a, an, the indefinite article. O.E. án, one, differentiated into oon, numeral, and an, article. Note these uses: (1) a=a certain (i. 1. 106); (2) a one, the same (i. 3. 67; v. 3. 12).

addressed (v. 4. 146), prepared, F. adresser; late Lat. addirectiäre, to make straight, < directum, straight. Hence (1) to put in order; (2) to direct one's speech to; (3) to direct one-self to.

adventure (ii. 4. 41), chance. O.F. aventure, Lat. adventura (res), a thing about to happen, fut. part. fem. of advenire, to arrive. The spelling went back to the Latin. For the meaning cf. peradventure=perhaps.

allottery (i. 1. 63), share. Probably an English formation on allot; -ery being added direct to the verb. Only here.

an (i. 2. 175), if. Probably the same as and co-ordinate. Skeat refers it to Norse enda, but the use probably arose independently in English. Spelt and before 1600. any (i. 2. 119); still used as a noun in E.E. O.E. aenig is noun or adj.

argument: O. F. argument, Lat. argumentum, < arguere, to prove. Hence (1) Proof, reason (i. 2. 245). (2) Debate, arguing (i. 2. 41). (3) Subject of debate-Henry V., ii. I. 21, "And sheathed their swords for lack of argument". (4) Object of debate or action in general (iii. I. 3). In modern English the word has been confined to the original Latin sense; but we still speak of the argument', i.e. subject of a play, &c.

assayed (i. 3. 122), ventured. Properly essay. O.F. essai, Lat. exagium, weighing, < exigere, to try. Hence, to put to the test, to attempt.

The spelling assay is now confined to testing metals.

atone (v. 4. 100), come into unity. From at-one (pronounced oon). Generally transitive-short for set at one'. The verb is a 16th century formation, and comes from the use of 'at one' in adverbial phrases; cf. the use of further, and other adverbs as verbs (Wright). The true sound of 'one' has also been preserved in alone.

attorney (iv. 1. 81), proxy. O.F. atourné, p. part. of atourner, to turn to, appoint. Here in the correct legal sense.

bandy (v. 1. 52), fight; lit. to strike a ball at tennis. Origin obscure. F. bander, "to bandie at tennis" (Cotgrave); perhaps f. bande, a side.

bastinado (v. 1. 51), cudgelling. Spanish bastonada, f. baston, a cudgel. Now generally of the Eastern punishment of beating the soles of the feet.

batlet, or batler (ii. 4. 45), a 'beetle' for beating clothes. The first form is the diminutive of bat; the second comes from battle (to beat), er of the instrument.

beholding (iv. 1. 52), obliged. A common E. E. corruption of p. part. beholden, from O. E. behealdan, 'to hold, behold'. From the sense of 'holding' comes that of 'obligation', which is confined to the participle. The curious substi

tution of the present part. for the past may have been due to a notion that it meant 'looking to', e.g. with respect or dependence".

bid (v. 2. 38), invite. O. E. biddan. Not the same word as 'bid', to order, which is from O. E. beódan.

bob (ii. 7. 55), a jest. Lit. a rap. Probably an onomatopoetic word, from the sound of a smart tap. Cf. the verb bob-strike with the fist.

bonny (ii. 3. 8), big. Connected with O. F. bon, good; but the formation is unexplained. Generally means beautiful, but see note.

bravery (ii. 7. 80), finery. From brave (F. brave) in the sense of fine: cf. Sc. braw and braws.

brawls (ii. 1. 32), runs noisily. Not much before 1400. The origin is unknown: it is not connected with F. branler, which may, however, be the source of the noun 'brawl', i.e. a dance: "The grave Lord Keeper led the brawls" (Gray).

burden (iii. 2. 237), bass, undersong, accompaniment. O.E. byrden, < beran, to bear. This peculiar sense comes from confusion with M. E. burdoun, F. bourdon, bass [Lat. burdon-em, drone]-from the notion that the bass is heavier' than the air. Hence the sense of theme.

of meaning like that observed in villain, q.v.

cater (ii. 3. 44), provide. Short for acater (cf. 'gainst, 'mongst, &c.), O.F. achater (F. acheter), to buy: late Lat. ac-captare, to acquire, < ad+captare, to catch.

chanticleer (ii. 7. 30), the cock. Originally a proper name. O. F. Chantecler (F. Chanteclair), the name of the cock in the famous fabliau of Reynard the Fox: meaning the clear-singer, < chanter, to sing; +cler (F. clair), clear.

character (iii. 2. 6), write. Through Lat. from Gk. xagaxrię, a mark. Shakespeare uses the verb always, and the noun generally, in the literal sense of writing; even when metaphorically used, 'character' is never applied(as now) to inward qualities, but always to outward expression.

cicatrice (iii. 5. 23), mark. Properly, the scar of a wound; Lat. cicatric-em.

civil (iii. 2. 125), civilized; civility (ii. 7. 93), courtesy. These words have a finer meaning in E. E. than now, when they indicate merely external politeness, the absence of rudeness. From O. F. civil, civilité, Lat. civilis, civilitatem, of the qualities proper to a citizen, civis.

conceit (ii. 6. 7), thought. An English formation from conceive, on the analogy of deceit f. deceive, &c. Meaning (1) conception, (2) private opinion, and so (3) an overweening opinion of one's self. The last meaning, the common one now, never attaches to the word in Shakespeare.

conned (iii. 2. 261), learned by heart. Same word as can. O.E. kunnan, to know or to be able, had two forms in the present, ic can and ic con. These forms differentiated (1) in meaning being limited to power, con to knowledge; (2) in inflexion - in

can

M.E. con becomes a regular verb, the past could being reserved to can. Meaning (1) to know, (2) get to know, (3) to learn by heart. cony (iii. 2. 321), rabbit. O.F. conil, pl. coniz, whence Eng. conys, cony: < Lat. cuniculus, a rabbit. The name 'rabbit' was originally applied to the young only.

cote (ii. 4. 77), cottage. O. E. cote (fem.), a parallel form to cot (neut.).

countenance (i. 1. 15), bearing. Late Lat. continentia, mein, carriage; hence (1) deportment, (2) the face itself. From a similar transference and limitation of meaning, compare favour, complexion, &c. [On Walker's view, that the word is here used in the sense of 'allowance', it would come from, or represent, the Lat. contenement-um. But see note.]

courtesy (i. 1. 39), customary usage. O.F. cortesie. It. cortese,

courteous. The expression "courtesy of nations" (jus gentium) recalls the legal sense of the word, usage not fixed by statute, e.g. courtesy of Scotland, &c.

coz (i. 2. 1), short for 'cousin'. F. cousin; Late Lat. cosinus, cossofrenus, Lat. consobrinus, cousin by the mother's side (con + soror). But the word was often used to translate consanguineus, and so was extended to other blood-relations, especially uncle, nephew, and niece, (cf. i. 3. 35), and finally used as a mere term of courtesy (cf. ii. 7. 173).

curtle-axe (i. 3. 110), cutlass. The form is a popular corruption of cutlass, which in the 16th century was spelt coutelase, whence the forms courtleace and cuttle-ax; both parts of the word getting corrupted, as if from curtal, short, and axe. Really it comes from F. coutelas, from couteau, Lat. cultell-um, knife.

dole (i. 2. 110), lamentation. O. F. duel (Fr. deuil), < L. dolere, to grieve. Cf. Scotch dule.

embossed (ii. 7. 67), protuberant. In E. E. there are two distinct words of this spelling, with some inevitable confusion of meaning: (1) from en+ boss bulged, as here; (2) from en+O.F. bos, bois, a wood -a term of hunting, 'driven to the wood', brought to bay, and so by influence of sense (1) foaming at the mouth. Cf. Milton, Samson "In th' Arabian Agonistes, 1700, woods embost"; and Taming of the Shrew, Ind. i. 17, "The poor cur is emboss'd".

emulator (i. 1. 123), envious rival. Lat. aemulari, f. aemulus, a rival. Shakespeare uses this word and its cognates in a bad sense. In E. E. the mental emotion is prominent, in Md. E. the active effort (Bradley).

engage (v. 4. 156), pledge. F. engager, <en+gage, to offer as a guarantee.

entreat (i. 2. 125, i. 3. 62), to induce, implore. O. F. en-traiter, < Lat. tractare, to handle. Hence (1) to treat, (2) to treat with, and so (3) to ask, implore-the modern sense (i. 3. 71), and (4) to ask with success, to induce (i. 2. 159).

envious, envy. O. F. envie, Lat. invidia-m. The meaning fluctuates between the general sense of 'spiteful', 'malicious' (i. 2. 207), and the more special sense of 'painfully jealous' in which we now use it (i. 1. 123).

erst (iii. 5. 94), formerly. Superlative of ere.

expediently (iii. 1.18), promptly. Lat. expedire (ex + pedem), to disentangle the feet, remove obstacles. "Thence, a course which tends to remove or avoid obstacles is 'expedient': a sense also common in E.E., now exclusive" (Herford).

extent (iii. 1. 17). M. E. extente, O.F. extente, p. part. fem. of extendre, used as substantive. See

note.

extermined (iii. 5. 88), ended. F. exterminer, Lat. exterminare. Shakespeare does not use exterminate, which is an English formation from the Lat. p. part.

fancy, fantasy. M. E. and O.F. fantasie, through Low Lat. from Gk. avτaría, imagination. Shakespeare uses both words indifferently for (1) the faculty of imagination and its objects (iv. 3. 100); (2) love (ii. 4. 27, v. 2. 85). If there is a distinction, in fantasy the element of thought is prominent, in fancy that of taste. The sense of liking' is confined to fancy.

favour (v. 4. 27), appearance. Norm. F. favor, Lat. favor-em, kindliness. Transferred, like countenance (q.v.), from feeling to expression. Hence ill-favouredly (i. 2. 41)=ugly. The verb is still used colloquially in the sense of ' resemble'; and this may mark the transition (incline to; look like; look).

feature (iii. 3. 3), make, appearance. O. F. faiture, Lat. factura, facere, to make. Applied in E. E. to shape in general, now confined to the face (cf. countenance and favour). [There seems to be another word, feature, in E. E., from Lat. fetura, offspring, which has been thought to be the meaning here. But it always used with a consciousness of the physiological metaphor, e.g. in Latimer's " 'some ingendred one some other such features". There is no evidence for the meaning 'composition', 'literary production'.]

gamester (i. 1. 141), gamesome fellow. From game+-ster, a suffix conventionally confined in O. E. to female agents. In E. E. the word has a contemptuous sense, but is not definitely restricted to mean 'gambler'.

gentle (i. 1. 38), (1) of good birth, (2) of good nature. M.E. gentil, Lat. gentilis, belonging to one of the gentes, or original clans.

gracious (i. 2. 159), popular. It. gratioso, Lat. gratiosus, <gratiam, favour. Now generally transitive showing favour.

graff (iii. 2. 114), graft, O. F. graffe, a pencil, Lat. graphiolum, Gk. γραφιον, < γράφειν, to write. The form graft, which Shakespeare also uses, is corrupt, due to being confused with the p. part. graffed.

hinds (i. 1. 16), farm-servants. M.E. hine, O.E. hina, a gen. pl.; so that hina stands for hina man, one of the domestics. The d is an excrescence, as in sound, &c. The meaning 'farm-servant' is still common in Scotch.

holla (iii. 2. 234), stop! F. holà, ho, there!=ho+ là, there. Not the same as Eng. halloo, which calls attention. Confusion has produced the intermediate hollo and halloa.

honest (i. 2. 33, &c.), chaste. O. F. honeste, Lat. honestus, honourable, < honos, honour. In Shakespeare note the meanings (1) upright, hence honesty-fairdealing in ii. 4. 85; (2) chaste, modest-very common.

hooping (iii. 2. 187), shouting.

learn (i. 2. 4), teach. M. E. lernen, O. E. leornian, to learn; a neuter form sometimes confused with the causative leren, laéran, to teach. (Cf. Ger. lernen and lehren). The confusion is reciprocal, leren being sometimes used reflexively= to learn.

leer (iv. 1. 58), look. M. E. lere, O.E. hléor, cheek, look. At first used in a good sense, but twice in Skelton (time of Henry VIII.) of ugly looks. In Shakespeare (1) look in general, (2) a winning look. Now a sly look.

lief (i. 1. 125), gladly. M.E. lief (adj.), O.E. léof. dear (adj. and subst.); cf. Ger. lieb. In Shake

speare only in "I had as lief". "My liefest liege", 2 Henry VI., iii. 1. 164, need not be Shakespeare's.]

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liege (i. 2. 133; i. 3. 57), sovereign. M. E. and O.F. lige, liege, Old High German ledic, 'free': hence properly of the feudal suzerain or liege-lord, who alone was free; but also applied to his vassals ("the Queen's lieges"), by supposed derivation from Lat. ligare, to bind.

lieu (ii. 3. 65), return. Fr. lieu, Lat. locum, place. See note.

limned (ii. 7. 194), drawn. Properly 'illuminated'. M. E. limnen, for luminen, short for enluminen, O. F. enluminer, Lat. illuminare.

manage (i. 1. II), training of a horse. O. F. manège, lit. handling (esp. of horses), Lat. manum, hand.

mettle (ii. 7. 82), spirit. Same word as metal, the metaphor being from the temper of the metal of a sword.

misprised (i. 1. 146), undervalued. O.F. mespriser, to contemn (Spenser has mesprize-contempt) <O.F. mes--Lat. minus, less, and Lat. pretiare, to value, from pretium, price.

modesty (iii. 2. 145), chastity. F. modeste, Lat. modestus, measurable, from modus, measure. For the special sense, cf. honest above.

moe (iii. 2. 251); more (iii. 2. 249), more. Moe is from O.E. ma (advb.), more from mára (adj.) = greater. Ma was used as neut. noun followed by gen., i.e. more of so and so. Hence Alexander Gil's dictum that moe is comp. of In 'many', more of 'much'. Shakespeare's usage moe is always followed by a plural.

mortal (ii. 4. 50), excessive. Johnson suggests a connection with the vulgar mort=a large quantity. mutton (iii. 2. 50), sheep. O.F.