Hard English Words Borrowed from Hebrew Greek Latin or French etc, Title page – To the reader
A Table Alphabeticall, contayning and teaching the true writing and vnderſtanding of hard vſuall Engliſh wordes, borrowed from the Hebrew, Greeke, Latine, or French, &c.
With the Interpretation thereof by plaine Engliſh words, gathered for the benefit and help of all vnskilfull perſons.
Whereby they may the more eaſily and better vnderſtand many hard Engliſh words, which they ſhall heare or read in Scriptures, Sermons, or elſe where, and alſo be made able to vſe the ſame aptly themſelues.
Set foorth by R. C. and newly corrected, and much inlarged by T. C.
Legere, & non intelligere, neglegere eſt.
As good not to read, as not to vnderſtand.
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for Edmund Weauer, and are to be ſold at his ſhop at the great North dore of Paules Church. 1609.
To the right honourable, Worſhipfull, vertuous, and godly Ladies, the Lady Haſtings, the Lady Dudley the Lady Mountague, the Lady Wingfield, and the Lady Leigh, his Chriſtian friends, R. C. wiſheth great proſperitie in this life, with increaſe of grace, and peace from God our Father, though Ieſus Chriſt our Lord and onelyonly Sauiour.
BY this Table (right Houourable and Worſhipfull) ſtrangers that blame our tongue of difficultie, and vncertaintie, may hereby plainely ſee, and better vnderſtand thoſe things, which they hauehave thought hard. Hereby alſo the true Orthographie, that is, the true writing of many hard Engliſh words, borrowed from the Greeke, Latine and French, and how to know one from the other, with the interpretation thereof by plaine Engliſh words, may be learned & known. And children hereby may be prepared for the vnderſtanding of a great number of Latine words: which alſo will bring much delight and iudgement to others, by the vſe of this little worke.
Now when I had called to minde (right Honorable and Worſhipfull) the great kindnes, and bountifulneſſe, which I found in that vertuous and godly Lady, Lucy Harington, your Honors and Worſhips mother, and my eſpeciall friend in the Lord. When, and at ſuch time as the right Worſhipfull Sir Iames Harington Knight, your Ladiſhips Brother, was my Scholler (and now my ſingular benefactor) when I taught the Grammer Schoole at Okeham in the County of Rutland: In conſideration whereof, and alſo for that I acknowledge my ſelfe much beholding and indebted to the moſt of you, ſince this time, (being all naturall Siſters) I am bold to make you all ioyntly Patrons hereof, and vnderunder your names to publiſh this ſimple worke. And thus praying, that God of his vnſpeakeable mercies, will bleſſe both your Honours and Worſhips, I do with all good wiſhes to you all, with all yours, as to mine owne ſoule, humbly take my leaue.
Your Honours and Worſhips, euer ready in Chriſt Ieſus to be commanded, Robert Cawdrey.
To the Reader.
SVch as by their place and calling (but eſpecially Preachers) as hauehave occaſion to ſpeake publiquely before the ignorant people, are to bee admoniſhed, that they neuer affect any ſtrange inkhorne tearmes, but labour to ſpeake ſo as is commonly receiued, and ſo as the moſt ignorant may well vnderſtand them: neyther ſeeking to be ouer fine or curious, nor yet liuing ouer careleſſe, vſing their ſpeach as moſt men doe, and ordering their wits as the feweſt hauehave done. Some men ſeek ſo far for outlandiſh Engliſh, that they forget altogether their mothers language, ſo that if ſome of their mothers were aliue, they were not able to tell or vnderſtand what they ſay; and yet theſe fine Engliſh Clearkes will ſay they ſpeake in their mother tongue; but one might well charge them for counterfayting the Kings Engliſh. Alſo, ſome far iournied gentlemen, at their returne home, like as they louelove to goe in forraine apparrell, ſo they will pouder their talke with ouer-ſea language. Hee that commeth lately out of France, will talke French Engliſh, and neuer bluſh at the matter. Another chops in with Engliſh Italianated, and applyeth the Italian phraſe to our Engliſh ſpeaking, the which is as if an Orator, that profeſſeth to vtter his minde in plaine Latine, would needs ſpeake Poetrie, and far fetched colours of ſtrange antiquitie. Doth any wiſe man thinke, that wit reſteth in ſtrange words, or elſe ſtandeth it not in wholſome matter, and apt declaring of a mans minde? Doe wee not ſpeake, becauſe we would hauehave others to vnderſtand vsus? or is not the tongue giuen for this end, that one might know what another meaneth? Therefore, either wee muſt make a difference of Engliſh, and ſay, ſome is learned Engliſh, and otherſome is rude Engliſh, or the one is Court talke, the other is Country-ſpeech, or elſe we muſt of neceſsitie baniſh all affected Rhetorique, and vſe altogether one manner of language. Thoſe therefore that will auoid this follie, and acquaint themſelues with the plaineſt and beſt kinde of ſpeach, muſt ſeeke from time to time ſuch wordes as are commonly receiued, & ſuch as properly may expreſſe in plaine manner, the whole conceit of their minde. And looke what words we beſt vnderſtand, and know what they meane, the ſame ſhould ſooneſt be ſpoken, and firſt applyed, to the vtterance of our purpoſe. Therfore for this end, foure things would chiefly be obſerued in the choyſe of wordes. Firſt, that ſuch wordes as wee vſe, ſhould bee proper vntounto the tongue wherein we ſpeake. Againe, that they be plaine for all men to perceiue. Thirdly, that they bee apt and meete, moſt properly to ſet out the matter. Fourthlie, that wordes tranſlated, from one ſignification to another, (called of the Grecians Tropes,) be vſed to beautifie the ſentence, as precious ſtones are ſet in a ring, to commend the gold. Now ſuch are thought apt wordes, that properly agree vntounto that thing, which they ſignifie, and plainly expreſſe the nature of the ſame. Therefore, they that hauehave regard of their eſtimation and credite, doe warily ſpeake, & with choiſe, vtter words moſt apt for their purpoſe. In waightie cauſes, graue wordes are thought moſt needfull, that the greatneſſe of the matter, may the rather appeare, in the vehemencie of their talke. So likewiſe of other, like order muſt be taken. Albeit ſome, not onelyonly doe not obſerue this kinde of aptneſſe, but alſo they fall into much fondnes, by vſing words out of place and applying them to diuers matters, without all diſcretion.
If thou be deſirous (gentle Reader) rightly and readily to vnderſtand, and to profit by this Table, and ſuch like, then thou muſt learne the Alphabet, to wit, the order of the Letters as they ſtand, perfectly without booke, and where eueryevery Letter ſtandeth: as (b) neere the beginning, (n) about the middeſt, and (t) toward the end. Now if the word, which thou art deſirous to finde, begin with (a) then looke in the beginning of this Table, but if with (v) looke towards the end. Again, if thy word begin with (ca) looke in the beginning of the Letter (c) but if with (cu) then looke toward the end of that Letter. And ſo of all the reſt, &c.
And further vnderſtand, that all ſuch words as are deriued and drawne from the Greeke, are noted with this letter (g.) And the french are marked thus (§) but ſuch words as are deriued from the Latine and others, hauehave no marke at all.