Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 3.djvu/542

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io- s. in. JUNE 10, 1005.

Jucher, O.G. hukken, hocken, to mount on -another's back.

Laie (path) : cf. our expression " on that lay." Probably from an Old German root 'laido, our ' ; lead."

Lambeau, *delabido : cf. de-labrer; cf. Korting, s.v.

Lajrin, Germ, lappa. " Tier mit lappigen

/"\1 J) X 1 O

Ohren.' Liais, Breton leach, a stone ; cf. Skeat, s.v.

Lige, O.H.G. ledic, free, influenced by ligatus ; see Skeat.

Lopin, lobus (Ao/3os).

Loure, perhaps from lura, a leather skin or sack.

Luron, Germ, luder, "liederliche Weibs- person."

Lutin, neptunus, nuiton (spirit of night), properly watersprite.

Mdchefer, Scand. maska, to mix.

Machicoulis, machoire, macheliere, and cou- lisse, door that slides and closes like the jaws?

Macreuse, Flemish meyrkoet, meer-coot ?

Mayot, O.H.G. mayo, 'belly, hence store ?

MaquerexUfFlem. makelaar, G. Makler.

Marmot, minimus, O.Fr. merme, small.

Marmotter, murmurare.

Matelot, Flem. maat r/enot, messmate.

Matou, Matthieu; cf. marou from Marulphus.

Matras, O.Fr. matrasser, to press, from Celtic miatara, a weapon ; see, however, Skeat, s.v.

Mauvais, male elevatus.

Meleze, mel and leze (laricem), honey-larch.

Mince, minutidus.

Minet, Celtic root min, small.

Mirliflore, probably " mirabilem florem. :>

Mitonner, mitaine, to stroke with a glove, humour.

Moifjnon, O.Fr. moiny, mundio, bo clean off.

Moraille, mululus ; see Korting, s.v.

Morgue, O. German mork, Eng. mirk, dark- Jiess ; lience a "scowl."

Motte, German mott.

Mu/fe, German moffel.

Nabot, O. German nabbi, a dwarf.

Niyaud, nidicus, hawk taken from the nest; 'cf.niais. H. A. STRONG.

The University, Liverpool.

(To be continued.)

HOYAL OAK DAY. There is probably little to say that is new about this day 29 May xjommemorative of the hours which King Charles II. spent in the oak near Boscobel after the defeat of his troops at Worcester. But it is curious to make a note of how the observance of this day has changed within the memory of those who have reached their threescore of years and more, or even less.

It is well known that with the Hestoration people reverted to the very old custom of decorating their houses with green boughs, and making bowers in which to sit, and to some extent this was the case when I was a lad in Derbyshire fifty odd years ago. As children we kept "Royal Oak Day/' or " Oak- apple Day," by going to the woods, and pulling down branches of bright green oak, which we carried home to " stick up" in the house, and to decorate with them our caps and our breasts. Once or twice, I remember, this was done to the accompaniment of a blower on a cow's horn. Those were considered fortunate who gathered a branch on which was an "oakapple" only one could wear it, and how proud that one was ! The big farm lads were out early to gather oak, and as they could climb, none wore any oak sprig unless it bore the apple. The ploughboys, wag- goners, and road team men one and all wore oak and decked their horses' heads with it in a profuse fashion, but always, when possible, using sprigs upon which were the shining russet-red " apples."

After the oak had been gathered, brought home, and used, the lads set out again, and took from the nettle beds bunches of stinging nettle, and, with these in their hands, slashed at the hands and faces of all they met who were not wearing the symbol of the day, which, because of the nettle custom, was also called " Nettle Day." On this day there was a demand for " dock - leaves," and those children who were suffering from nettle stings were rubbed with dock, to the accom- paniment of

Dock go in, nettle come out ;

Nettle come out, dock go in,

until the stinging was abated. This was a ministration of justice tempered by mercy, though I do not think the lads had any sentiment of that sort about them.

I do not know when the custom came up of throwing addled birds' eggs at persons who failed on Royal Oak Day to appear with the badge; but it was seldom done in my time as a lad, though when older I saw a good deal of it in other parts. The boys took the eggs from early-laying birds and saved them for this purpose, and sometimes they managed to secure the eggs from the nests of laying- out hens.

I can remember seeing girls carrying round garlands of oak decked with strings of birds' eggs ; but this was not a common custom at that time. The eggs were not necessarily of that season, but were taken from the walls of the cottage living rooms, where they had hung in festoons for years before probably.