Chaucer Glossary
eChaucer ¤ Chaucer in the Twenty-First Century
(The one hundred most common words are marked with an asterisk)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
- adoun: down
- agast(e): afraid; frighten
- agayn(s): against, toward
- ago, ago(o)n: gone; ago
- al: all
- *al, al be that: although
- alderbest: best of all
- *als, also: as, also
- * an: an; on
- *anon: at once
- *artow: art thou, thou art
- arwe: arrow
- *as: as, as if, like
- *atte: at, at the
- *aventure: chance
- *axe: ask
- *ay: always
B
- *been: are
- benedicite: bless us!
- *bet: better
- *beth: are; (imperative) be
- bitwixen: between
- blake: black
- blyve: quickly, soon
- *brenne: burn
- breste, brast: burst
- bresting: bursting
- *but, but if: unless
C
- *can, kan: know, be able
- *canstow: can you, you can
- *cas: happening, chance
- *certes: surely, certainly
- certeyn: certainly, sure(ly)
- chees, chese(n): choose, chose chosen
- cheere, chiere ial expression
- *clepe(n): call
- *clerk: scholar
- conne: learn, can
- conseil: secret, advice
- coude: could
- *coy: quiet
D
- deel: bit
- delit: delight, pleasure *
- deme: judge, suppose
- devyse: tell (of), describe
- deye: die
- dorste: dare, dared
- dout: doubt
- dout, out of: beyond doubt
- drede: doubt; dread, fear
E
- *ech: each
- echo(o)n: each one
- *eek, eke: also
- elles, ellis: else
- entente: intent, attention
- *er, or: before; formerly
- ese: pleasure
- *everich: every; every one
F
- *fay, fey: faith
- fere, feere: companion
- fele, feele: many
- ferre: farther
- fil: fell, happened
- flour: flower; flour
- for: for; because
- *forthy: therefore
- foryeve: forgive
- free: generous, gracious, liberal
- *fro: from
G
- game: fun
- *gan, gonne: began
- go(on): go
- goost: soul, spirit
- gyse: guise, manner, way; plan
H
- *han: have
- *hastow: have you, you have
- heigh: high
- *hem: them
- hem lost (or liste): they wanted
- hende: ready at hand, convenient, handy; pleasant, courteous
- hente: take, seize, get
- here: her
- hewe: hue, color
- *hight: named, called
- *him lest (list): he wants
- *hir(e): her, their
I
- *ich: I
- *ilke: same
J
- jape(s): trick(s); joke(s)
K
- *kan: know; know how to; can
- keep(e), kepe: heed
- *konne: learn; know how to; can
- konnyng: skill, knowledge
- *koude: knew; knew how to; could
- *kynde: nature
L
- *lasse: less
- lese: lose
- lest(e): please, pleases, pleased
- hem (him) leste, liste (impersonal): it is pleasing
- they (he) wanted
- lete: leave, forsake, abandon
- lette: forbear, desist, hinder
- *le(e)ve: dear
- liggen: to lie
- like, liketh: it please(s)
- list(e): it pleased, it pleases
- *lite: little
- lith: lies
- lust: pleasure, desire
- lusty: lusty; joyous; pleasant; vigorous
M
- maad: made
- *maistow, maystow: may you, you may
- *make: mate, husband, make
- maner(e): kind of, manner
- maugre: in spite of
- mede: reward
- met(te): dream
- *mo: more
- mooste: most; greatest
- *moot(e) (n): may, must, ought to; so (also, ever)
- moot I: as I hope to
- *morewe: morrow, morning
- *mowe: may
- *muche(l): much, many (a)
N
- *nam: am not
- namely: especially, specifically
- *namo, namoore: no more
- *nas: was not
- *nat: not
- *nathelees: nevertheless
- *ne: not, nor
- *nere: were not
- niste: did not know
- noght: nought, nothing; not
- *nolde: would not
- *nones, nonys: occasion
- *noon: none, no
- *noot: know not
- *nyce: foolish
- *nys: is not
- nyste: knew not
O
- *o, oo, on, oon, that oon: one
- *of: of; off
- ones, onis: once
- outrely: utterly, entirely
P
- pace: go, proceed
- *pardee: (lit. "by God"), a common oath; certainly
- parfit: perfect
- pleyne: complain, lament; full
- povre: poor
- *prime, pryme: 9 A.M.
- pryvely, prively: secretly
Q
- quit(te), quyte: requite, repay
- *quod: said
R
- *rathe: early, soon
- *rede: advise; interpret; read
- reed: counsel; (verb) advise
- rekke(th): heed(s), ca
- right: (adverb): just, quite
- routhe: pity
S
- saugh, say
- seigh: saw
- *seistow: you say
- seith: says
- seke: seek
- *sely: innocent, simple
- sentence: meaning, opinion, sentiments, subject matter
- *seyde: said
- *seye: say
- *shaltow: you shall
- shape (reflexive): plan, planned
- shrewe: scoundrel, wretch
- *sikerly: certainly, surely, truly
- *sith: since, then
- slawe, yslawe: slain
- sola(a)s: pleasure, entertainment
- *somdel: somewhat
- somtyme: once, sometimes
- so(o)re: bitterly, sorely
- *sooth, soothfastnes
- sothe: truth
- so(o)the, soothly: true, truly
- spedde him: hastened
- squier: squire
- stente, stynte: cease, stop, restrain
- sperte: started
- steven: voice
- suffre: permit, endure
- sweven, e, -es, -ys: dream(s)
- *swich: such
- swynk, swynken: work syke: sick
- *syn: since
T
- task: taketh: take
- *than(ne): then; than
- thee(n): prosper; so moot I thee: as I hope to prosper
- ther, ther as: where
- *thilke: this, that, at that
- *tho: those;
- thoght: thought; anxiety
- thoughte (impersonal): it seemed
- thurgh: through
- thynketh (impersonal): it seems
- til: until, to
- to: to
- trewe: true
- trowe: believe
- *tweye: two
U
- *unnethe(s): scarecely
V
- *verray: true, veritable
- vileynye: rudeness, shameful speech or deed
W
- war: aware; be (beth) war(e),
- a ware yow: beware, take heed
- wende, -en, -eth: go, pass
- *wene, -eth: think, suppose
- werre: war
- what: what; why
- wher: where; whether
- wher as: where
- which that: which, who
- *whylom: o once upon a time, formerly
- *wight: person, thing
- wist, wiste: known, knew
- wol: will, would, would like
- wood: crazy, demented, wild
- woodnesse: madness
- woot, woost: know, understand
- wostow: you know, do you know
- worthy: distinguished, well to do; in good social standing
- wroghte: made, did, w
- wydwe: widow
Y
- *yaf: gave
- *ycleped: named
- ydo: done
- *ye(n): e
- *yeve, -en, -est, -eth: give, given
- yifte: gift
- *ynogh: e
- ysene: seen
- yvel(e): evil, evilly
- *ywis: y, certainly
Adapted From: http://www.towson.edu/~duncan/glossary.html(Baragona's Chaucer Page, which was adapted from Shoaf and Baugh)
Coming Soon: Guidelines to Reading Chaucer