A General Glossary
of Tudor Vocabulary

The first word listed is the Tudor term,
followed by it's modern English definition.
 

Tudor Word	Modern English Definition
Address	To make ready
Addressed	Read
Affect	Love
Affections	Passions or desires
Anon	Soon
Antiquity	Old age
Apprehensive	Quick to understand
Argument	Subject for a conversation
Aught	Should
Woe	Misery or calamity
Bairn	Child
Bestowed	Left, Stowed, or Lodged
Teem	To pour out
Cain colored	Yellow
Candle wasters	All night partiers
Capricious	Lascivious
Carl	Clown or husbandman
Carlot	Peasant
Knacker’d	Broken
Case	Skin or external clothing
Canny	Cautious
Cease	Decease, die, or stop
Colt	Fool or trick
Company	Companion
Convey	To perform, sleight of hand
Convive	To feast
Crown	Conclude
Fob off	Pass the buck
Dear	Very high priced
Deem	Surmise
Discourse	Reason
Distemper	Intoxication
Don	To put on
Douse	Extinguish
Drab	Whore
Ecstasy	Madness
Egypt (an)	Gypsy
Estimate	Price
Fancy	Love
Foxship	Mean or cunning
Git	Fool
Gawk	To look at
Geek	To look at
Gleen	To extract information
Good Den	Good Day
Good Even	Good Evening
Grammercy	Grand mercy, or Great thanks
Guinea Hen	Whore
Harlot	Whore
Harry	To harass
Hither	Here
Imp	Small child
Interessed	Interested
Jack	Insult (shortened form of “Jack Ass”)
Missus	Wife
Knave	Servant take
Leave	To part from someone
Lifter	Thief
Make fast	To secure (as in a door)
Nicked	Stolen
Pagan	A loose or vicious person*
Partake	To participate
Pied ninny	A jester
Quaintly	Cleverly or Adroitly
Quell	To quiet
Removed	Remote
Retire	Withdraw
Saucy	Lascivious
Sliver	Slice thinly
Solicit	Excite
Sot	Drunk (Besotted with ale)
Subscribe	Agree with an idea
Talents	Riches
Tickle brain	Strong liquor
Uncoined	Unrefined or unadorned
Unproper	common
While	Ideas
Whoobub	Hubbub
Yellowness	Jealousy
Yonder	There
Zany	Fool
Zealous	Pious

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