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Carew, Richard, 1555-1620

"The Survey of Cornwall And an epistle concerning the excellencies of the English tongue"


Besides these, they haue taken vp certayne peculiar phrases,
which require a speciall Dictionarie for their interpretation:
of which kinde are,
Tis not 'bezibd' (fortuned) to me: Thou hast no 'road' (ayme),
he will never 'scrip' (escape) it, he is nothing 'pridy' (handsome),
'boobish' (lubberly), 'dule' (comfort), 'lidden' (by-word),
'shune' (strange), 'thew' (threaten), 'skew' (shunne),
'hoase' (forbeare).
To reproue one of lazines, they will say, Doest thou make Idle
a coate? that is, a coate for idlenes? In coniecturing what number
may effect a thing, they adde, or same: as two, or some: ten, or some:
twentie, or some: id est, thereabouts.
The other rude termes, wherewith Deuon and Cornish men are often
twyted, may plead in their defence, not onely the prescription of
antiquitie, but also the title of proprietie, and the benefit of
significancy: for most of them take their source from the Saxon,
our naturall language, and continue in vse amongst the Dutch:
as Nimme commeth of Nimpt: Vang, of Fieng: the one importing a
taking by ones selfe: the other by deliuery: both which we now
confound.


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