A growing assortment of words and definitions used in the Early Modern era. See the Guide for more information.
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5
Word
Definition
Collybist
Money-changer; usurer; miser. Also collibist. Greek kollybistes, money-changer; kollibos, small coin. From 14th through 17th century; Bishop Joseph Hall in his SATIRES (1598) has: Unless some base hedge-creeping collybist Scatters his refuse scraps on whom he list. From the same source (possibly influenced by Latin collibere, to please; col-, together + libet, it pleases), colliby was a 14th and 15th century word meaning a small present.
Commensal
A messmate, a boarder. From Latin com-, together + mensalis, pertaining to the table, mensa, table. The eucharist, commented Bishop Joseph Hall (1624) makes us commensals of the Lord Jesus. The word commensal is still used in biology, of a plant or animal that lives attached to or as tenant of another, sharing its food. The host may also be called a commensal The commensal is to be distinguished from the parasite, which eats the body of its host.
Erept
To snatch away, to carry off. Hence ereption. Latin eripere, ereptum; e, out + rapere, to snatch. Bishop Joseph Hall in A PLAINE AND FAMILIAR EXPLICATION (BY WAY OF PARAPHRASE) OF ALL THE HARD TEXTS OF THE WHOLE DIVINE SCRIPTURE (1633) noted The suddaine and inexpected ereption of Isaac from his imminent and intended death. THE ATHENAEUM of 1865 (No. 1951) went to pagan mythology to observe: Pluto erepts Proserpine.
Excuss
(1) To shake off, get rid of (as dust, or undesired qualities). (2) To shake out the contents; hence, to investigate; to probe the truth from someone. (3) In 18th century law, to shake out one's property, i.e., to take a man's goods for debt. From Latin excutere, excussus; ex, out + quatere, to shake. (In Latin the verb also meant to search by shaking one's robe.) The word was often in religious mouths, especially in the 17th century, as when Bishop Joseph Hall (1620) spoke of the just excussion of that servile yoke.
Swaid
A variant form of swayed, past tense of to sway, meaning to wield. Bishop Joseph Hall, in his first SATIRE of Book 3 (1597), wrote: Time was, and that was term'd the time of gold, When world and time were yong, that now are old. When quiet Saturne swaid the mace of lead, and pride was yet unborne, and yet unbred.
