"Lost" English Words
Back in September 2017 BBC news published a fascinating article entitled:
Academics uncover 30 words 'lost' from English language
It was a report on linguistics research from the University of York (U.K.) of defunct English words that still have relevance today and that the researchers would like to see back in use.
With the help of other news media sites I have reproduced the list of words below along with their definition. Unfortunately I was not successful in finding the original research paper or source of the news, so if anyone does find it perhaps they can add it in the comments section after this post.
Ambodexter, n: One who takes bribes from both sides
Betrump, v: To deceive, cheat; to elude, slip from
Coney-catch b, v: To swindle, cheat; to trick, dupe, deceive
Hugger-mugger, n., adj., and adv: Concealment, secrecy; esp. in phr. in hugger-mugger: in secret, secretly, clandestinely. Formerly in ordinary literary use, now archaic or vulgar
Nickum, n.: A cheating or dishonest person
Quacksalver, n: A person who dishonestly claims knowledge of or skill in medicine; a pedlar of false cures
Rouker, n.: A person who whispers or murmurs; one who spreads tales or rumours
Man-millinery, adj: Suggestive of male vanity or pomposity
Parget, v: To daub or plaster (the face or body) with powder or paint; to cover with cosmetic
Snout-fair, adj.: Having a fair countenance; fair-faced, comely, handsome
Slug-a-bed, n: One who lies long in bed through laziness
Losenger, n.: A false flatterer, a lying rascal, a deceiver
Momist, n: A person who habitually finds fault; a harsh critic
Peacockize, v.: To behave like a peacock; esp. to pose or strut ostentatiously
Percher, n.: A person who aspires to a higher rank or status; an ambitious or self-assertive person
Rouzy-bouzy, adj.: Boisterously drunkRuff, v: To swagger, bluster, domineer. To ruff it out / to brag or boast of a thing
Sillytonian, n.: A silly or gullible person, esp. one considered as belonging to a notional sect of such people
Wlonk, adj + n (also ‘wlonkness’) Proud, haughty / Rich, splendid, fine, magnificent: in later use esp. as a conventional epithet in alliterative verse (N. A fair or beautiful one)
Fumish, adj: Inclined to fume, hot-tempered, irascible, passionate; also, characterized by or exhibiting anger or irascibility
Awhape, v. To amaze, stupefy with fear, confound utterly
Hugge, v. To shudder, shrink, shiver, or shake with fear or with cold
Merry-go-sorry, n. A mixture of joy and sorrow
Stomaching, adj.: Full of malignity; given to cherish anger or resentment
Swerk, v. To be or become dark; in Old English often, to become gloomy, troubled, or sad
Teen, v To vex, irritate, annoy, anger, enrage / To inflict suffering upon; to afflict, harass; to injure, harm
Tremblable, adj. Causing dread or horror; dreadful
Wasteheart, int. Used to express grief, pity, regret, disappointment, or concern: ‘alas!’ ‘woe is me!’ Also wasteheart-a-day, wasteheart of me
Dowsabel, n. Applied generically to a sweetheart, ‘lady-love’
Ear-rent, n. The figurative cost to a person of listening to trivial or incessant talk
My favourites are dowsabel, which I may start using to refer to my partner, I have a friend who is momist and parget is very appropriate for the many ladies who wear so much makeup you can no longer see what they look like. And coincidentally betrump is very apt for current political times.
Perhaps you have a use for some of the words relevant to your own experience?