973 About her condition in life, were she to die for it
982 never the moore not at all
985 siketh sighs soore deeply
986 lete leave
987 governaunce control
991 penaunce penance
992 ordinaunce control
994 werkes deeds
997 herbergeours harbingers, king’s officers who arrange for lodgings
998 as was usage as was customary
999 agains to meet
1002–3 Greet cheere dooth… To entertains lavishly
1004 Everich each
1010 lad brought
1012 Be as be may however that may be
1013 heste bidding
1014 metes space course of the meal
1017 anon immediately
1021 of woot know of in a stounde in a short while
1027 hir hadde levere she would prefer
1029 prikke condition
1034 aught by any means
1035 sighte sighed
1036 spedde him hastened that he mighte as best he could
1037 fantome illusion
1038 deme believe skilful rational
1045 wonder chaunce wondrous occurrence
1047 after for
1048 hir liste noght to daunce she did not feel like dancing
1049 When she knew the reason for that message
1050 Unnethe hardly
1051 grette greeted
1052 weep wept routhe pity
1056 shet closed up
1057 unkindenesse unnatural behaviour, cruelty
1060 halwes saints
1061 So wysly as surely
1064 Ellis the feend me fecche otherwise may the devil take me
1066 cesse grow calm
1067 pleine lament
1069 relesse discharge
1070 until tomorwe all day and all night long
1072 wist known
1078 seyn seen
1080 pine suffering
1083 vouchesauf grant
1088 nice foolish
1089 soverein supreme
1091 Sente (that he) sent (n.) deme believe
1093 gentilly courteously
1095 bisily intently
1097 in lodging
1099 To the full extent of his ability
1100 gan him dresse got ready
1104 lighte doun dismounted him to feete at his feet
1106 ful clene completely
1108 whilom formerly
1109 It am I it is I
1110 dampned condemned
1117 lette delay
1119 mete dinner lete leave
1121 sithen afterwards
1122 cristenly in a Christian manner
1126 gestes chronicles
1128 say saw
1130 the righte way by the direct route
1132 heete promise
1133 abide stay still
1134 as like
1135 o one
1136 conscience feelings
1137 talent passion som kinnes affray some kind of disturbance
1139 sentence saying
1142 taketh… his rente takes his toll
1143 evene just
1144 hente (= hentede) took
1145 hevinesse sorrow
1151 aventure vicissitudes
1155 herieth praises sithe times
1157 asonder wende part
1158 departeth separates
1165 thrifty excellent
1166 prest priest
1167 forward yore former agreement
1168 lore knowledge
1169 Kan muche good know what you are about
1171 eileth is the matter with
1175 digne noble
1176 predicacioun piece of preaching
1180 glosen interpret (n.)
1181 leven believe
1183 springen scatter cokkel tares, weed growing in corn (n.)
1184 warne notify
1185 joly body fine person
1186 I shall sound so lively a note
1189 phislyas see n. queinte esoteric
1190 mawe gullet
1 auctoritee written authority
5 is eterne on live has eternal life
8 hir degree their social station
10 onis once
16 repreeve reproof
18 ilke same
21 axe ask
25 diffinicioun definition
26 divine speculate glosen interpret
27 woot know expres explicitly
31 lete leave
33 octogamye marrying eight times
34 speke of it vileinye speak ill of it
36 trowe am sure that
37 leveful legitimate
39 Which what a for in spite of
41 as to my wit in my opinion
42 murye fit merry bout, session
43 so wel was him on live so happy was his life 44a ypiked picked 44b here nether purs their balls, testicles 44d practik practice 44e parfit perfect sekirly certainly 44f scoleying studying
45 whan that evere whenever
46 chaast chaste
50 a Goddes half in God’s name liketh me it pleases me
52 brinne burn
53 Why do I care if people speak ill
54 shrewed wicked
56 as fer as evere I kan to the best of my knowledge
61 expres explicit
63 drede doubt
64 maidenhede virginity
66 oon single
70 with the dede in doing so
71 ysowe sown
72 wherof from what
73 Poul St Paul
74 yaf gave heeste command
75 dart spear used as prize in a race
76 Cacche whoso may let him obtain it who can
77 take of understood (as being) about wight person
78 list yeve is pleased to grant
79 maide virgin
82 Al nis but it is all no more than
84 Of indulgence as a concession
85 make spouse
86 excepcioun of objection on the grounds of
87 Al were it good although it would be a good thing
90 ensample metaphor
91 This al and som this is the long and the short of it
92 freletee frailty
93 clepe call but if that unless
96 preferre takes precedence over
97 goost spirit
98 boost boast
101 tree wood
102 clepeth calls sondry wise different ways
103 propre peculiar (to the individual)
104 shifte to determine
107 welle source
110 foore footsteps
113 the flour of al min age my prime of life
115 conclusioun purpose
116 membres… of generacioun genitals
117 And fashioned by so perfectly wise a Maker
119 Let anyone who wants to, spin an argument, and say on all sides
120 purgacioun discharge
122 femele female
125 So that provided that wrothe angry
126 beth are
127 office function (of urination)
128 engendrure procreation ther in circumstances when
130 yelde pay
132 sely instrument blessed tool
135 holde obliged
136 harneis equipment
138 take… no cure have no concern
139 shapen created
142 nil (= ne wil) will not
143 pured refined
144 hoten be called
148 precius fastidious, hard to please
149 wifhode the married state
150 frely generously
151 daungerous niggardly
153 him list it pleases him
154 lette delay, hang back
155 thral slave
156 withal besides
162 sentence saying everydel in every respect
163 Up stirte up leap
t
165 prechour preacher
167 bye pay for deere dearly
168 hadde I levere I would rather to-yeere this year
170 of another tonne from another barrel
171 shal savoure which will taste
174 expert experienced
176 chese choose
177 abroche tap
178 to neigh too near
180 nil be war by will not take warning from
186 spareth hold back
187 praktike practices
188 like please
190 after my fantasye according to my whim
191 As taketh nat agrief of do not be upset by
195 tho those
198 With difficulty could they fulfil the obligation
200 of by
202 swinke labour
203 fey faith tolde of it no stoor set no store by it
204 yeven given
206 doon hem reverence show them respect
208 ne tolde no deintee of set no store by
209 A wise woman will continually exert herself
210 hir for herself
213 What why taken kepe be concerned
214 But unless
215 a-werke to work
217 fet fetched
220 fawe eager
221 feire fair
222 feire kindly
223 chidde hem spitously scolded them mercilessly
224 bar me behaved proprely characteristically
226 bere hem wrong on honde make false assertions against them
229 by with respect to
230 But if it be except hem misavise are misguided
231 kan hir good knows what is to her advantage
232 Will maintain that the chough is mad (n.)
234 Of hir assent with her connivance
235 kainard dotard array way of behaving
236 gay finely dressed
237 overal ther wherever
238 thrifty cloth decent clothes
241 What rowne ye why do you whisper
242 japes tricks
243 gossib intimate friend
244 chidest as nag like
247 with ivel preef bad luck to you
248 meschief calamity
249 costage expense
250 heigh parage high birth
251 tormentrye torment
252 malencolye spleen
254 holour lecher
256 ech a every
260 daliaunce flirtation
261 smale slender
262 by thy tale by your account
265 foul ugly
268 hir to chepe to do business with her
270 make mate
271 welde control
272 his thankes willingly helde own, keep
273 lorel rogue
275 entendeth unto strives after
276 thonder-dint thunderbolt levene lightning
277 welked withered to-broke broken
278 dropping leaking
283 fast tied down (by marriage)
284 shrewe rascal
286 stoundes times
287 Bacines basins lavours bowls er before
288 housbondrye household goods
289 array finery
290 But people do not try out wives
294 But if if not
295 poure… upon gaze intently at
296 clepe call
299 norice nurse
300 chamberere chambermaid bour room
301 allies kinsfolk
302 lies lees, dregs or lies (punning?)
304 crispe curly
305 squiereth escorts
307 wil him nat do not want him thogh even if
308 with sorwe bad luck to you
311 wenestow make do you expect to make
313 wood furious
315 maugree thine eyen in spite of yourself
316 What nedeth thee why do you need to of me about me
317 woldest loke would like to lock chiste strongbox
319 leve believe talis tales
321 taketh kepe or charge is concerned about
322 at oure large at liberty
324 astrologen astronomer
327 rekketh nat does not care in honde in his control
329 If you have enough, why do you need to care
332 queinte right inogh your fill of sex
333 werne refuse to allow
336 pleine thee complain
340 with sorwe curse it enforce thee wind yourself up
342 habit clothing
343 apparaille yow dress yourself
344 tressed heer plaited hair perree jewellery
345 As such as
346 After in accordance with rubriche direction
349 senge singe
350 in house
351 slik sleek
353 be dawed has dawned
354 a-caterwawed caterwauling
355 shrewe rascal
356 borel coarse cloth
357 what helpeth thee what good does it do you
359 warde-corps bodyguard
360 but me lest unless it pleases me
361 Still I could get the better of him, as I live
364 ferthe fourth
365 Jesu shorte may Jesus shorten
370 Without a poor wife being one of them
373 wilde fir Greek fire (inflammable material used in warfare)
374 brenneth burns
375 brent burned
376 shende destroy
378 bonde bound
380 I vigorously accused my old husbands
385 pine suffering
386 whine whinny
387 pleine complain in the gilt in the wrong
388 hadde been spilt would have been ruined
390 werre strife ystint ended
391 ful blive very quickly
392 agilte were guilty hir live in their lives
394 for sik for illness unnethe hardly
396 Wende believed chiertee affection
398 dighte had it off with
399 colour pretext
400 wit cunning
401 yeve given
402 kindely by nature
403 o one avaunte me boast
404 Atte ende in the end the bet in ech degree the better in every way
405 sleighte cunning
406 As such as grucching grumbling
407 abedde in bed
411 Until he had bought me off
412 suffre allow do his nicetee to have his fun
415 lure call back to the hand (n.)
416 winning profit
420 thogh even if seten sat
421 bord table
422 quitte hem paid them back
424 testament will
425 I do not owe them a word that has not been repaid
426 wit cleverness
429 wood furious
430 faille of his conclusioun fall short of his goal
431 Goode lief my dear taak keep take note
433 ba kiss
435 swete spiced conscience see n.
437 Suffreth practise endurance
438 but ye do if you do not
442 suffrable long-suffering
443 grucche grumble
444 for because queinte fanny (vagina)
445 del bit
446 By St Peter, damn you if you don’t enjoy it
447 bele chose thingummy (vagina)
450 I sey yow sooth I am telling you the truth
451 hadde we on honde we were occupied with
453 revelour reveller
454 paramour mistress
455 ragerye high spirits
456 joly lively pie magpie
461 birafte his wif deprived his wife of
463 daunted me fro frightened me away from
465 also siker as surely
466 likerous gluttonous likerous lecherous
467 vinolent bibulous defence resistance
&nb
sp; 469 it remembreth me I remember
471 min herte-roote the bottom of my heart
472 boote good
474 envenime poison
475 me biraft taken away from me pith vigour
478 bren bran
479 fonde try
481 hadde… despit resented
483 quit paid back
484 croce stick
486 made folk swich cheere acted in such a friendly way to people
487 grece grease
492 see n.
493 no wight no one
494 soore painfully
496 ygrave buried roode-beem beam supporting a cross (n.)
497 toumbe tomb curious elaborate
499 subtilly skilfully
500 It is only a waste to give him an expensive tomb
501 Lat him far wel bless him
502 cheste coffin
505 shrewe wicked
506 by rewe in a row
507 ending day dying day
509 glose cajole
511 bet beaten
512 anon immediately
513 trowe believe
514 daungerous niggardly
516 queinte fantasye strange fantasy
517 Waite what whatever lightly easily
518 Therafter for that
520 Preesse on urge
521 We display our wares reluctantly (n.)
522 prees crowd deere ware expensive goods
523 greet cheep inexpensive at litel pris of little value
528 wente at hom to bord lodged at home
531 privetee secrets
532 Bet better so mote I thee as I may prosper
533 biwreyed revealed conseil secrets
543 ones once
545 gay finely dressed
551 leiser for to pleye opportunity to amuse myself
552 seye seen
553 By pleasure-loving people. How did I know where my good luck
554 shapen destined
555 visitacions visits
556 vigilies watches kept in church on the evening before a religious festival (n.)
558 pleyes of miracles miracle-plays
559 wered upon wore gites gowns
560 mites insects
561 Upon my peril may I be damned otherwise frete (= fretede) gnawed nevere a del not at all
562 wostow do you know for because
565 daliaunce flirtation