of matrimonial endearment. Thence in cony or incony gradually came into use as an adj. of endearment in general—just as in life became alive and live (as an adjective).
Index (R. III. ii. 2, Tr. and Cr. i. 3), what we now call the table of contents in a book. It also (R. III. iv. 4, Ham. iii. 4, Oth. ii. 1) seems to mean the dumb show before the acts of a play.
Inherit (Two Gent. iii. 2, R. II. i. 1), possess, cause to possess.
Iniquity (R. II. iii. 1, 1 H. IV. ii. 4), a name of the Vice, or buffoon, of the old moralities. He had asses' ears, a long coat, and a dagger of lath, with which, leaping on the Devil's back, he used to belabour him; but he was always carried off by him in the end.
Inkle (L. L. L. iii. 1, W. T. iv. 3), a kind of tape. It came perhaps by aphæresis from A.S. rápincle, cord.