limbeck, or alembic, a vessel used in distilling. F. alambique; Ar. al-anbik, the still; anbik being again derived by the Arabs from Gr. ambix, a goblet.

loon, a base fellow. Probably of Dutch origin. Du. loen, a

loon.

Magot-pies, or mag-pies. Mag, is short for Margaret; L. Margarita, a pearl. Pie is from F. pic; L. pica, a magpie.

mar, to spoil. A.S. merran, to waste.

mated, confounded. Persian mat, astonished. The word came into the game of chess. Check-mate is Persian shah mat, the king is dead.

maw, the stomach. A.S. maga, the stomach.

mere, pure, absolute. L. merus, pure, unmixed.

mettle, spirit, ardour. The same word as metal. O.F. metal;

Gr. metallon, a pit, cave, metal.

minion, a favourite, a flatterer. F. mignon, darling; from O.H.G. minna, love. A word whose meaning has been degraded.

Nave, the middle. A.S. nafu, the centre:

niggard, a miser. Ic. hnoggr, a miser, with contemptuous suffix, ard.

non-pareil, matchless. F. non, not; pareil, equal. Pareil is from L. pariculus, a diminutive of par, equal.

Once. The genitive case (anes) of “an,” one, as twice, thrice, are of two and three.

owe, to possess. A.S. agan, to possess.

Palter, to shuffle, to equivocate. Derivation very doubtful.

Perhaps from Scand. (Sw.) paltor, rags. Hence to palter originally meant to deal in rags,, then to haggle in buying, and so to its present meaning.

peak, to grow thin. The same word as "peak," a point; Irish peac, any sharp pointed thing.

M

penthouse, a shed projecting from a building. Pent is a shortened form of the F. apentis; L. appendicium, an

appendage.

pestered, annoyed. O.F. empestrer, to entangle; from L. pastorium, a clog for horses in pasture.

plight, dangerous condition. A.S. pliht, risk, danger.
posset, a drink of hot, curdled milk.
Quarry, a heap of slaughtered game.

of a slain animal given to the
corium, hide.

quell, to subdue. A.S. cwellan, to kill.

W. posel, curdled milk. O.F. cuiree, the intestines hounds in its skin. L.

Rabble, a noisy crowd. Old Du., rabbelen, to chatter.

ravelled, entangled.

confusion.

Old Du., ravelen, to ravel, to bring to

ravin, to eat voraciously. O.F. ravine, rapidity; from L.

rapina, booty.

relish, to taste with pleasure. O.F. relecher, to lick over again. A hybrid from L. re, again, and O.H.G. lechon, to lick.

rue, to be sorry for. A.S. hreowan, to grieve. rugged, shaggy. Sw. ruggig, rough, hairy.

Sag, to droop. Sw. sacka, to settle down.

score, a cut, a reckoning. A.S. scer-an, to shear, or cut. Scores were kept by cuts or notches in a stick.

seeling, closing up the eyes. O.F. siller, to sew up the eyelids of a bird; L. cilia, the eyelids.

shag, rough hair. A.S. sceacga, rough hair.

shard, sherd, or shred, a fragment. A.S. sceard, a fragment.

sirrah, a term of address, used in anger or contempt. Ic.

sira, a term of contempt.

sleave, soft floss silk. Sw. sleif, a knot of ribbon.

sleight, cunning. Ic. slaegth, slyness.

slivered, torn off. A.S. slifan, to cleave.

smack, taste. A.S. smæc, taste.

spells, sayings connected with magical rites. A.S. spellian, to

relate.

suborn, to instigate secretly to perjury. F. suborner; L. sub,

under, ornare, to furnish, to adorn.

surfeited, over-satisfied. F. sorfait, excess; from L. super, .beyond; facere, factum, to do, to make.

surmise, a guess. O.F. surmise, an accusation; from L. super, upon; mittere, missum, to put.

swelter, to throw out moisture through heat. A frequentative form of A.S. sweltan, to die.

swine, in A.S. was neuter, and did not change in the plural. Cf. deer, sheep.

Taint, a tinge, stain.

O.F. teinct, a dye, or stain; from

L. tingere, tinctum, to tinge.

thrall, a slave. Ic. thraell, a serf.

twain, is the A.S. twegen, the masculine of two.

Visard or visor, a part of a helmet, F. visière, the sight of a helmet; L. visum, the sight. The "d" has crept in.

Warder, one who guards. A.S. weard, a guard. Ward and

warrant, a voucher, a guarantee. O.F. warant, garant, a

warranty; from O.H.G. warjan, to protect,

weird, fateful. Properly used only as a noun. A.S. wyrd, fate. whet, to sharpen.. A.S. hwettan, to sharpen.

wrack, shipwreck, ruin. A.S. wræc, exile, misery.

wrenched, twisted. A.S. wrenc, guile, deceit. Originally meant

crookedness or perversion.