• ecclesiast

vpon his Bible seke That ilke prouerbe of Ecclesiaste, Where he comandeth and forbedeth faste Man shal nat suffre his wyf go roule aboute [Cp.Vulg.Ecclus.25.34]. A church official, an ecclesiastic, a divine. (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol. Manly-Rickert A.708 He was in

• pechement, pechament, plechement

Þe knyȝt..made hym yelde creaunde of his fals plechement [?read: pechement]. (1420) Dec.Bolour in NPalaeog.Soc.1 Hrl Charter 83.D.32 249/11 My wyf schal haue hyt..frely..wythouten pechement of wast. (1439) Doc. in Morsbach Origurk. 18 Ye forseyd margere and Richard schal hafe..half

• philomen(e, philomenes

is noght sene. c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW Benson-Robinson 2274 Tereus..gan..preye..That Philomene [vrr. Philomen, Philomenes], his wyves syster, myghte On Progne his wyf but ones han a syghte. c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ SeldArch B.24 st.62 To the notis of the philomene Quhilkis sche

• na-se

no means, not. c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems Add 17376 66/1862 Ne myȝt [þou] nauȝt weddy þat childe Eft, þaȝ þat þy wyf deye, Sy [read: By] lawe; Ne forþe þe moder þet hyt beer Ne woldest þou nase, y-faȝe. c1350(a1333) Shoreham

• oblivious

Crist. (a1464) Capgr. Chron. Cmb Gg.4.12 62 This empoure Claudius was so oblivious that, sone aftir he had killid his wyf, he asked why sche came not to soper. c1475 Mankind Folg V.a.354 879 Mankend, ȝe were obliuyows of my

• routing(e

CT.Rv. Manly-Rickert A.4166 Men myghte hir routyng [vr. routeynge] heren a furlong. (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv. Manly-Rickert A.4214 The wyf hir routyng leet And gan awake. (1440) PParv. Hrl 221 438 Rowtynge, yn slepe: Stertura. (1440) Visit.Alnwick 377 Cum omnium petencium..dormitorium

• lateward, latward

have latward causyd you to have trowbyll and thowght. (1436) in Scrope Castle Combe [OD col.] 224 Margery, lateward the wyf of Willyam Heynes..to have at hure governaunce al the godes and catall movable lateward the seyd Willyam Heynes, in

• besaiel, bessaile, bisaiel, beayell, besnelle

Lord Stanley. (a1474) Stonor 1.136 Milys had issu Robert Beauchamp, Bessayle of your kynnesman. c1475 Gregory's Chron. Eg 1995 130 She shalle take..dower..up the londys..that helde and hadde Dame Blaunche, sum tyme wyf of Phylyppe, besnelle to oure sayde fadyr.

• spinnestre, spinnester(e, spinster(e, spinnesteres, spinestres

spinnestre n. Also spinnester(e , spinster(e ; pl. spinnesteres , etc. & spinestres . From spinnen v. (a) A female spinner of thread; (b) as surname. (1380) Sub.R.Oxf. in Rogers Oxf.CDoc. 10 De Alicia Moris, Spynnestere, vj d. c1400(a1376)

• tight, ti~x0021d~t, tuht, tihtes

What for laughynge & oþer tyhtes, What for presentes & oþer delites, Þe Erl perceyued & þoughte ful ȝerne Þe kyng louede his wyf Igerne. a1500 Incest.Daughter Cmb Ff.5.48 254 Abide, woman, in þat tiȝt Tille my sermonde be done!

• unbequeth(e, unbequethed, unbewhethen

for to dispose and ordeigne for my soule. (1426) Reg.Chichele in Cant.Yk.S.42 Lamb 69 340 I bequethe to Beatrice my wyf all myn other goode unbequethe as wel in vessel, silver, bras and pewter She to dispose for my children

• volage

reckless; changeable, capricious; (b) winged, flying. (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp. Manly-Rickert H.239 Phebus wyf hadde sent for hire lemman; Anon they wroghten al hire lust volage. a1425(?a1400) RRose Htrn 409 1284 She, fulfilled of lustynesse nas not yit xii yeer of

• muren, meuren

many yerys. ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L. Hrl 1764 73/4 After he toke & fond the knyȝt with his wyf, he kylde hym, and dyde his wyf to be mewred and putte in pryson perpetuel. c1453(c1437) Brut-1436 Hrl 53 552/2 Iohn Sere..toke the

• putri(e, puterie, puitrie

puytrye], and constreyne wommen to yelden to hem a certeyn rente of hire bodily puterie, ye, somtyme of his owene wyf or his child, as doon thise bawdes? c1400(?a1387) PPl.C Hnt HM 137 7.186 Þanne hadde we murye tales Of

• eunuk, eunuchus, enuch

was not so eunuchus [L de talibus eunuchis] as þey þat were i-gilded in hir childhode, for he hadde a wyf and children. (?a1439) Lydg. FP Bod 263 4791 Whan the eunukis to the kyng hir brouhte, She was accepted

• executrice, -trix

of John Deken, executrice with his othir coexecutours. (1444) Will Daubeney in Som.RS 19 343 My Wille is yt my wyf be my chef Executrice. (1445) in Webb Rec.St.Barth 1.500 The executrix of the testament of the same John. (1470-1)

• abreiden, abraiden, obreiden, abreide(de

e.9 286 He reprouede and obreidede than her mysbileue. a1450 7 Sages(3) Cmb Dd.1.17 2216 The godman went to hys wyf, And abrayder of hyr lyf. ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L. Hrl 1764 37/5 How the gentill woman abraided the lady. a1500 Hal.Gloss.

• gladful

106b Hwaet is mare milce, ȝet her gleadfulre [Nero: gledfulure] wunder. c1300 SLeg. Hrl 2277 516/38 Glad was þis gode wyf þo mid þis gladful [Ld: leoue] rede. a1325 Heil beo þou Marie Mylde StJ-C S.30 13 Ladi, ful of

• overmacchen

pitted against an enemy stronger than oneself; be defeated. (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch. Manly-Rickert E.1220 I haue a wyf the worste that may be, For thogh the feend to hire ycoupled were, She wolde hym ouermacche, I dar wel swere. (a1470)

• par compaignie, -companie, -cumpainie, -comopaignie, per compaignie

HM 111 202 Die moot we tweyne; Now let vs steruen heer par compaignie. (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv. Manly-Rickert A.4167 His wyf bar hym a burdon a ful strong; Men myghte hir routyng heren a furlong; The wenche routeth eek, par