Hi folks, a friend sent me a copy of some 14th century wedding vowels as he knew my son was getting married soon. This is the brides vowels. I understand most of it but wonder what these words meant then: bondlich, buxom, and burde ‘Iche, take the to my weddid husband, to haven and to holden, for fayrer, for fouler, for better, for wors, for richer, for porer, in seknesse and in helthe, to be bondlich and buxom in bed and at burde, tyl dethe us departe.’ Thanks in advance Annette
>Hi folks, a friend sent me a copy of some 14th century wedding vowels as >he knew my son was getting married soon. >This is the brides vowels. I understand most of it but wonder what these >words meant then: >bondlich, servile, like a slave > buxom, lusty, energetic >and burde board, table > >Iche, take the to my weddid husband, to haven and to holden, for >fayrer, for fouler, for better, for wors, for richer, for porer, in >seknesse and in helthe, to be bondlich and buxom in bed and at burde, >tyl dethe us departe. > -- Eve McLaughlin Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society
Buxom is plump and comely but the others I wouldn't know about. Occasionally the German dictionary can help with some of these early English words as some have German roots - iche, that you quote at the beginning is ich meaning I. Bondlich sounds like it could mean obedient. Audrey ----- Original Message ----- From: "Annette Mclean" <dandamclean@xtra.co.nz> To: <OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 5:30 AM Subject: [OEL] 14th century wedding vowels > Hi folks, a friend sent me a copy of some 14th century wedding vowels as > he knew my son was getting married soon. > This is the brides vowels. I understand most of it but wonder what these > words meant then: > bondlich, buxom, and burde > > ‘Iche, take the to my weddid husband, to haven and to holden, for > fayrer, for fouler, for better, for wors, for richer, for porer, in > seknesse and in helthe, to be bondlich and buxom in bed and at burde, > tyl dethe us departe.’ > > Thanks in advance > > Annette > > > ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== > OLD-ENGLISH Web Page > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > >
Had another thought about 'burde'. I think it would mean board which was the word for table. So this would mean that she promised to behave herself well in bed, be obedient to her husband's wishes and desires and also to be obedient when serving at the table and doing other housewifely things. Audrey ----- Original Message ----- From: "Annette Mclean" <dandamclean@xtra.co.nz> To: <OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 5:30 AM Subject: [OEL] 14th century wedding vowels > Hi folks, a friend sent me a copy of some 14th century wedding vowels as > he knew my son was getting married soon. > This is the brides vowels. I understand most of it but wonder what these > words meant then: > bondlich, buxom, and burde > > ‘Iche, take the to my weddid husband, to haven and to holden, for > fayrer, for fouler, for better, for wors, for richer, for porer, in > seknesse and in helthe, to be bondlich and buxom in bed and at burde, > tyl dethe us departe.’ > > Thanks in advance > > Annette > > > ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== > OLD-ENGLISH Web Page > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > >