feormian

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Hana Videen

feormian, wk.v: to foster or maintain; to entertain or welcome a guest; to harbour a fugitive or criminal; to maintain someone with basic necessities; to supply food as an obligation or rent; to provide a feast for someone. (FEH-or-mi-ahn / ˈfɛɔr-mɪ-an)

æsc-þrote

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Hana Videen

æsc-þrote, f.n: verbena, vervain. (ASH-THROT-uh / ˈæʃ-ˌθrɔ-tə)

This week’s Wordhord Wednesday post is on dragon jaws and misbehaving monks. Read it on Patreon.

Medieval manuscript illustration of a plant with pairs of leaves up its three stems, with round yellow buds at the ends; two smaller plants are on either side and underneath is a line of Arabic text. — Arabic translation of De materia medica by Dioscorides; Istanbul, 1224; leaf from Suleymaniye Library, Ms. Aya Sofya 3703. [gardnermuseum.org]

henn

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Hana Videen

henn, f.n: hen. (HEN / ˈhɛn)

Medieval manuscript image of four ordinary-looking red hens and a rooster. — Self-immolating hens of the Wonders of the East; England, mid 11th century; British Library, Cotton MS Tiberius B V/1, f. 79r. [bl.uk]

cealf

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Hana Videen

cealf, n.n: calf. (CHEH-alf / ˈtʃɛalf)

hind

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Hana Videen

hind, f.n: hind, female deer, perhaps the red deer specifically. (HIND / ˈhɪnd)

This week’s Wordhord Wednesday post is a Deorhord quiz. Test your medieval animal knowledge on Patreon.

ǣmette

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Hana Videen

ǣmette, f.n: ant. (AM-et-tuh / ˈæː-mɛt-tə)

Medieval manuscript image of ants walking in two straight lines as they bring grain back to their nest, each ant carrying one seed in its mouth; the ants are depicted with three segments and four legs, and their nest is three brown hills. — Aberdeen Bestiary; England, c. 1200; Aberdeen University Library, MS 24, f. 24v. [abdn.ac.uk]

brocc

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Hana Videen

brocc, m.n: badger. (BROCK / ˈbrɔk)

Medieval manuscript image of a very pudgy brown badger. — Bestiary; England, 1220-40; Cambridge University Library, MS Kk.4.25, f. 74v. [cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk]

culfre

Posted on November 5, 2023 by Hana Videen

culfre, f.n: dove. (KULL-vruh / ˈkʌl-vrə)

Medieval manuscript image of a greyish-brown dove within a decorated O; the surrounding text is in Latin, including the word ‘columba’ in red. — Aberdeen Bestiary; England, c. 1200; Aberdeen University Library, MS 24, f. 27v. [abdn.ac.uk]

griffus

Posted on November 4, 2023 by Hana Videen

griffus, n: griffin. (GRIFF-fuss / ˈgrɪf-fʌs)

elpend

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Hana Videen

elpend, m.n: elephant. (EL-pend / ˈɛl-pɛnd)

Matthew Paris’s Liber Additamentorum; England, 1250-59; British Library, Cotton MS Nero D I, f. 169v. [bl.uk]