English Wordbook/P
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< English Wordbook
Staff P of the English Wordbook.
Basic abbreviations: att'd=attested, OE=Old English, NHG=New High German, Du.=Dutch
For a full list of etymological and other abbreviations used in these wordlists, see Forshortenings.
| English | Word Class | Anglish | ||
| Attested | Not attested | |||
| pabulum | n | fare, food, tucker | - | |
| pace | vb & n | step | - | |
| pacifist | n | - | frithweaver, frithand | |
| package | n | bale | - | |
| paedophile(ia) | n | - | childlust(er), bairnlust(er) | |
| pagan | n | heathen | - | |
| paganism | n | - | heathendom, heathentroth, heathenry | |
| page | n | side | trammet (<OE tramet)
leafside (calque of Du. bladzijde, Af. bladsy) leaf (the whole sheet or a web page) servant: theen | |
| pacify | vb | allay, befrith | - | |
| pain | n | smart, soreness, hurtness, acheness | - | |
| painful | adj | acheful | - | |
| paint | vb | - | meal (<OE mǽlan) | |
| painting | n | - | wetdrawing, mealdrawing, mealwork (cf. Icelandic málverk), mealing | |
| palace | n | - | thronehalls, thronehouse, thronehold, thronestead, rikehouse, moothouse | |
| palate | n |
roof of the mouth |
goome (<OE góma) | |
| pale | adj | wan, fallow | - | |
| pale | n | wall, weir | - | |
| paleolithic | n | - | Old Stone Eldth | |
| palindrome | n | - | drowword, crabword | |
| palindromic | adj | - | drow- | |
| palisade | n | - | stakehedge, stakewall, stakework boardwall (<OE bredweall) | |
| palliate | vb | whitewash, gloss over | - | |
| pallid | adj | wan, dulled, hueless, sallow, ashen, drawn | - | |
| palpitate | vb | throb | - | |
| pamphlet | n | flyer | leafel | |
| panacea | n | - | alheal | |
| pancreas | n | - | alflesh | |
| panda bear | n | - | eastbear, eyeshadow bear, catbear | |
| pangolin | n | - | scaledeer (cf. NHG Schuppentiere, cf. Du. schubdieren) | |
| panic | n | fright | - | |
| pant(aloon)s | n | breeches, britches, hoes | - | |
| pants, under- | n | undies, underwear | netherlings, netherbritches, underkegs | |
| papacy | n | - | popedom (the concept of the office of the pope)popeship (the actual office or its duration, i.e. pontificate) | |
| papal | adj | popish, popely | - | |
| paper | n | blade, leaf, bookstuff
'paper' in OE (from Latin) means papyrus | - | |
| parable | n | - | byspel, likeness (c.f. Latinish 'similitude'), biword (Sir John Cheke) | |
| parachute | n | - | fallward (calque of French parachute, para (defense against) + chute (a fall) | |
| paraclete | n | cheerer, cheergiver, helper, spokesman, soothener | Forverghost (<OE forforgast) | |
| paradise | n | heaven | nerxenwong (<OE neorxnawang), godstow | |
| paradisiacal | adj | - | nerxenwongly (<OE neorxnawanglic) | |
| parallel | adj | alongside | - | |
| paralysed(ysis) | adj/n | lame(ness), lamed | - | |
| paramour | n | lover, leman | - | |
| paranoia | n | misgiving madness, overmistrust | - | |
| paranoid | n | mad misgiver, overmistruster | - | |
| paraphrase | vb & n | new wording, new bewording | - | |
| parasite | n | - | sidefeeder (calque of Greek parasitos, para (beside) + sitos (food) | |
| parasitism | n | - | sidefeeding | |
| parasol | n | sunshade | - | |
| parchment | n | bookfell | - | |
| parent | n | elder (att'd) | may (<OE mǣġ, "kins(wo)man, parent") | |
| parenting | n | child-rearing | - | |
| parenthesis | n | byspeech, brackets | - | |
| parents | n | elders (att'd, cf. NHG Eltern), folks | - | |
| pariah | n | outcast | untouchworthy | |
| parish | n | - | priestshire (<OE preostscyr) | |
| park | n | parrock (att'd, also means "paddock" <OE pearroc) eddish (OE. edisc) | - | |
| parliament | n | - | lawmoot
witan, witenagemot, witen, witenmoot allthing (calque of Icelandish AlÞing) | |
| parrot | n | talkbird, speakbird | - | |
| parsimonious | adj | sparing, saving, mean, flint-skinning | - | |
| parsley | n | - | crispleaf | |
| part | n | deal, share, bit | - | |
| part | vb | split, break, sunder | - | |
| partake | vb | - | thig (<OE þicgan; c.f. ON þiggja, OHG dikken) | |
| participate | vb | - | nim deal, dealnim (<OE dælniman; cf. NHG teilnehmen), take deal, dealtake | |
| participant | n | - | dealnimmand | |
| participle | n | - | dealnimmand (<OE dælnimand) | |
| particle1 | n | bit | wordling grammar | |
| particle2a | n | mote | - | |
| particle2b, smallest | n | whit | - | |
| particularly | adv | namely, above all, all the more, at length, ever so, in the main, more than ever | - | |
| partition | n | wall, wough | - | |
| partner | vb & n | mate | - | |
| party | n | gathering, fungathering, merrymaking, bash | - | |
| parvenu | n | upstart | - | |
| pascal | adj | - | tholing | |
| pass | vb | overtake | - | |
| passage | n | throughfare, gangway | - | |
| passage of time | n | timeflow | - | |
| passenger | n | - | byfarer (person next to driver, cf. NHG Beifahrer) insitter (person being transported, cf. Du. inzittende) | |
| passive | gram | - | throwendly (<OE 'þrowiendlic') | |
| passport | n | - | furlough, forloff | |
| past
| adj | bygone |
forthwist (<OE forðgewitan) forleaden (cf. Du. verleden) | |
| past
| adj | former; ~ few last | - | |
| pasta | n | noodles | - | |
| pasture | n | grassland, grazing field, meadow, lea | leasow (obsolete) | |
| patella | n | kneecap | - | |
| paternal | adj | fatherly | - | |
| Paternoster | n | Our Father | Lord's Bead, Drightenlybead | |
| pathetic | adj | rueful, ruthful | - | |
| patience | n | forbearing | thild moodthwareness (<OE módþwǽrnes) | |
| patient | adj | forbearing | thildy | |
| patria | n | homeland, fatherland | - | |
| patriarch | n | elder, eldfather | highfather (<OE hēahfæder) | |
| patriarchy | n | fatherwald, fatherlordship, fatherwield, fatherwealth | ||
| patrician | n | highelder (<OE héahealdor) | ||
| patricide | n | fatherslaughter, fatherslay, fatherslayer | ||
| patrimony | n | fatherland | - | |
| patriotic | n | landtrothen, home-loving, homeland loving, fatherland loving, fatherlandish (calque) | - | |
| patriotism | n | landtrothenness, home-love, homeland love, fatherland love | - | |
| patron | n | backer, bestower | - | |
| patronage | n | business, trade | - | |
| pattern | n | cut, doing, doings, folkway, goings-on, layout, outline, setting, shape, set-up, warp & woof, way, ways, weave, web, yardstick | - | |
| pause | n | break, let-up | -underbreaking ( calque of German unterbrechen which meant "to interrupt") | |
| paucity | n | lack, fewness, scantiness | - | |
| pavement | n | sidewalk, footpath, walkway | - | |
| pay | vb | yield | betale (cf. German bezahlen, Dutch betalen) | |
| payment | n | fee | - | |
| peace | n | frith | - | |
| peal | vb | ring, toll | - | |
| pearl | n | - | meregrot (<OE meregrot "pearl (lit. sea-particle)") seamote, seawhit | |
| peasant | n | ackerman, boor, churl, farmer, husbandman, landman | - | |
| peculation | n | thefting | - | |
| peculiar | adj | odd, quirky, weird, funny | markly (cf. Norw. merkelig) | |
| pedagog | n | youth teacher | childleerer | |
| pedal1 | n | footkey | - | |
| pedal2 | adj | foot(ed) | - | |
| pedantic | adj | inkhorn(y), well-taught, know-it-all, bookfed, book-learned, bookish, bookwise, nitpicking, teachy, overlearned, wise, dryasdust | - | |
| pedestal | n | - | footstone (<OE fótstán) | |
| pedestrian | n | footfolk (att'd), footgoer, sidewalker, walker | - | |
| pedestrian | adj | footly (<OE fotlic) | - | |
| peel | n | husk, rind, shell, skin | - | |
| peel | vb | rend, skin, tear | - | |
| peep | vb | tout | - | |
| pegasus | n | winged horse, winghorse | - | |
| pelican | n | - | wanfoot | |
| pelt | n | fell, hide | - | |
| pen | n | - | inkstick, mealstick, writestick | |
| pencil | n | - | graystick, writestick | |
| penetrate | vb | thrill, bore | - | |
| peninsula | n | by-land, seagirt, spit | - | |
| pentagon | n | - | fivekneer | |
| Pentecost | n | Whitsunday ('White Sunday') | Fiftieth, Pinst (cf. Sw. Pingst, Dan./Norw. Pinse, NHG Pfingsten, Du. Pinksteren) | |
| penultimate | adj | last- but-one, next-to-last, forelast | - | |
| penis | n | yard, pintle, manhood, tail | - | |
| penitence | n | rueness (<OE hreonisse), ruefulness | - | |
| people | n | folk | leed (<OE lēod, cf. NHG Leute, cf. Du. lieden) throng (group of people) | |
| perceive | v | - |
onget, soothtake, wearnim, weartake (cf. Du. waarnemen) bemark (cf. Du. bemerken) | |
| percent | n | hundredths | - | |
| perception | n | - | yeming undergetting, understanding, truetake, soothtake | |
| percolate | vb | leach | - | |
| perdition | vb | forelornness | - | |
| peregrine falcon | n | wanderfalk (cf. Dan. vandrefalk, NHG. Wanderfalke) | faringfalk (cf. Far. ferðafalkur) | |
| perfect | adj | flawless, forfit |
fulcomely (Cf. Sw. fullkomlig) fulmade (cf. Du. volmaakt) | |
| perfect | vb | forfit, fullcome | - | |
| perforate | vb | riddle, thrill | - | |
| perform | vb | do forth, do, behave, work, play | uptread (theatrical; calque of Dutch, optreden) | |
| perfume | n | athelstench (<OE æþelstenċ) wortbreath (<OE wyrtbrǣþ) | - | |
| period | n | while, timespan, time frame, spell | - | |
| perish | vb | forfare, forworth | - | |
| perjure | vb | mainswear, forswear, lie under oath | - | |
| perhaps | adv | byhaps, maybe, mayhap | weenings (<OE wenunga) | |
| perimeter | n | rim, rimlength, rimspan | - | |
| permanent | adj | everlasting (att'd), foreversome |
highfast (<OE hēahfæst) forthenduring | |
| permission1‘‘‘ | n | leave, goahead | thave (<OE þafian) tithe financial | |
| permit1‘‘‘ | vb | let, brook, give green light to | thave (<OE þafian) tithe (<OE tiðian) | |
| permit2‘‘‘ | n | letwrit, goahead, lettingwrit | - | |
| pernicious | adj | baleful, baneful | - | |
| pernio | n | chillblain | - | |
| perpendicular | adj | straightways (att'd) | - | |
| perpetually | adj | everlastingly, aye, unendingly | - | |
| perpetuity, in | adv | forevermore | - | |
| perplex | vb | bewilder, bewonder | - | |
| persecute | vb | forfollow, hound | - | |
| persecution | n | witch hunt, hounding | - | |
| persistent | adj | steadfast, dogged, bound, fixed | - | |
| person | n |
being, body, fellow, man, soul, wight, bloke | lede (<OE lēod, cf. NHG Leute, cf. Du. lieden) | |
| person (grammar) | n | sway (<OE swég) | ||
| personal | adj | selfly, monnly, self, own; inner, innermost, inmost; belittling; near | - | |
| personal (grammar) | adj | - | swaily (<OE swéglic, from swég) | |
| personality | n | selfhood, egg, mood | - | |
| personal stereo | n | walkman | - | |
| personnel | n | staff, men, ware | - | |
| Perspicacious | adj | insightful | - | |
| perspicacity | n | insight, wittiness, keenness, shrewdness | - | |
| perspective | n | onsight, outlook, wist (native English kin to 'view' and 'vista'), wholesight | - | |
| persuade | vb | sway wheedle, sweet-talkoverwin | withwin, overrede | |
| pervade | n | - | forwade (calque) | |
| perverse | adj | - | forchared, bewarped, thirtover, lewd, wayward, thrawn, forcouth, untoward | |
| pervert | n | - | lewdster (nb. att'd Shakespear), luster | |
| pervert | vb | - | bewarp, offset, froward, throw off track | |
| pet-name | n | nickname | ekename | |
| petrify | vb | - | (for)stone (<OE stunian) | |
| petroleum | n | black gold | stonesap | |
| peruse | vb | look through, read through | - | |
| pessimism | n | naysaying, gloomthinking | - | |
| pessimist | adj | naysayer, gloomthinker | - | |
| phantasm | n | ghost | - | |
| phantom | n | ghost | - | |
| phalanx | n | - | slaughtrow (cf. NHG Schlachtreihe), strugglerow, war-row | |
| Pharisee | n | - | Sunderholies (<OE 'sundor-halgan'), Lawlorers | |
| pharaoh | n | - | Egypt king, sandking | |
| phlebotomy | n | bloodletting | - | |
| philosophy | n | wisdom, world outlook | witlore, lorelief, wittinglove (calque) | |
| phloem tube | n (biol) | - | wortlead | |
| photograph | n | snap, still, sunprint, lightstain, lightwrit, lightblot, snapshot | fang | |
| phobia | n | fear, misfear, fright, dread | - | |
| phosphorescent | adj | - | lightshedding | |
| photograph(er/ing) | n | - | sunforlay, sightblott, lightplott, lightblotst, lightwrit, sightsnapp | |
| phototoxin | n | - | lightbane | |
| phrase | n0 | - | cwide, wordstring | |
| phylum | n | stem, stock | - | |
| physics | n | - | worldken | |
| physical | adj | bodily, bodylike | lichly, lundsome | |
| picture | n | - | bild (cf. Fr. byld, Du. beeld, NHG Bild) | |
| picturesque | adj | pretty, lovely, fetching, striking, sightworthy, sightly, highly wrought | wlitty (<OE wlitig) | |
| piece | n | bit | - | |
| pier | n | wharf, dock | - | |
| pierce | vb | - | bere, bore, stab, thrill, gore, thring through | |
| pianoforte | n | - | softhard keyboard, beatharp | |
| pigeon | n | dove | - | |
| pile | n | heap, mow (hay) swath (corn) | - | |
| pillage | vb | ransack, plunder, reave | - | |
| pilot | n | lodeman, skyship boss, foreflyer, loftman | - | |
| pilot whale | n | - | grindwhale (cf. German and Scandinavian langs) | |
| pimple | n | wheal | - | |
| pinch | vb | nip, squeeze, steal, scrimp, nab | - | |
| pine (ultimately Latin) | n | fir, firtree | furrowwood (<OE furhwudu) | |
| pioneer | n | groundbreaker, waymaker, pathfinder | - | |
| pioneering | adj | groundbreaking, waymaking | - | |
| pious | adj | godly | - | |
| pip | n | seed (hard) kern | - | |
| pipe | n | leat | rowl (<PG rauza-; cf. Sw. rör, NHG Rohr) | |
| pirate | n | - |
seareaver, searobber, searover, seawolf, seathief, seascathe, wiking, wiching | |
| pirate captain | n | - | highseathief (<OE héahsæþéof) | |
|
pity | n | ruth, mildheartness | - | |
| pivotal | adj | key | - | |
| pizza | n | - | flatcake | |
| place (Greek) | vb | lay, put, stow | - | |
| place | n | stead, stow, spot, -where | - | |
| place, special | n | - | sunderstow (<OE sundorstow) | |
| place-name | n | steadname | - | |
| placenta | n | - | mothercake (c.f. NHG and Scandinavian) | |
| plagiarism | n | thought-theft | - | |
| plague (fore-1066 Latinate OE) | n | - | folkbane, blightdom | |
| plan | vb | forethink, plot | howe (<OE hogian) | |
| plan | n | layout, outline, draft, blueprint | howe | |
| plank | n | board, sill | - | |
| plankton | n | - | drifter moss | |
| planning | n | forethought | howing | |
| planet | n | world, wanderer | tungle (<OE tungol) | |
| plant (fore-1066 Latinate OE) | n | wort (herb, grass or small plant) bloom (blossom, flower) stand (plantation, e.g. birchstand, firstand) | - | |
| plantation | n | - | wortfield, seed farm, sowing field | |
| plaster | n, vb | - | limecoat | |
| plastic | n | - | newclay | |
| plateau | n | dish | - | |
| plateau | n | headland | - | |
| platform | n | deck, staddle husting (esp. for poltiical gatherings) | - | |
| pleasant | adj | lithe, likesome, bland, lovely, mild, sweet | cweme (satisfying) | |
| please | interj | kindly, gladly, fain | bid (German "bitte, related verb "bitten" which is related to English "bid") | |
| please | vb | gladden, list | cweme (<OE cwéman) | |
| pleased | adj | glad, happy | cwemed | |
| pleasing | adj | - | cwemely (<OE cwémlic) | |
| pleasure | n | lust, gladness | cwemeness (satisfaction) | |
| plebiscite | n | - | folkcast, folksay | |
| plectrum | n | - | harpnail (<OE hearpenægel) | |
| pledge | n | plight | - | |
| pledge | vb | swear, sicker | - | |
| plentiful | adj | rife, teeming, manyful | - | |
| plenty | adv | enough | weal | |
| -plex | suff. | -fold | - | |
| plumage | n | feathers, featherware, hackles | - | |
| plumber | n | - | leatfitter, bogfitter | |
| plumbing | n | - | leadwork, founding | |
| plumbline | n | - | well-thread (<OE weallþrǽd) | |
| plunge | vb | dip, dunk, dive | - | |
| plural | adj | - | manifold(ly) (<OE manigfealdlic), manysome, many | |
| plutocracy | n | - | gelddom, goldwield | |
| Pluvial indicator | n | - | watergall | |
| pneumatic | adj | - | suckwork (by air; pressure) | |
| poem | n | lay | leeth (<OE leoð), leethsong (<OE leoðsang) | |
| poet | n | scop | leethwright (<OE leoþwyrhta), leethwriter, wordwright, wordcrafter, stavemonger, wordsmith | |
| poetry | n | - | leethcraft (<OE leoðcræft), wordcraft | |
| point | n | 1. tip, tine, nib
2. point out sth: betoken, forewarn, make smb aware of | - | |
| poison | n | bane, atter | - | |
| polar zone | n | - | outerstrip, outerslit | |
| pole (geographic) | n | - | shote <OE sceāt "corner, angle, nook," cognate of skaut) worldshote (cf. Icelandic heimskaut: heim = "world" | |
| polecat | n | - | thummart | |
| police | n | - | law-warden, lawriff (law-reeve), lawriffship | |
| political | adj | mootish | - | |
| political correctness | n | - | mootish rightness | |
| political party | n | mootband | - | |
| politician | n | - | rikerede, mootsman, mootswoman | |
| politics | n | - | mootsmanship | |
| pollute(tion) | vb | - | besmear(ing), besnit(ting), (be)foul(ing), befoul, besmerch(ing), besmut(ting) | |
| polycephaly | n | - | maniheadedness | |
| polygamist | n | - | maniwedder | |
| polyglot | n | - | rerdelored, manispoken, many-speeched, manytunged | |
| polygon | n | - | manynook, manykneed | |
| polyhedron | n | - | manynebb | |
| polytheism | n | - | manigodhood, manigoddedness | |
| pompous | adj | overblown | - | |
| ponder | vb | think over, think under on | - | |
| pontoon | n | punt | - | |
| pony | n | - | horseling | |
| poor | adj | arm, needy | angish | |
| pop (music) | n | folk | - | |
| popular | adj | well-liked, well thought of, held dear, well known, all-the-thing, homespun, household name, far heard, widespread | - | |
| popular (of the people) | adj | - | folkish (<OE folcisc, cf. NHG völkisch, Lat. vulgar) | |
| popular usage | n phr | - | leedthew (<OE léodþéaw) | |
| popularity | n | - | altheed-love (c.f. Ic. alþýðu-lof) | |
| populate | vb | - | befolken, folken | |
| population | n | - | ledescore
befolking, bewoners, indwellers, folk, ware, erdeners, allfolks (allhallows), folktell, headtell (head count) | |
| population density | n | - | befolkingsthickhood (cf. Du. bevolkings-dichtheid, Da. befolkningstæthed) | |
| porcines | n | pig, boar, hog, swine, sow, yelt | - | |
| porcupine | n | - | quillpig | |
| pore | n | hole, hidehole, skinhole | - | |
| pork | n | pigflesh, pig, swineflesh | - | |
| porous | adj | holey, hole-shotten, seepsome, holesome | - | |
| porpoise | n | - | swinewhale (cf N.Fris. swinswaalen, Ger. schweinswale) | |
| port | n | hythe, larboard, haven | - | |
| portmanteau (word) | n | - | wordmelt, mixword, mingleword (cf. Du. mengwoord) | |
| portal | n | doorway, gate, gateway, yet | - | |
| portend | vb | bode, by-sen, forerun, ill-bode, foreshadow, forewarn | - | |
| portent | n | foretoken, boding | - | |
| portentous | adj | baleful, baneful, bodeful, boding, by-sening, dire, doomful, foreboding, forerunning, forewarning, ill-boding, untoward, weighty | - | |
| portion | n | deal, lot, share | - | |
| portrait | n | likeness | - | |
| position | n | - | howstand, therestand, stead, steadholding | |
| positive (aspect) | n | upside | - | |
| possess1‘‘‘ | vb | own, owe | - | |
| possess2‘‘‘ | vb | devilsicken, bewitch | - | |
| possessed | adj | devilsick, owned, ought, owed, own, giddy, bewitched, deviltaken, deviled (Sir John Cheke) | - | |
| possession | n | ownership, belonging, ought | ownedness (<OE 'anwædnesse') | |
| possibility | n | - | mayhood, mightliness | |
| possible | adj | - | mayly (cf. Frisian 'mooglik') maybesome, doughtbefall, dowedbefall, hapsome, mightsome, within reach | |
| possibly | adv | maybe | mayly | |
| posterior | n | rump, back(side) | - | |
| posteriority | n | afterness | - | |
| posterity | n | offspring | afterbairns, afterkin | |
| post-existence | n | afterlife, afterbeing, the beyond, the great beyond, the next world, other world, the great unknown | - | |
| postpone | vb | forslow (att'd), put off, shelve, call off | - | |
| post script (p.s.) | n | - | afterthought, afterwrit (a.w.) | |
| potassium | n | potash (pot ash) | - | |
| potato | n | spud, tater, tatty, earthpear (OE eorþpera) | earthapple (Cf. Du. aardappel, Afrik. aartappel, NHG Erdapfel, Pol. ziemniak, N.Pers. سیبزمینی) nightshade runner ("solanum tuberosa"), shaderoot, breadroot | |
| potential | adj | mayly, likely, maybe | - | |
| pouch | n | - | pung (<OE pung, Cf. Swed., Dan. pung) | |
| poultry | n | fowl | - | |
| pour | vb | teem |
yeat (dialectal, <OE geotan)
~ a drink | |
| poverty | n | armth, armhood, hardship, need, lack | - | |
| powder | n | dust | - | |
| power | n |
craft (<OE cræft, cf. NHG Kraft) might (<OE miht, cf. NHG Macht) know-how, main, strength |
thrith (<OE thryth) wald (<OE weald) elderdom (<OE ealderdóm) | |
| power, special | n | - | sundercraft (<OE sundorcræft) | |
| power, supreme | n | - | douthmight (<OE duguþmiht) | |
| power | vb | drive, feed | - | |
| power line | n | - | spark rope | |
| powerful | adj | crafty, mightful, mighty, strong, strengthful, main | - | |
| practical | adj | noteful, earthy, down-to-earth, yielding | - | |
| practically | adv | nearly, well-nigh, indeed | - | |
| pram | n | buggy, push-wainling (Barnes) | - | |
| prayer | n | bead (att'd, <OE gebed, cf. Du. gebed, NHG Gebet) | smeek-bead (from Dutch smeekbede) bee (<OE ben; c.f. NE boon; c.f. Dan bøn, Ic bæn, NHG Bann) beadred (<OE bedræden, and refering to prayer as an entity) | |
| prayerful | adj | - | beadful | |
| preamble | n | foreword, inleading, forespell | - | |
| precaution | n | forecare | - | |
| precede | vb | come before, beforen, forego, forefall | beforen | |
| precinct | n | 1. space: pen 2. pedestrian zone: walkway | - | |
| precipitation | n | rainfall, snowfall, downsheet, breefall | downsheet | |
| precious | adj | dearworth (<OE déorwyrðe), dearworthly (<OE déorwyrðlic) | - | |
|
preciousness, precious thing | n | dearworthness (<OE déorwyrðnes) | - | |
| preclude | vb | forestall, foreclose | - | |
| precocious | adj | ahead | rathe-ripe, rathish | |
| precognition | n | foreknowledge, foreboding | - | |
| precursor | n | forerunner, forebear | - | |
| predator | n | - | reavedeer (cf Ger. Raubtier, Du. roofdier), overdeer, upperdeer, flesheater | |
| predecessor | n | forerunner, forebear, foreling (by analogy to afterling) | - | |
| predestination | n | wyrd, foredooming, doom, wierd | foreteeing (<OE foreteohhung) | |
| predetermine | vb | foreset, foredoom, foretomark | - | |
| predetermined | vb | foregone, foreset | - | |
| predicament | n | hardship, quagmire, jam, scrape, plight | hardstow | |
| predict | vb | foretell, foresay, foresee, soothsay | - | |
| predominant | adj | overweighing | - | |
| pre-eminent | adj | foremost | elderdomly (<OE ealdordomlice) | |
| pre-existence | n | aforeness, beforeness, forebeing | - | |
| prefabricated | adj | ready-made, ready-built, forewrought | fore-timbered(houses) | |
| preface | n | foreword, headleaf, flyleaf, foretalk | throughlooking (<OE þurhlocung) | |
| prefer | vb | rather, liever have, berather, like over | forechoose (<OE foreceosan) | |
| prefer to | vb | would rather, would sooner | forechoose to | |
| prefigure | vb | foreshadow , foreshow | - | |
| prefix | n | forefastening | - | |
| pregnancy | n | - | childladenhood | |
| pregnant | adj | bearing, with-child, childladen | -bairneked ( OE bearneacen), swanger ( NHG schwanger) | |
| prehistory | n | - | aforeyorelore, yesteryore, aforeeretide, aforeerelore, gonetime, gonetimelore | |
| prejudical | adj | foredeeming | - | |
| prejudice | n | foredeeming | - | |
| prejudge | vb | foredeem | - | |
| prelude | n | forerunner, lead-up, lead-in, harbinger, foreword | forspell | |
| premature | adj | foreripe, oversoon, untimely | - | |
| prematurely | adv | oversoon | - | |
| premeditate | vb | forethink | - | |
| premeditated | adj | forethought | - | |
| premier | adj | foremost | - | |
| premise | n | given, starter, foretruth | - | |
| premises(a building's site) | n | toft | - | |
| premonition | n | forefeeling, foreboding | - | |
| preoccupy | phr & vb | forebusy, worry about, taken up
by, beset, come uttermost, inthrall, fill the thoughts, spellbind, take over the mind | - | |
| preparation | n | forgeearing, readiness, readying (complete:) alreadiness, yareness | - | |
| prepare | vb & vb phr | taw (att'd), foregear, aready, agraith, foreready, make ready, get ready, ready, rede, yare, set about, go about | reen (<OE renian) | |
| prepared | adj | ready, tawed, neat | - | |
| preposition | n | - | foreputword, foresetness (< Ælfric's OE calque 'foresetnes') | |
| prepuce | n | - | foreskin | |
| prescience | n | foreknowledge, forethought, forewisdom | - | |
| prescient | adj | farsighted, foresighted, foreseeing, forwise, forknowing | - | |
| prescribe | vb | forwrite, forespell, shrive | - | |
| presence | n | onbe-hood, theresomeness | bybe (from Dutch bijzijn) | |
| present | adj | - | onbe-ish, andward (<OE andweard), gainward (cf. NHG gegenwart), nowa | |
| present | adv | andwardly, gainwardly, nowadays | - | |
| present1 | n | - | nowtide, nowtime, nonce, time being, now, (grammar) andward (<OE andweard) | |
| present2 | n | gift | - | |
| present | vb | show, give, bestow | forestell (cf. NHG vorstellen, Du. voorstellen) | |
| presentiment | n | forefeeling | - | |
| preserve | vb | forlast, lastingen, hain, keep, uphold, aspare | - | |
| preside | vb | forsit over | - | |
| president | n | - | kithhead, stoolman foresitter (cf. Du. voorzitter, Fr. foarsitter, NHG Vorsitzender) | |
| press | vb | thring | - | |
| pressure | n | - | thringmight | |
| presume | vb | foreguess, guess, dare, make free with | - | |
| presumptuous | adj | uppity, overweening, daring | - | |
| presuppose | vb | foreset out | forise (<OE rǣswian) | |
| pretender | n | would-be | - | |
| pretense | n | make-believe, falsehood | - | |
| pretentious | adj | showy, hoity-toity, over the top, kitsch | - | |
| prevail | vb | - | throughswithe (<OE þurhswiðan) | |
| prevent | vb | hinder, forcome, forbid, forestop, forestall, forehinder | let (<OE lettan) | |
| preview | vb & n | forelook, forepeek, foreshow, foreshowing | - | |
| previous | adj | former, last, latter, foregoing, earlier, yester | - | |
| previously(general) | adv | formerly, afore, yesterly, beforehand | - | |
| previously(before now) | adv | heretofore, until now, before now, hitherto | - | |
| previously(before then) | adv | theretofore, until then, afore, before then | - | |
| prey | n | - | feng (<OE) | |
| prima donna | n | leading lady | - | |
| primacy | n | - | foremostness, elderdom (<OE ealdordóm) | |
| primary | adj | foremost, first, erst | - | |
| primer | n | futhorc writ | ||
| prince | n | atheling | - | |
| principle | n | eldertruth | - | |
| principle | adj | main, foremost, first, head | - | |
| vb | - | forlay
offset, run off, stamp | ||
| printer | n | - |
(person and machine) thrutcher, thrytcher | |
| printing house | n | - | thrutchinghouse | |
| prior | adj | beforehand, before | - | |
| priority | n | forerank, foreweight, oreness, beforeness | - | |
| prism | n | block | - | |
| prison | n | clink, lockup | dung [plural ding] (<OE dung) | |
| pristine | n | earliest, firstness, spotless, yoreness, orhood | - | |
| private | adj | - | sunder | |
| privilege | n | - | sunderfreedom (<OE sundorfreodom), sundergift (cf. OE sundorgiefu) | |
| privileged | adj | - | sundergifted | |
| privy | n | outhouse | - | |
| probable | adj | likely | - | |
| probably | adv | likely, in all likelihood, maybe, most likely, belike | trueshinely (cf. Du. waarschijnlijk, NHG wahrscheinlich) | |
| problem | n | worry, kinch, bugbear, reck, hang-up, hitch, snag, rub | - | |
| procedure | n | forfareld | - | |
| proceed | vb | go forward, go forth, go on, thence go, yede, (emanate)outher, flow out | forfare (cf. NHG verfahren) | |
| proceeding | n | - | foregoing (cf. NHG Vorgang) | |
| process | vb | - | forework,forfareld/forfaring, taw | |
| process | n | - | foregang (cf. NHG Vorgang) | |
| processor, computer | n | mainframe, telcruncher, reckoner | - | |
| proclivity | n | forelike,forelove, towardbend | - | |
| procreate | vb | beget, breed | - | |
| procure | vb | - | beshape (cf. NHG beschaffen) | |
| product | n | ware | - | |
| productive | n | waresome, thrifty | - | |
| prodigy | n | - | wonderchild | |
| prodigal | adj | - | unsparing, spend-all, spareless, unbridled, feespilling | |
| produce | vb | - | bring forth, get out, yield, make, make forth, forthbring | |
| production | n | forthmake, yield, output, forthbringing | - | |
| proem | n | foreword | - | |
| professional | adj | skilled | - | |
| professional | n | worker | - | |
| professor | n | lorespeaker, loregiver | - | |
| profit | n | gain, boot, yield, winnings, earnings | - | |
| profitable | adj | worthwhile | - | |
| proficiency | n | skill | - | |
| profound | adj | underlying, deep | - | |
| profoundly | adv | underlyingly, deeply, groundly | - | |
| profusely | adv phr | flow thickly, running overly, teemingly | - | |
| profusion | n | beteeming | - | |
| progenitor | n | begetter, elder(s), father(s), forebear(s), forefather(s), fore-elder(s), Forerunner(s) | - | |
| program | n | - | foredraught, broadcast, sending (see source code) | |
| programming language | n | - | foredrafting tongue | |
| progress | n | inroads | forthstride, headway, foreway | |
| progressive | adj | - | forward-looking, forthgangsome | |
| prohibit | vb | forbid, forfend | - | |
| project | n | goalwork | forththrow (calque) | |
| projector | n | beamer | - | |
| prokaryote | n | - | forecorn, forekern, forekernel, forechurn(?), forenut | |
| proleteriat | n | working-poor | - | |
| prolific | adj | bemanying, birthy, broodful, birthful | - | |
| prologue | n | foretale | - | |
| promise | n | oath, forword | - | |
| promise | vb | - | behote [past -hight, ppt -hoten] (<OE behatan), swear forspeak (Cf. NHG versprechen) | |
| promontary | n | headland, foreland, ness, hoe | - | |
| promote | vb | uprear, (up)further, boost | - | |
| pronghorn antelope | n | - | tinedeer, outrunning tinehorner 2nd fastest land animal | |
| pronoun | n | - | byname (<OE binama), forename (<OE forenama) | |
| pronounce | vb | breath-en, utter, outsay, outspeak | onkithy (cf. NHG ankündigen) | |
| pronouncement | n | - | onkithying (cf. NHG Ankündigung), say-so | |
| pronunciation | n | breath-ening, uttering, outspeech, outsaying, wordloud | - | |
| proof | n | - | shedding reckonedness (<OE gerecednes) | |
| propose | vb | put forth, forthsay | - | |
| propel | vb | thrust, drive, drive forth | - | |
| proper | adj | fitting, meet, seemly, right, true | bedavenly (<OE gedafenlic) | |
| property | n | ownings, holdings | ownhood, owndom (cf. Du. eigendom, NHG Eigentum) | |
| property, private | n | - | sunderfee (<OE sundorfeoh) | |
| prophesy | vb | foretell, foresee | - | |
| prophesy | n | foresight, boding, foretelling | - | |
| prophet | n | soothsayer, foresayer (Sir John Cheke) | godsayer | |
| proposal | n | put-forth, put-forward, forthput, forwardput | - | |
| proprietor | n | householder, owner, landlord/lady | - | |
| propulsion | n | thrust spinthrust (as from a plane's propeller) | - | |
| proscribe | vb | forbid | - | |
| proselyte | n | freshman (Sir John Cheke), new believer | - | |
| prosper | vb | thee, wellfare, do well, grow rich, highfly | - | |
| prosperity | n | theedom | forblowing (<OE blowan) | |
| prosperous | n | - | theely | |
| prostitute | vb' ' | whore | - | |
| prostitute | n | hooker, whore, streetwalker | - | |
| prostrate | adj | aground | - | |
| protarchaeopteryx | n | - | foreorfowl, aforeoldenwing, erstorbird, first orbird, first oroldenwing | |
| protect | vb | ward, shield, forstand | - | |
| protection | n | - | lewing (<OE hleowung) mundwist (<OE mundwist) | |
| protective | adj | - | mundly (<OE mundian), wardly | |
| protector | n | warden | holdand | |
| protege | n | ward | - | |
| protein | n | - | eggwhite (cf. NHG Eiweiß, Du. eiwit) | |
| protest | vb | - | forstride, utcry | |
| protestant | adj | - | againstish, gainsayish, gainsayerish | |
| protestant | n | - |
againstisher, gainsayer | |
| proton | n | - | firstbit | |
| protoplasm | n | - | orslime | |
| protrude | vb | stick out, jut | - | |
| proud | adj | showy, overbearing, lofty, stout, stolt (NHG stolz) | rank (<OE ranc) | |
| prove | vb | show | soothen (OE 'soþian,' ME 'sothen') | |
| proverb | n | byword, saying, saw, folksay(ing) | - | |
| provide | vb | give, open, afford | forsee (cf. NHG versehen) | |
| province | n | great shire | - | |
| prow | n | foreship | - | |
| prudence | n | forewit, insightfulness, sparefulness, carefulness, awareness, thoughtfulness, watchfulness, wiseness | - | |
| pry | vb | key-hole | - | |
| prying | n & adj | key-holeing | - | |
| pseudo- | n | fake, -like | - | |
| psychedelic | adj | - | mindkithing, mindopening, soulopening (cf. Swe. "själsöppnande"), mindthurh, mindwide soulopening (cf. Swe. "själsöppnande") | |
| psychiatrist | n | - | mindhealer, soulkithler, mindlore(wo)man | |
| psychiatry | n | - | soulkith (cf. Du. seelkunde), mindkith | |
| psychic | n | - | soulsman, mindsman | |
| psychic | adj | - | soulish, mindish | |
| psychologist | n | - | mindlorester | |
| psychology | n | - | mindlore | |
| psychotropic | adj | - | mindwending | |
| pub(lic house) | n | inn, alehouse, boozer | - | |
| public | adj | open, mean | - | |
| public servant | adj | - | theen, onbidsman | |
| public toilet | n | - | outhouse | |
| publish | vb | - | forlay (cf. NHG verlegen) forthset, make known, folkcast, bring out, outbring, forthsend, openthrutch | |
| publishing firm | n | - | forlay (cf. NHG Verlag) | |
| pulsate | vb | beat, throb | - | |
| pulse1 | n | beat, throb, heartbeat | - | |
| pulse2 | n | bean | - | |
| pumice | n | - | foamstone | |
| pumpkin | n | marrow | tillberry, harvestball | |
| punch | vb | clout | handstrike, fiststrike | |
| punish | vb | - | strife (calque of many Germ. languages) | |
| pup | n | whelp | - | |
| puppet | n | - | wiretoy, handtoy | |
| purchase1 | vb | buy | - | |
| purchase2 | n | grip | - | |
| pure | adj | clean, sheer, white | swotel (<OE sweotol) | |
| Purgatory | n | - | Sweepfire (cf. NHG Fegefeuer), Otherworld | |
| purge | vb | cleanse | furb | |
| purify | vb | cleanse | swotel | |
| purple | n | redblue, bluered, clamhue, clam | bawse | |
| purpose | n | sake | - | |
| pursue | vb | onfollow after, follow, go after | - | |
| pursuit | n | - | woath (<OE wāþ) | |
| purveyor | n | monger | - | |
| push | vb | shove, thrust | - | |
| pustule | n | pock | - | |
| putrefaction | n | rot(ting) | addleness | |
| pygmy | n | shortman, dwarfman | - | |
| pyromania(c) | n | - | firemad()ness | |
| pyrophobia | n | - | fireye (<OE eġe = fear, terror) | |