Staff B of the English Wordbook.
Basic abbreviations:
- OE = Old English
- ME = Middle English
- SC = Scots
- WF = West Frish
- NF = North Frish
- SF = Saterlandish Frish
- WLG = West Low Theech
- ELG = East Low Theech
- NL = Netherlandish
- NHG = New High Theech
- IC = Icelandish
- HIC = High Icelandish
- NO = Nornish
- SW = Swedish
- DN = Danish
- MLG = Middle Low Theech
- MNL = Middle Netherlandish
- MHG = Middle High Theech
- OF = Old Frish
- OS = Old Saxish
- OHG = Old High Theech
- ON = Old Norse
- GO = Gottish
- PWG = Or-West-Theedish
- PG = Or-Theedish
For a full list of etymological and other abbreviations used in these wordlists, see: Offshortenings.
| Chancery English | Class | Anglish/English | ||
| Attested | Unattested | |||
| babble | n | clatter, drivel | - | |
| baby | n | bairn, newborn, suckling, chit | - | |
| bacchanal | n | - | beership (<OE ġebeorscipe) | |
| bacil | n | - | rodling, rodmoss | |
| bacon | n | spick | back meat, back ham | |
| bacteria | n | - | splitmoss | |
| badger | n | brock | - | |
| badminton | n | - | featherball (cf. NHG Federball) | |
| baggage | n | belongings | bundlepack | |
| baguette | n | French loaf | stickbread | |
| bail out | vb | pack out, peel off, pull out, run along | - | |
| bailiff | n | sheriff, steward | shire reeve | |
| balaclava | n | - | head-sock, woolhat | |
| balance | n/vb |
steady; match, make up for, even up; weigh; settle, work out, reckon, tally composure: strength of mind or will |
tue (<OE Tiw ~ god of justice) evenweight, likeweight device: meter (OE metan) | |
| bald | adj | bare, peeled, stripped; naked; bright-line, straightforward | - | |
| baleen | n | whalebone | - | |
| ballad | n | jingle, folk song | strollsong | |
| ballet | n | - | fairtumb, toe-tumb | |
| ballistics | n | - | shootlore, guncraft | |
| balloon | n/vb | bladder; snowball, spread, swell, wax | loftball (cf. NHG Luftballon) | |
| baloney | n | twaddle | - | |
| baluster | n | - | holdershaft | |
| banana | n | - | moonbairn, moonapple, moonpod | |
| bandage | n/vb | bind, swaddle, swathe, wreathe | - | |
| bandit | n | crook, outlaw, robber | gunman | |
| banish | vb | cast out, kick out, run off, throw out, turf out, ban (<OE bannan) | fleme (<OE aflieman) | |
| banister | n | - | handsill | |
| bank | n | - | of a body of water: stath (<OE stæþ) pl: stathu (<OE stæðu) | |
| banknote | n | greenback | - | |
| bankrupt | adj | broke, spent, in the red, on your upperes | - | |
| banner | n | jack, streamer | fan | |
| banquet | n | feed, spread | guestmeal | |
| baptise/baptize | n/vb | christen; seat |
clepe (arch.), fullwight (<OE fulwiht), dyp (<OE dypan), fullwighten (<OE ġefulwihtnian) | |
| bar | n |
rod; benchmark, yardstick counter: taproom, watering whole |
- | |
| bar | vb | ban, forbid, freeze out, shut out; shut off, wall off | - | |
| barb | n | prick | beardling | |
| barbarian | n/adj | heathen; rough, wild; ruthless | fremd n: woss (cf. OE herewosa, Du. woest) | |
| barbarous | adj | heartless | reethy (<OE reðig "savage") | |
| barbeque | n | - | stickwork | |
| bargain | vb | cheapen, haggle | - | |
| barge | n | scow, lighter, flatboat, narrow boat | longboat | |
| barometer | n | weatherglass | - | |
| baron(ess) | n | - | freelord(lady), athel(-ing/-in), thane | |
| barracks | n | - | wyehut | |
| barracuda | n | - | toothfish | |
| barrage | n | wall | rithblock | |
| barrel | n | coop, tub, drum, tun, keg, firkin, vat; boatload, fistful, good deal | - | |
| barrelmaker | n | cooper | - | |
| barren | adj | bare, bony, dead, empty, waste | child: bairnless | |
| barricade | n | bar, block, bulwark | - | |
| barrier | n | - | block | |
| base | n | bedrock, bottom, footing, footing, ground, groundwork, keystone, root, underpinning, warp and woof; bridgehead, foothold; heart, seat; foot, rock bottom |
hernstone (OE hyrn 'corner') headquarters: headfourths physics: lyestuff | |
| base | vb | ground, hang, rest | bestaddel | |
| base | adj | low, mean | - | |
| baseball | n | - | hardball (in analogy to softball) | |
| baseless | adj | groundless | ordless | |
| basement | n | - | underground | |
| basil | n | - | mistle (<OE mistel) | |
| basis | n | bedrock, bottom, footing, footing, ground, groundwork, keystone, root, underpinning | hernstone | |
| basket | n |
cawl, windel (<OE) | ||
| basketball | n | - | cawlball | |
| bass | n | wicker fish-basket:
haske (ME) |
lows; lowsinger | |
| basin | n | bowl, sink; bed, trough | - | |
| bastard | n/adj | n: bye-blow, lovechild, whoreson, mong adj: misbegotten, unfathered, underbred |
dogling (cf. OE docincel), mongling (replacing French suffix -rel with English suffix -ling) calligraphic script, adj: twimade | |
| batik | n/vb | - | dotting, waxdying, waxdye | |
| batrachian | n/adj | - | tailless (calque of Gk. anura) | |
| battalion | n | throng, crowd | sheltrum (cf. OE scildtruma) | |
| batter | vb | beat, strike, cudgel | - | |
| battery | n | - | beater, streamblock, thorblock sparkhouse | |
| battery bear | n | moon bear | - | |
| battle | n |
hurly-burly, clash |
gouth (OE gūð), stride (cf. OE stridan, Du. strijd), bede (cf. OE beadu) | |
| battlefield | n | - | wyefield, gouthfield, bedefield, clashfield | |
| battleship | n | - | dreadnaught, fightship | |
| bay | n | inlay, bight; cove (sheltered) | - | |
| bayonet | n | goad | buss-stinger (cf. Ic. byssustingur) | |
| beach volley | n | - | beach block (cf. Ic. blak) | |
| beak | n | bill, neb | - | |
| beat | n | smite |
slecg(<OE slecgettan) slee (<OE slēan) | |
| beau | n | swain, ladfriend, fop | - | |
| beautiful | adj | comely, fayre, good-looking, handsome, sightly; nifty, sterling, sheen | wlitty (<OE wlitig) | |
| beauty | n | comeliness, fayrehood, fayreness, handsomeness, looks, loveliness, prettyness, sightliness; eyeful, knockout; bee's knees, standout | wlittiness
sheenhood (cf. NHG schönheit) feager (<OE fæger) | |
| because | conj |
as, as long as, being as (how), being that, for, inasmuch as, now, seeing, whereas owing to because of |
forwhy because, forof because of
afteras (cf. Sw. “eftersom”) | |
| bedaub | vb | besmear | - | |
| beef | n | cowflesh, cowmeat | rothermeat, rotherflesh (compare Du. rundvlees NHG Rindfleisch) | |
| behavior | n | bearing, ways | uptreading | |
| beige | n | - | yellowgray, yellowbrown | |
| Belarus | n | - | Ruswhite, (cf. NGH Weißrussland) | |
| belfry | n | - | bergfrith | |
| Belgium | n | - | Belgland | |
| belladonna | n | - | deadly nightshade, dwale | |
| bellicose | adj | brawly | wyelusting | |
| belligerent | adj | - | wye dreeing | |
| benefactor | n | - | well-doer (<OE wel-doend) | |
| benefit | n | wellfare; windfall, godsend | foredeal (cf. Sc. fordel, Fr. foardiel), fremme (<OE fremu) pl: fremma (<OE frema)
public: folkrede (<OE folcrǽd) | |
| benefit | vb |
helpe |
theen, frem (<OE fremian) | |
| benevolent | n | kind-hearted, good | - | |
| benign | adj | harmless | - | |
| berate | vb | upbraid | threap | |
| beret | n | - | flathat | |
| besiege | vb | beleaguer; harrow, beset, rack | ymbsit (<OE ymbsittan), beleger | |
| bestiality | vb | - | dierlust, wightlust | |
| betray | vb | backstab, sellout, two-time; bespeak, give away; lead on | bewray, forrede (<OE forrǽdan, cf. Dan. forræderi, Swed. förräderi, Du. verraad, NGH Verrat) | |
| betrayer | n | deep throat, fink, nark, rat, whistleblower; backstabber, two-timer | forreder (<OE forrǽda) | |
| beverage | n | drink, quencher | - | |
| bi- | pref | two- | twi- | |
| biannual | adj | - | halfyearly | |
| bias | n/adv | leaning, one-sidedness; athwart adv | roodways adv | |
| Bible | n | Holy Book | Cristbook when refering to Christianity | |
| bibulous | adj | spongy, thirsty; drunken | soaksome | |
| bicameral | adj | two-roomed | two-halled, twistalled, twostalled, twifack, twifackly | |
| bicycle | n | two-wheeler | farewheel (cf. NHG. Fahrrad) | |
| bidet | n | saddlebath | - | |
| bidirectional | adj | two-way | twiway | |
| biënnial(ly) | adj/adv | - | halfyearly | |
| biker | n | - | wheeler | |
| bilateral | adj | two-sided | - | |
| bile bear | n | moon bear | - | |
| bill | n | reckoning, lawing | - | |
| billabong | n | oxbow | - | |
| billion (109) | nm | - | thrisand | |
| binoculars | n | field glasses |
farlooker, farsights (calque of N.Pers. دوربین - dur "far" + bin "sight") twiëyen (calque) | |
| , living | quick- | |||
| biochemistry | n | lifeblendlore | - | |
| biochemical | adj | lifeblendish | - | |
| biography | n | - | lifetale, lifesdraught, lifewrit | |
| biology | n | - | lifelore | |
| bipedal | adj | two-legged | - | |
| birthplace | n | - | birthstead, kenningstow (<OE cenningstōw) | |
| biscuit | n | cookie | twobake, cakeling | |
| bisect | vb | cleave, halve | halfcut, rend, twicut | |
| bisexual | n | - | twiluster | |
| bittern | n | - | havelbleat (<OE hæfelblæte) | |
| bitumen | n | blacktop | - | |
| bivalve | n | clam | - | |
| bizarre | adj | weird, offbeat, far-out, outlandish | - | |
| blackpowder | n | - | blackdust | |
| Blairite | n | - | Blairer | |
| blame | vb/n | wite, guilt, chide | threap(ing) | |
| blasphemy | n | swearing | hosp (<ME) godsmear, holyshending | |
| blatant | adj | glaring | - | |
| blemish | vb | mar | andmark (cf. Ic. and-marki) | |
| blemish | n | mar, flaw, fleck | - | |
| blemishless | adj | clean, fair, flawless, fleckless | furb | |
| blizzard | n | - | snowstorm (calque) | |
| blond (Germanic) | adj | fair, flaxen,golden-brown, light, snowy | - | |
| blouse | n | keel | - | |
| bludgeon | vb | club, cudgel | - | |
| blue | n/adj | - | hew(en) (<OE hæwen)
light: bleahew(en) (<OE blæhæwen) beautifully: wellhequen (<OE welhecwen) n: blee (<OE blēo) | |
| blue titmouse | n | - | hikemouse (<OE hīkemāse) | |
| bodyguard | n | - | holdand (<OE healdend) | |
| boffin | n | - | witlorer | |
| bog | n | mire | - | |
| bogus | adj | wrong, fake | - | |
| boil | vb | foam, seethe, sizzle: simmer | - | |
| boilersuit | n | overalls | - | |
| bomb | n | blow sky-high | blaster | |
| bonanza | n | windfall, stroke of luck | wealth or | |
| bondage | n | yolk, thraldom | haft (<OE hæft, cf. NHG Haft) | |
| bonnet | n | hood, brimless hat | - | |
| boomerang | n | - | andglider | |
| boondocks | n | nowhere, sticks | backwater, sleepy hollow | |
| bordello | n | whorehouse, brothel | - | |
| border | n | brim, hem, ring | mire (<OE mære) | |
| boss | n | foreman, head, leader | - | |
| botany | n | - | wortlore, grasslore | |
| bottle | n | flask | - | |
| bouillon | n | brew, dishwater | - | |
| boulevard | n | broadway, bullwark | - | |
| boulevardier | n | - | townfrealser | |
| boundary | n | end, line; brim, frame, hem, ring | mire (<OE mære) | |
| boundary tree | n | - | meartrew (<OE gemærtrēo) | |
| bountiful | adj | bighearted, openhanded | estful, givle | |
| bouquet | n | - | bloomset | |
| bourbon | n | - | Kentucky lifewater | |
| bourgeois | n | hidebound, highborn | highbred, highburger | |
| boutique | n | - |
wear shop, clothing shop, clothes shop | |
| bovine | adj | cowlike | neatly (<OE nēat + ly), rotherlike | |
| bowel | n | gut | - | |
| bra | n | breastshirt, breastholder, boobsling | - | |
| bracelet | n | wristband, armband, bee | trind, wristling | |
| braggart | n | boaster, show-off, blower | - | |
| braille | n | - | The Blind's rune | |
| branch | n |
bough, limb; feeder |
- | |
| brassiere | n | - | armward | |
| brave | adj | bold, doughty, fearless, gutsy, manful, stalworth | ellen | |
| bravo! | interj | well done! | - | |
| brawl | n | flite, free-for-all | - | |
| bray | n | heehaw | - | |
| breach of peace | n | - | grithbruck (<ME griðbruche) pl: grithbrucken, frithbreach | |
| breakable | n | brittle | brickle | |
| break into pieces | vb | - | knyss (<OE cnyssan) | |
| brevë | adj | short | - | |
| brewery | n | brewhouse | brewern | |
| bribe | vb | buy off | - | |
| brief | adj | short, small, little | ||
| brief | n | writ | ||
| 'brief' | vb | say, speak, tell, bid, write | ||
| briefs | n | - | legless undershorts | |
| brilliance | n | brightness | lixing (<OE līxung) | |
| brilliant | adj | shining | - | |
| brisk | adj | swift, frisky | ferk | |
| broccoli | n | - | sproutcole | |
| brochure | n | flyer, handout | leafel | |
| browser | n | web crawler | - | |
| bruise | n | lill | - | |
| brunch | n | - | morgenmete, brekkie | |
| brunette | adj | black, dark, swarthy | - | |
| brutal | adj | tough; heartless | - | |
| bryophyte | n | moss | - | |
| buccaneer | n | freebooter | seareaver | |
| bucket | n | pail, boatload (amount) | stoop, amber (<OE amber), chuffle (<OE cýfl) | |
| buckle | n | clasp | - | |
| buckle | vb | fasten, clasp | - | |
| budget | n | nest egg; pool, stock | - | |
| buffalo | n | wild ox | - | |
| buffer | n | ward, shelter | lanestow | |
| buffet | n | - | foodboard | |
| buffoon | n | clown | - | |
| bullet | n | slug, bolt, lead, ball | streal (<OE strǣl), thother (<OE Þōðer, "ball") | |
| bulletin | n | - | newtidings | |
| bullion | n | ingots | - | |
| bulldozer | n | - | mickle shovel | |
| bully | n | - | browbeater, strongarmer | |
| bully | vb | manhandle, mess over (slang); browbeat, strong-arm | - | |
| bun | n | puff | - | |
| bunch | n | lot | - | |
| bungalow | n | - | flackdwelling (flack = level) | |
| bungler | n | - | addlebrain, addlehead | |
| buoy | n | - | beacon, floatmark; lifeward | |
| bureau | n | board, setup, shop | revehouse, ambight | |
| bureaucracy | n | - | boardom, reevedom (state) beadledom (church) | |
| burgeon | vb | bud, bloom, blossom | - | |
| burglar | n | stealer, thief, housebreaker | housebreacher | |
| burglary | n | housebreaking, theft | - | |
| burgle | vb | steal, plunder, thieve | housebreach | |
| burlesque | adj | - | funnish (Italian burla "trick, fun" + -esque < PIE *-iskos > PG *-iskaz > OE -isc > NE -ish) | |
| bus | n | - | folkwain | |
| bust | n | chest, breast | - | |
| butcher | n | - | fleshmonger | |
| butler | n | steward | flasker, mugbearer | |
| button | n | - | nop/nap (<OE cnæp) | |
| buzzard | n | - | mousehawk (<OE mushafoc) | |
| bypass | n | skirt, shunt; overlook; shortcut, sidestep | - | |
| by-past | adj | bygone | - | |
| byte | n | - | eightcleft | |