A growing assortment of words and definitions used in the Early Modern era. See the Guide for more information.
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Mulier
Legitimate (used of a child). Latin mulier, woman, was used in English in the CURSOR MUNDI (1375) to mean wife: Isaac his son of mulier was. In the 16th and 17th century, there was frequent opposition, in wills and other documents, of bastard aine (eldest) and mulier puisné (youngest). Hence mulierly, legitimately, muliery, legitimate offspring, mulierty, legitimacy. In the original Latin sense of the word, we had English muliebral, pertaining to women; muliebrious, effeminate; muliebriousness, effeminacy; muliebrity, womanliness, womanhood. Hence mulierous, mulierme (four syllables, accent on the mu) fond of women; Charles Reade in THE CLOISTER AND THE HEARTH (1860) asks: Prithee tell me; how did you ever detect the noodle's mulierosity?
