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Clovenstone Celtic Medieval Fantasy Novel glossary scroll

Designations in parentheses behind the words show language from which the word was derived.

Other abbreviations: >dim-dimuative form n-noun v-verb vt-verb transitive vi-verb intransitive adj-adjective prep-preposition



ahent: (Scottish) near

alchemy: (Medieval Latin) the "science" of searching for a substance for transmuting base metals to gold, for the universal cure for disease, or for everlasting life.

amulet: (Old French) ornament, gem, or scroll with a charm against evil, talisman, often enscribed

annular: (Latin) ring-shaped (penannular - almost ring-shaped) common shapes of cloak brooches

arrowman, arrowoman: professional archers

assart: n or vt: to grub, hoe, or clear land - particularly forest land - or a piece of cleared land

bailey: (Middle English) enclosed courtyard

ballista (ae): (Latin) a medieval machine for throwing stones in battle, like a huge cross-bow

balm: (Greek) fragrant, soothing salve

balmacaan: (Scottish) A rough wool coat with raglan sleeves

balusters: (French) spindles

balustrade: balusters and rail

bane: (n) (Anglo-Saxon) thing which brings ruin or harm or injury (v t) to harm or injure

barb: (Old French) 1. pieces of white pleated linen worn over or under the chin 2. a neckband

bard: (Celtic) a poet/singer of poetry about heroes bárd - Irish bàrd - Scottish

barenth: (mine) underground dweller, evil, wolf-like face and hairy human body, wears byrnie and helmet, favorite weapon a gisarme

barm: (Anglo-Saxon) brewer’s yeast, also used as a household baking yeast

barrow: (Anglo-Saxon) hill or mound, sometimes for burial

beck: (Scottish) rushing brook

beechen: (Anglo-Saxon) made of beech wood

beek: (Scottish) (v.t., v.i.) to bask or warm

ben: (Scottish) a mountain, also, to come within a house

bent: (Archaic English) a moor, a heath, an unenclosed pasture

besom: (Anglo-Saxon) a broom of twigs, particularly birch or heather-Brit slang: an ugly-looking or ugly-tempered old woman, .

bight: (OE byht-bend.) 1. a bend in the coast forming a opne bay or the bay formed by such a bend. 2. a loop of rope

billet head: a relatively simple scrollwork ornament at a ship’s bow…believed to be of Celtic origin, to have come back to English from Old French billete.

black band hlystaner: on Glyn, the highest level of novice skills

boding: (n) premonition, omen, portent, foreboding

boreen , bohreen (Anglo-Irish) a narrow road or lane

bouk: (Scottish) trunk of the body

brae: (Scottish) hillside along a river, brow of a hill, a steep road, a mountain district, uplands

braes: (Scottish) breeches

brake: (Anglo-Saxon) rough or wet land heavily overgrown with thickets or reeds

braw: (Scottish) (adj) bravely dressed, handsome, fine

brawley: (Scottish) (adv) excellently, fine, well

brawne: (Old French) meat from a boar or domestic pig

breck: (Scottish) rough, sandy, undulating ground, scattered trees

brig: (Scottish) bridge

brindled (brinded): (Provincial English or Scottish) tawny or grayish, with streaks and spots (dog or cow)

brogue: (Gaelic Irish) coarse shoe of untanned hide

brome: (German - brom) coarse, bearded grass

brooch:

burn: (Scottish) stream or rivulet

byre: (Anglo-Saxon) cow barn or shed

byrig: (Welsh Gaelic) enclosure

byrnie: (Old Norse) shirt of coat of mail, hauberk

cabalistic: (Medieval Latin) secret, mystic arts or science, occult

cadgy: (Scottish) merry, cheerful, glad

caer: (early Celtic) hill

caillech:

candelabrum (Latin) a many branched candle holder. anglicized - candelabra (s) is also acceptable.

cantrips (to cast): (Scottish) to cast spells, horoscopes

cap: (Scottish) wooden two-handled bowl, used like a cup (Middle Eng) coppe

carraig or corraig: (Celtic) high cliff or outcropping

carraugh: Pict boat

cartouche: (French) convex rounded building plaque (escutcheon) with framing decoration, with painted or low relief decorations in center. A scroll-like design.

cellarer: (Old French) a person in charge of the cellars of a castle, monastery, etc.
chemise: shirt

chistr: cider

cist: (Welsh) a neolithic grave lined with stone slabs

coffer: (Latin) a chest or strong box, a safe (2) a deeply sunk panel in a ceiling, ornamented or plain

collieshangie : (Scottish) noisy quarrel

collop: (Middle English) a piece of meat (2) (Irish) a pasture that will feed an animal for a year or the equivalent (3) as many animals that can feed in an Irish acre (4) a two-year old heifer

collops: hanging folds of flesh (as on fat people)

commoner: person who lives in a commune

community, commune: group living

conjuration: (Old French) spell or hex

conjurer: one who performs magical tricks, a magician or wizard

coombe: (Anglo-Saxon) a ravine-like narrow valley or (esp. Scottish) a hollow in the side of a hill of mountain

copse (or coppice): (Old French) a thicket or grove, usually for cutting Tree is cut. Saplings from stumps grove 7 to 20 years, then are cut. New saplings grow, etc.

coracle: (Welsh) small round boat with wood frame, filled with grasses or wicker, waterproofed with oiled skin or asphalt

cote: (Anglo-Saxon) (1) shelter for animals (2) small cottage (3) ancient holding of a cotter, consisting of a house or hut and 5 acres of land.

cotte: (cotehardie) a long-sleeved garment, thigh-long for men, full length for women. Made to fit closely by buttons or lacing. Belted at hip for men.

coven: a group of witches who practice religion together

cowl: (Anglo-Saxon) hood or hooded garment

crag: (Celtic) high rocky point or cliff

craichy: (Scottish) illish, cranky, not feeling good

creesh: (Scottish) (n, v.t.) grease

cresset (Old English) lamp: depression in stone or clay filled with oil and with a wick. Could be carried.

croft: (Scottish) a small farm, often rented land, or a pasture on a small farm

crofter: the owner or renter of a croft

cromlech: (Old Welsh) Used somewhat interchangeably with dolmen. These are arrangements of primitive standing stones, either a slab on top of upright stones, or a circle of stones. Often thought to have magic or ancient religious properties.

cruk:

cryptic: (Latin) having a secret meaning

cucullus: (Latin) hood

dagger: (Medieval Latin) double-bladed knife

daimen: (Scottish) (adj) occasional

dale (vale): (Anglo-Saxon) a river valley

daub: (Old French) (v) to smear or cover with a soft adhesive matter such as plaster
(n) plaster or whitewash

dell: ravine, hollow, usually wooded or turfed

deal: pine or fir planks 7-9 inches wide, and long enough for tables, etc.

deiseil: (Scottish Wican) to walk clockwise in a circle

dirk: long dagger

divine (to) (Old French) to tell of what will happen in the future, to prophecize, to foretell, presage, portend

doire: an oak grove (often sacred) (Irish) corrupted to derry in place names.
duir: related word, is the Irish Ogham tree alphabet name for oak.

dolmen: (French) 2 or more upright slabs or stones supporting a horizontal slab, cromlech

drammach: (beverage) oatmeal, seasoned with salt and pepper, mixed with water until thin enough to drink.

dreye: (Middle English) horse drawn wagon for carrying goods, dray

dùgan: (Scottish Gaelic) darkness of the loch, the darkest time of anything

eatinghall: (mine) a dining room or hall

elderkin: (Anglo-Saxon elder meaning earlier, former, older ) + kin Irish for the "Little Folk," elves, leprechauns, fairies, brownies, fyr derrigs, puca, pixies (Cornish - pisties), etc.

eleigh:

elf: (Old English aelf) a tiny mischievous fairy

elixir: (Medieval Latin) a powder sought by alchemists that would lengthen life, cure all disease, change base metals to gold

ell: (Old English) a measurement, usually of fabric, varying from 27 to 45 inches

eveningside: (mine) west

faggot (fagot): (French) bundle of twigs tied together

fairy: (Old French) goddess of fate (fate=fairy), supernatural being also faerie or faery

familiar: (Old French) enchanted creature that is attached to a mage, usually acting as servant, protector, or go-between with mage and spirit worlds.

farseer: (Medieval) one who sees things at a great distance

feill: (Celtic) evening

fell: (Old Norse) mountain height, hill, or moor

fell: (Scottish) adj smooth, clean, snug

fen: (Anglo-Saxon) swampy, boggy area

firth (frith): (Old Norse) an estuary or narrow arm of the sea

flannel: (Welsh) a soft, woolen, cloth

flask: (Vulgar Latin) bottle-shaped metal containers (dim> flasket)

flax: plan from which linen cloth is made

flush (Middle English) work: flint (small, round stones, gray, or the same stones cut in half giving a glassy black surface) fill, usually inside stone tracery

fold: (Anglo-Saxon) enclosure for sheep or cattle

foretell: (fore-Old English, plus the verb tell) to tell of what will happen in the future, to presage, to divine, to portend

foreteller: one who can see the future, or gets prophecies

fornent: (Scottish) (prep) facing, opposite, in the direction of, in regard to

fosse: (French) a ravine, ditch, gully, moat

frock: (Scottish) a coarse worsted top worn over or instead of a shirt

fuarag: (crowdie) (Scottish) oatmeal mixed with cold water and allowed to soak: a cold gruel

furze: (Anglo-Saxon) a spiny shrub with many branches and yellow flowers. Used for fuel. Young shoots used for fodder. (gorse, whin)

fyr derrig: (Celtic) dwarf-type male in red coat. Fireside dweller. Gives protection to household. also fir dearc

garth: (Old Norse) small yard or enclosure

ghyll (also gill): (Scottish) small stream or rivulet or a small wooded valley

gillie: (Gaelic) servant

gisarme: (Old French) blade sharpened both sides, or hook on one side, sharpened on the other, fastened to shaft.

glade: (1) open place in a forest (2) a buzzard

glaive (or glave): broadsword

glen: (Celtic) secluded narrow valley

gnome: (French) short men who live underground, mine jewels

gobbet: (Old French) chunk (usually of meat or fat)

golden bough: mistletoe

gowan: (Scottish) white or yellow field flowers, particularly daisies

gowany, gowaned: covered with gowans (white flowers, such as daisies)

gowpen (Scottish) (1) two hands held together to form a bowl (2) the amount that can be held thus (3) a large quantity

greensward: grass-covered area

gremalkin: old female cat

gremlin: small gnomes, trouble maker

grot: (mine) meat/carrion-eating creatures, pets of gnomes, often used as spies, look like muskrats with protruding teeth, long claws, and red eyes.

gruel: (Old French) a thin porridge from grain boiled in water or milk to make a think broth or a pudding

grushie: (Scottish) adj. healthy, thriving

gruthim: raw cheese curds in whey

hackle: to comb out flax or hemp

haft: (Scottish) fixed or settled abode or pasture

hamlet: (Old French) a cluster of houses in the countryside

haugh: (Scottish) piece of low flat ground beside a river

haver: (Scottish) 1. the oat, oats 2. to talk foolishly

havermeal: (Scottish) oatmeal

haversack: (German) a sack or case to carry supplies/provisions in.

hayward: in charge of hedges and fences at a manor

heath: like moor, with low, scrubby plants

hedgerow: a row of shrubs or trees put in to enclose or separate fields

henge: circle of stones

hind: (Anglo-Saxon) peasant, low class

hind: female red deer

hlystaner: a listener, a telepath (my coined) from Anglo-Saxon hlystan: to listen, to hearken

hoarfrost: hoar is Anglo-Saxon for gray or white (+ frost)

imprecation: (Latin) calling down curses upon, to invoke evil

jerkin: jacket or short coat of leather

kirtle: (Anglo-Saxon) tunic or gown

lackey: (French) menial, servile attendant

laedaigg: (mine) Highest officer (chief) in an warrior force. Strategist

lambent: (Latin) 1. running or moving lightly over a surface (lambent smile, lambent flame) 2. dealing lightly and gracefully with a subject (lambent wit) 3. softly bright of radiant (lambent light)

lammas (loaf): (Anglo-Saxon) holiday Aug 1 (first loaf baked with new grain)

lave: (Anglo-Saxon) (n) what is left, the remainder, the rest

lea (also ley): (Anglo-Saxon) pasture, meadow, fallow land

lea: 80 yards of wool, or 100 yards of linen

lictus: medicine to be licked up

lifebreath: (mine) the medium through which hlsynaners communicate, cyberspace

lime: (Anglo-Saxon) (calcium carbonate) used in tanning and in plaster and mortar

linden: (European) tree with heart-shaped leaves, small white flowers, (lime tree, basswood)

linn: (Anglo-Saxon)waterfall or pool beneath a fall, cataract, water running over rocks

linnet: (Old French) small brown or gray songbird that eats flax seeds Also called furze-linnet

looking glass: (my coined) telescope

mage: (Latin) magician, wizard (adj) magian

mast: (Anglo-Saxon) nuts as food for pigs, esp acorns and beechnuts

mead: (Anglo-Saxon) a fermented drink made of honey, usually considered a kind of wine

mead-hall: (Anglo-Saxon) guild halls/ lodgings of professional warriors

medium: (Latin) one who goes between In Kildonan, wizards who are guardians of the stone-bearers and get messages for them from the spirit worlds (Arvon and Erthe).

melliflous: {Latin melli (honey) fluent (flow) } 1. sweet, flowing (voice) 2. sweetened w/honey

menhir: {Cornish maen (stone) hir (long) } tall standing stone erected as burial or battle monument Rough or smoothed

mesne lord: (pronounced mine) holds property between superior lord and inferior tenant

miche (Celtic) (v) to lurk, skulk, sneak

milch-cow: (Anglo-Saxon meolce - milk) cow that gives milk

mickle: (Anglo-Saxon) great much

monolith: (Latin) a single large stone made into a monument, statue, or pillar

moor: (Anglo-Saxon) (1) extensive area of open rolling infertile land, sand, rock, or peat. Covered with heather, bracken, coarse grass, sphagnum moss (2) boggy area with sedges and grass in peat (3) fen

morningside: (mine) east

muffle: (Scottish) mitten

mure: (v.) (Medieval Latin) to imprison

muzzy: (slang) thinking foggily, muddled

nadir: (Old French) the lowest point

necromancer: (Latin) foretells the future by communicating with the dead or any dark-side wizard.

neuk: (Scottish) nook or corner

nogging: brick fill of a half-timbered wall

novice hlsytaner: one who is studying the skill at the first level.

obelisk: (Greek) tapering 4-sided monolith with pyramid point

occult: (Latin) referring to alchemy, magic, astrology, and other arts using divination, incantation, magical formulae, etc.

osier (or sally): (Medieval Latin) willow (for weaving baskets, wickerwork, weirs, wattle and daub)

overseer: in Kildonan, the commune job assignment of overseeing (supervising) all the work/activites of the commune.

panoply: (Greek) full set of armor or other magnificent covering

patrol: in Kildonan, 9 sudeours

philtre, philter: (Latin) love potion

piggin: (Gaelic) shallow vessel or long-handled dipper

porridge: (Middle English) grain boiled in water or milk to make a think broth or a pudding and is usually referred to in the plural. i.e. those porridge

porringer: a dish for porridge

posset: (Middle English) hot milk curdled with liquor such as ale or wine, sweetened, spiced, and sometimes thickened with bread.

posset-cup: a utensil for making/drinking posset

pottage: (Old French) a dish made by boiling vegetables or vegetables and meat; a soup

prefect: in Kildonan, administrator of a guild of professional warriors

presage (to): (French) to foretell, predict, prophecize

puca: (Celtic) evil spirits

quoit: (Middle English) stone cover of a cromlech or cist

rath: (Irish) hill or mound, often man-made

(to) redd (up): (Middle English reden) clean, straighten

reeve: (Middle English) over all tenants on a manor, kept accounts, ranks below steward

rill: (Low German) rippling small stream, brooklet, streamlet

rinceau: a carved border, alone or on a frieze, of entwined (arabesque) leaves, sometimes with flowers or fruit

rowan tree: mountain ash

rune: (Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse) secret, mysterious, magic language.

runlet: (Middle English) beck, streamlet, brook, runnel

salve: (Anglo-Saxon) a healing ointment, unguent

scon, scun, scoon: pronounced skun or seeun. To cause to skip, as a stone on water, to skim or pass quickly. scuned or scund, scunning In Cormac’s case, to scoon is to teleport.

scraggy: lean, thin, bony

scraggly: rough, ragged

scrog: (Middle English skrogg) used in Scottish and related dialects: stunted bush, a branch

scrogs: brush, thicket

seax: (Anglo-Saxon) short sword

sherte: similar to chemise or shirt, but collarless and usually long and full with long full sleeves.

shiel or shieling: (Scottish and North England) hut or shanty, herdsman’s hut

sigil: (Latin) occult or magic sign: seal or signet

skeld: (mine) a chief rank in a warrior force, commands 12 tals (264 armsbearers)

skry: (v.t, v.i.) to see the future, to prophesy

skyrlie: (Scottish) Brown onions in fat. Add oatmeal and stir into a firm paste. Season.

sleeproom: (mine) bedroom or dormitory

smoor: to bank or cover a fire for the night, sometimes a ritual act

solitary: a witch who practices the religion alone, as opposed to coven (group) worship

sorcerer: (Old French) person who practices magic with the aid of evil spirits

sough: (vi) (suf, sou) and (vt) (n): (Scottish) sigh, rustling, murmur, rushing sound.

spectre: (Latin) ghost

sprite: (Old French) a spirit of earth or air, a fairy , elf, or goblin

spurtle: a flat spoon for stirring porridge, also called a pobstick or thivel

stele (stelae): (Latin) slab or pillar with inscriptions

steward: (Anglo-Saxon) highest ranking servant of a Lord or King (there are many kinds of stewards)

stone-bearer: (mine) wearer of one of the Mêrthyrn stones

sudeour: (mine) lowest rank in warrior force

surcote: (Old French) a tunice-like outer coat or cloak

swain: (Old Norse) a peasant or rustic

sycophant: (Greek) servile flatterer

tal: (mine) 27 sudeours; can be broken into patrols of 9

talisman: (Greek) a gem, scroll, or ornament that bears a charm to avoid evil or do strong magic.

tarrydiddle: (Middle English) to waste time

thane: (Scottish from Middle English from Anglo-Saxon)A warrior or one holding land from the king or the head of a clan. In Kildonan:warriorforce battlefield commander, the second highest chief. Also, any professional or highly skilled warrior

thaumaturge: (Greek) worker of wonders, of miracles

thieveless (Scottish) (adj) ineffectual, aimless, spiritless, or cold in manner

thig: (Scottish) (v) to get or borrow, to cadge thigger (n)

thrall: (Anglo-Saxon) one in bondage; slavery

toady: a truckler to the rich and powerful, to fawn

tor: (Anglo-Saxon) high craggy hill, rocky pinnacle or peak

torque: (Latin) gold neck piece. often twisted, warn by warriors (Celtic) or nobles (Saxon/Norse)

trews: (Scottish) tight knee-length Celtic trousers

tuaithiuil: (Scottish Witan) counter clockwise, wrong, left, enemy

tunic: (Latin) short or long overshirt

turf, turves: (Anglo-Saxon) blocks of peat used for fuel

understory: small growth under forest canopy

vassal: (Celtic) tenant, dependent, bondsman, or slave

vellum: (Old French) thin, supple calfskin used for book pages or cover

verjuice: (Old French) acid liquor from fermented fruit juice

vitki: (Icelandic) wizard

waegen: (Old English) wagon

wain: (Anglo-Saxon) wagon (waegen)

warder: in Kildonan, lowest chief rank, commands 1 tal (27 armsbearers)

warlock: (Anglo-Saxon) wizard, mage, sorcerer

warriorforce: (mine coined) the armed warriors (army) of a king or other leader

wattle: (Anglo-Saxon) twisted and interwoven twigs and withes to make a structure. Often daubed with mud or plaster to form a wall.

wench: kitchen help, female

wergild: payment for wrongful death

wersh: tasteless, insipid, feeble, shriveled

weskit: vest

whey: watery milk from cheese making

wicket gate: small door within a larger door (small door for people, large door for pack animals) into courtyard

wimple: (1) a turn or twist in a stream (2) a woman’s head veil

witan: (1) one who knows, or a council of knowledgeable (2) witch (Anglo-Saxon witanagemut)) corrupted to Wicca (masculine) or Wicce (feminine)

witch: one who performs magic

withe (withie-popular English): tough, flexible stem (as in willow or hazel) used to bind things or make snares, wave baskets, mats, for wattle

witling: stupid person

woad: blue dye from plant of the mustard family. dye is from the leaves.

wold: rolling clear uplands or moors (obs woodlands)

woodward: in charge of the woods of a manor

woodwose: mythical "Man of the Woods" like a satyr

wynd: narrow, winding lane

wyvern: 2-legged dragon used in heraldry

yill: (Scottish) ale

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