ii., p. 153.) has propounded a dozen of most recondite and
puzzling archaisms, upon which I have to offer a few notes.
"_Rykelot_, a magpie?"--The popular and provincial names of animals
deserve more careful notice than they have received from glossarists. I
need scarcely observe how frequently personal names were derived from
those of birds. In the {170} Hundred Rolls we find a "Richard Rikelot"
in Huntingdonshire (vol. ii. p. 626.). I know not what has led to the
supposition that this name denotes the magpie. It may possibly be traced
to the same root as that of a cognate species, the _cornix frugivora;
Roeck_, Germ., according to Gesner; Friesic, _roek_; Ang.-S. _hroc_, the
rook: but I am at a loss to discover anything similar in old French to
explain the occurrence of the termination, which seems to be a popular
or familiar diminutive, a Gallicism, analogous to _partlot_.
"_Wrusum or Wursum._"--The latter is the correct reading. Trotter
Brockett includes the word amongst Northern Provincialisms.--"_Wursum_,
pus, particularly when foul." Jamieson is inclined to derive the word
_woursom_ or _worsum_, used in the same sense by Douglas, in his
translation of Virgil, and by other North Country writers, from Ang.-S.
_Wyr_, pus, and _sum_, as denoting quality.
"_Sabraz.
Pages:
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47