483 wonder wonderfully
485 ypreved proved to be ofte sithes many times
486 cursen excommunicate (n.)
487 out of doute doubtless
488 aboute round about
489 From the donations made at the Offertory and also from his own possessions
490 suffisaunce sufficiency
493 meschief affliction
494 ferreste furthest muche and lite great and small
495 staf staff
496 yaf gave
498 tho those
499 figure metaphor, figure of speech therto in addition
502 It is not surprising if a layman turns rusty
503 take keep takes note
504 shiten covered with shit
507 He did not farm out his parish (n.)
508 leet left encombred bogged down
510 chaunterye see n.
511 bretherhede guild, fraternity withholde retained
513 miscarye suffer harm
514 mercenarye hireling
516 despitous scornful
517 daungerous ne digne haughty or proud
519 fairnesse gentleness
520 bisinesse endeavour
521 But unless
522 Whatso whatever estat rank
523 snibben rebuke, reprimand
525 waited after looked for
526 spiced conscience (over-)fastidiousness
530 ylad carried fother cart-load
531 swinkere labourer
534 him gamed or smerte it pleased him or pained him
536 thresshe thresh therto also dike make ditches delve dig
537 wight person
539 faire and wel conscientiously
540 propre swink own labour (n.)
541 tabard loose tunic (n.) mere mare
544 namo no others
545 stout strong, powerful for the nones indeed
546 big strong brawn muscle
547 overal ther everywhere that
548 wrastlinge wrestling
549 short-sholdred short in the upper arm knarre thick-set man
550 heve of harre heave off its hinges
551 renning run
554 cop tip
555 werte wart
558 bokeler small shield
559 fourneis furnace
560 jangler loudmouth goliardeis ribald story-teller
561 harlotries obscenities
562 tollen collect a toll (n.)
563 thombe of gold see n.
564 blew blue
567 MAUNCIPLE manciple (n.) temple Inn of Court
568 achatours buyers of provisions
569 byinge of vitaille buying food
570 taille tally, a scored wooden stick kept by a creditor as a record of sums owed
571 waited so in his achaat took such precautions in his purchasing
572 ay biforn always ahead
574 lewed uneducated pace surpass
576 mo more
577 of lawe expert learned in law curious skilled
581 by his propre good off his own property
582 but he were wood unless he was mad
583 him list it pleased him
586 sette hir aller cappe made fools of them all
587 REVE reeve (n.) sclendre slender colerik irascible, choleric (n.)
588 as neigh as ever he kan as closely as possible
589 yshorn cut
590 dokked cut short biforn in front
593 gerner garner, granary binne bin (for grain)
594 on him winne get the better of him
595 wiste he he knew
596 yeldinge yield
597 neet cattle daierye dairy herd
598 swin pigs stoor livestock pultrye poultry
599 governinge control
600 by his covenant according to his contract
601 Sin that since
602 bringe him in arrerage find him short in his accounts
603 hierde herdsman hine servant
604 sleighte trickery covine fraud
605 adrad afraid
606 woning dwelling-place
607 yshadwed shadowed
608 purchace acquire wealth
609 astored stocked up
611 lene lend
612 yet in addition coote tunic
613 mister trade
615 stot farm-horse
616 pomely dappled highte was called
617 surcote (outer) coat pers blue (cloth)
619 Northfolk Norfolk
620 clepen call
621 His gown was tucked up on all sides (over his girdle), like a friar’s
622 hindreste rearmost
624 a fir-reed cherubinnes face the fire-red face of a cherub (n.)
625 saucefleem covered with pimples (as a result of a disease called ‘salt
626 phlegm’) (n.)
627 scaled scabby piled scrubby
628 aferd afraid
629 quiksilver mercury litarge lead monoxide brimstoon sulphur
630 Boras borax ceruce white lead oille of tartre saturated solution of potassium carbonate
632 him… helpen of cure him of whelkes pimples
633 knobbes lumps
636 as he were wood as if he were mad
640 decre decree, edict
643 clepen ‘Watte’ say ‘Walter’
644 grope question
645 Then he had used up all his learning
646 Questio quid iuris The question is, what (point) of law (is relevant)
647 gentil harlot noble rogue
649 suffre allow
650 concubin mistress
651 atte fulle completely
652 Secretly he could also cheat a dupe (n.)
653 owher anywhere
655 ercedekenes curs archdeacon’s excommunication (n.)
656 But if unless
661 assoilling absolution
662 significavit see n.
663 He had in his power, to do as he pleased
664 gerles youngsters (of either sex) diocise diocese
665 counseil private affairs was al hir reed was their exclusive adviser
667 greet big ale-stake inn-sign (g.)
668 him for himself
670 Rouncival St Mary Roncevall (n.) comper intimate
671 streight directly court of Rome papal court
673 stif burdoun powerful bass accompaniment (see n. to GP 691)
674 trompe trumpet
676 smothe smoothly heeng hung strike of flex hank of flax
677 By ounces in thin clusters
678 overspradde spread over
679 thinne thinly by colpons in hanks oon and oon one by one
680 jolitee attractiveness
681 trussed up bundled up walet bag
682 Him thoughte it seemed to him al of the newe jet in the latest fashion
683 Dischevelee bareheaded save except for
684 glaringe staring
685 vernicle pilgrim badge bearing an image of Christ’s face (n.)
687 Bret-ful brimful from Rome al hoot fresh from Rome
690 smothe smooth as it were late yshave as if it had just been shaved
691 see n.
694 male bag pilwe-beer pillow-case
696 gobet fragment seil sail
698 hente (= hentede) summoned
699 latoun brass
701 fond found
702 persoun parson upon lond in the country
703 Upon a day in one day
704 tweye two
706 made… his apes made fools of
710 alderbest best of all offertorye offertory (anthem sung at Mass while people’s offerings are being collected)
712 moste had to affile his tonge polish his speech
713 koude knew how to
714 murierly more sweetly
715 in a clause briefly
716 estaat social condition
718 gentil noble
719
highte was called
721 baren us behaved
722 were… alight had alighted
726 n’arette it nat do not attribute it to vileinye boorishness
728 cheere behaviour
729 proprely literally
731 telle a tale after repeat a tale after
732 moot reherce must repeat
733 Everich a every if it be in his charge if it is in his power
734 However coarsely or broadly he speaks
735 untrewe inaccurately
736 finde invent
738 o one
739 brode plainly, frankly
740 ye woot you know
742 mote be cosin to must be akin to, match
744 Al have I if I have not
746 wit intelligence
747 Greet cheere made… us treated us very hospitably
749 vitaille food
750 us leste gave us pleasure
752 marchal in an halle see n.
753 stepe prominent
755 Boold of his speche ready of speech
757 therto in addition
758 pleyen to joke
764 murye pleasant
765 Atones together herberwe lodgings
766 doon yow mirthe entertain you wiste I how if I knew how
767 And I have just thought of an entertainment
768 doon yow ese amuse you
770 quite yow youre mede reward you
772 Ye shapen yow to talen you plan to talk (n.)
775 disport amusement
776 erst before
777 yow liketh it pleases you
780 Tomorwe tomorrow
782 But ye be murye if you are not cheerful
783 hoold up youre hondes promise
784 Our decision didn’t have to be requested for long
785 make it wis deliberate, hesitate
786 avis deliberation
787 voirdit opinion
788 herkneth listen
789 taak it nat… in desdein do not take offence at it
791 shorte shorten
793 To Caunterburyward towards Canterbury
794 othere two another two
795 aventures notable events whilom formerly
796 berth him performs
798 sentence serious meaning solaas pleasure, entertainment
799 at oure aller cost at the expense of all of us
803 goodly gladly
807 vouchesauf agree
809 shape me therfore get ready for it
810 swore sworn
811 preyden requested
813 governour leader
814 reportour reporter, recorder
816 devis desire
817 In heigh and lough in everything
818 We been acorded to we agreed to
819 fet anoon fetched immediately
820 echon each one
822 Amorwe next morning springe dawn, break
823 was oure aller cok woke us all up (lit. was our cock)
824 togidre together
825 riden rode a litel moore than pas at little more than walking-pace
826 watering of Seint Thomas St Thomas Watering (n.)
827 bigan his hors areste brought his horse to a halt
829 You know your agreement, if you remember it
830 morwe-song morning-song acorde agree with each other
832 As evere moot I so may I
833 Whoso be whoever is
835 draweth cut draw straws ferrer twinne go further
838 acord agreement
841 Ne studyeth noght don’t deliberate
844 Whether it was by chance or fate or accident
845 fil fell
847 moste had to as was resoun as was right
848 composicioun agreement
853 Sin since
857 murye cheere cheerful expression
Iamque domos… etc. And now, after the fierce battles with the Scythian people, (Theseus approaches) his native land in his laurel-crowned (chariot)…
859 Whilom once upon a time
860 highte was called
866 Femenye land of the Amazons
867 ycleped called
868 Ypolita Hippolyta
870 solempnitee festivity
873 Lete… ride leave… riding
875 certes certainly if it nere if it were not
879 for the nones on the occasion
881 asseged besieged
882 hardy brave
885 moot… forbere must omit
886 God woot God knows ere plough
887 waike weak
889 letten delay
892 ther I lefte where I left off
895 wele splendour mooste greatest
896 war aware
897 hye weye high road
898 tweye and tweye two by two
902 waimentinge lamentation
903 stenten cease
904 henten seized
906 Perturben disturb
909 misboden maltreated
913 swowned fainted deedly cheere death-like face
914 routhe a pity
915 yeven given
917 Noght greveth us we do not begrudge
918 biseken beseech
920 gentillesse graciousness
924 caitives wretches
926 Who guarantees prosperity to no social rank
928 Clemence Clementia (the deified principle of mercy)
930 sith since might power
932 Cappaneus see n.
933 starf died
937 theraboute about that place
938 yet now in addition
940 Fulfild of filled with
941 despit malice
942 vileinye dishonour
943 yslawe slain
945 suffren allow by noon assent on no account
946 ybrent burned
947 houndes dogs in despit in spite
948 respit delay
949 fillen gruf fell on their faces pitously pitifully
952 gentil noble courser charger, battle-horse sterte leaped
953 pitous compassionate
955 pitous sorrowful maat helpless
957 up hente took up
958 in ful good entente with great good will
960 so ferforthly to such an extent that
961 wreke avenge
963 of Theseus yserved dealt with by Theseus
965 right anoon straight away abood delay
967 To Thebesward towards Thebes
968 neer nearer
972 sheene beautiful
974 rit (= rideth) rides
975 targe shield
976 large broad
978 penoun pennon
979 ybete embossed
980 wan overcame
983 alighte dismounted
984 theras he thoghte fighte where he planned to fight
988 plein bataille open war
990 sparre beam
992 freendes kinsfolk
993 tho the gise then the custom
994 But it would be too long to recount
995 waimentinge lamentation
1000 entente intention
1003 Stille quietly
1004 as him leste as it pleased him
1005 taas heap
1006 strepe strip harneis armour wede clothing
1007 The scavengers exerted themselves
1008 disconfiture defeat
1010 Thurgh-girt pierced through
1011 ligginge by and by lying side by side
1012 oon armes identical armour
1015 quik alive
1016 cote-armures outer tunics bearing heraldic arms (n.)
1017 in special in particular
1019 sustren sisters
1021 softe gently
1024 nolde no raunsoun did not want any ransom
1027 laurer laurel
1029 Terme of his lif for the rest of his life
1030 tour tower
1032 quite release
1
033 This thus
1034 fil ones befell one day morwe morning
1035 sene behold
1038 For her complexion vied with the colour of the rose
1039 noot (= ne woot) do not know finer purer, more radiant
1040 wone custom
1041 dight dressed
1042 slogardye slothfulness
1043 priketh stimulates gentil noble
1044 sterte start
1045 do thin observaunce pay tribute to the occasion
1048 She was clothed (so that she was) beautiful to look upon
1049 broided in a tresse braided in a plait
1050 yerde yard
1051 sonne-upriste sunrise
1052 as hir liste as it pleased her
1053 party parti-coloured
1054 subtil intricate
1055 hevenisshly in a heavenly manner
1057 dongeoun keep-tower (n.)
1058 Theras where
1060 evene joinant immediately adjoining
1061 pleyinge amusement
1064 leve permission
1065 an heigh up above
1066 seigh saw
1074 by aventure or cas by chance or accident
1075 thikke of thickly set with
1078 bleinte blenched, winced
1079 stongen stung
1080 up sterte leapt up
1081 eileth ails
1082 deedly death-like
1083 cridestow did you cry out hath the doon offence has harmed you
1087 aspect the relative position of one planet or sign to another at a particular time
1088 constellacioun planetary conjunction
1089 althogh we hadde it sworn even if we had sworn the contrary
1091 mote must
1092 again in answer
1094 vein imaginacioun deluded assumption
1096 thurghout through
1097 my bane be be the death of me
1099 Yond over there
1101 noot (= ne woot) wher do not know whether
1103 fil fell
1108 be shape is determined
1110 linage lineage, family
1112 gan espye caught sight of
1115 soore severely
1117 pitously pitifully
1119 yonder over there
1120 but unless
1121 at the leeste weye at least
1122 I nam but deed I am as good as dead
1123 tho those
1124 Despitously angrily