Page:The Sources of Standard English.djvu/119

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The Sources of Standard English.

and sleeping. At page 151, wlache, the old wlœc, is the adjective applied to snow melted by the sun; this is seen in our luke-warm. The old tilian (colore) remains to this day as till; but it had another sense laborare: this last is expressed in page 155 by changing tilian into tulien. England was losing many of her old words; but she made the most of those that were left to her by giving double meanings to certain terms.

We find new forms like ‘to croke’ or ‘make crooked,’ page 61; and swoldren, our swelter, page 7; snevi and snuve (sniff and snuff, pages 37 and 191). Trustliche (trustfully) appears, akin to the Frisian trâst.

There are many Norse words, which we have followed, rather than the kindred old English forms.

Heve, heave from hefia
Holsum, wholesome " heilsamr
Mece, meek " miúkr
Redie, ready " rede
Rote, root " róte
Shurte, shirt " skyrta
Shrike, shriek " skrika
Shere, sheer[1] " skærr
Smoc, smock " smokkr
Tiðing, tidings " tiðindi
Toten, spectare[2] " titte (Danish)

There are here also a few words common to England and Holland, such as twist, wimple, and shiver (findere). To scorn is here seen for the first time; some have derived it from the French escornir, to deprive of horns. But it is used a few years later by Orrmin, the last of all men

  1. This is nearer to the Norse than to the Old English scir.
  2. Hence comes our tout, well known to sporting men.