WORD HOARD
Note: Words used in journal posts are marked with a ⁜
alliaceous adjective relating to plants in the Allium genus, particularly their taste or smell
Snow & ice. unbinding (1791) [thawing] fire-flowing (1820) [melted] snow-bones [patches of snow left after a thaw] ⁜ wind-slab [thick drift of snow] ⁜ flight (1685) [snow storm] pelt (1889) [snow storm] reek (1894) [snow driven by wind] spindrift (1961) [snow driven by wind] scud (1969) [snow driven by wind]
Mist & fog. roke (1440) [mist] brume (1694) [mist] mistglom (OE) [mist] flocculence (1878) [mist] bank (1840) [layer of] streamer (1871) [layer of] weft (1883) [layer of] shred (1912) [layer of] rack (1499) [driving] misthelm (OE) [covering] hood (1841) [covering] night-cap (1613) [on a mountain-top] haze-fire (1842) [luminous] frost-mist (1814) [freezing atmospheric vapour] soup/soupy (1901) [thick/fog] fog-bank (1635) [bank/ring of] fog-ring (1852) [bank/ring of] fog-drift (1853) [drifting mass] ⁜ smog (1905) [mixed with smoke] harr (1662) [sea-fog] haar (1662) [sea-fog] frost-rime (1820) [in high latitudes] gauze (1842) [haze] blight (1848) [haze] slur (1880) [haze]
Sky & clouds. greyling-sky (1895) [grey sky, resembling the silvery-grey body of the freshwater salmonid fish] ⁜ soup/soupy (1941) [thick cloud] ⁜ cloud-field (1849) [mass of] cloud-ceiling (1945) [height of lowest layer] pack-clouds (1871) [densely packed] cloudbank (1839) [long flat-topped mass] night-cloud (1862) [stratus] pallium (1870) [covering whole sky] weft (1822) [streak of] streamer (1895) [streak of] wind-list (1898) [streak of] thunder-head (1861) [storm-cloud] mackerel sky (1667) [sky covered with fleecy clouds, resembling the scales on a mackerel's back] wool-pack cloud (1648) [fleecy cumulus cloud]
Mud & soil. slobber (1400) [mud] slubber (1570) [mud] lutulence (1727) [mud] sletch (1743) [mud] slake (1800) [mud] mire (1330) [thin/soft] ⁜ slurry (1440) [thin/soft] slush (1772) [thin/soft] slop (1796) [thin/soft] sleck (1840) [thin/soft] slather (1876) [thin/soft] slub (1577) [thick] stodge (1825) [thick] sleech (1587) [deposited by river/sea] sloshiness (1894) [quality] slushiness (1904) [quality] muxy [mucky, dirty, slushy] ⁜ slup [wet mud, sludge, slurping] ⁜
muck (1832) [organic soil] humus (1796) [humus] mull (1923) [humus] mor (1931) [humus] black earth (1842) [chernozem] chernozem (1842) [chernozem] black belt [1870] [belt of] black-earth country (1905) [belt of] terra roxa (1870) [terra roxa] leaf-soil (1833) [leaf-mould] leaf-mould (1845) [leaf-mould] loam (1664) [loam] silt-land (1927) [silt loam] malm (1579) [malm] turbary (1440) [peat/peaty soil] moor-earth (1607) [peat/peaty soil] bog-earth (1787) [peat/peaty soil] turf (1300) [piece of] cess (1847) [piece of]
Land & flora. splott (OE) [plot of cultivated land] acre [OE] [plot of cultivated land] culture (1474) [plot of cultivated land] labourage (1474) [plot of cultivated land] polder (1602) [reclaimed/improved land] innings (1706) [reclaimed/improved land] felling (1300) [cleared land] clearage (1827) [cleared land] swidden (1868) [cleared land] breck (1787) [broken land] tilth (1375) [arable land] fallow (1300) [arable land] sheth (1431) [divisions of ploughed land] stitch (1610) [divisions of ploughed land] furlong (1660) [divisions of ploughed land] slit (1778) [divisions of ploughed land] furrow (1382) [border/boundary] rede (1420) [border/boundary] mere (1607) [border/boundary] gathering (1765) [border/boundary] crest (1440) [fallow land] arder (1641) [fallow land] summertilth (1818) [fallow land] skinning (1888) [land exhaustion]
sward (1508) [grassland] greensward (1522) [grassland] swarf (1599) [grassland] overswarth (1649) [grassland] swath (1776) [grassland] spine (1786) [grassland] swad (1877) [grassland] swarding (1610) [growing grass]
windlestraw (OE) [old stalks of grass] bennet (1669) [old stalks of grass] wood-grass (1597) [unidentified/unsecified grass] tassel-grass (1810) [unidentified/unsecified grass] poa-grass (1759) [meadow grass] mead grass (1778) [meadow grass] June-grass (1840) [meadow grass] weeping polly (1886) [meadow grass] tuft (1523) [cluster of plants] dollop (1573) [cluster of plants] clump (1586) [cluster of plants] sheaf (1845) [cluster of plants]
Forest & wood. woodwold (OE) [woodland] firth and fold (1513) [woodland] ⁜ rough (1600) [woodland] sylvanry (1812) [woodland] belting (1876) [woodland] treescape (1885) [woodland] wood lay (1225) [clearing] ⁜ wood lind (1290) [clearing] underwood (1867) [understory/growing beneath trees] ⁜ arbory (1366) [collective of trees] thornlet (1865) [thorny tree/bush]
Spooks & spectres. foolish fire (1563) [ignis fatuus] fool's fire (1631) [ignis fatuus] night-fire (1633) [ignis fatuus] will-o-wisp (1679) [ignis fatuus] fen-fire (1814) [ignis fatuus] candle-wight (2024) [ignis fatuus] [own compound]
Sun & moon. sun-dawn (1835) [dawn] ⁜ sun-glow (1841) [gleam/glint of] ⁜ sunrising (1250) [sunrise] ⁜ sunsetting (1440) [sunset] ⁜ sombring (1787/1849?) [making dark/gloomy, to make sombre] ⁜
Misc. slough murk soal friction harrow furrow cleave excavate abrase afflict aggravate drain draw gnaw grate gloss decorticate burdensome
Sludder: the mix of mud and manure in a heavily-rained-on farmyard. (As in “we're up to our 'ocks in sludder”). Probably a leftover from the East Anglian Danelaw, since the word survives in modern Danish to denote rubbish, in the sense of talking rubbish.
Twitchel: a narrow passage between hedges or buildings. Again an East Anglian word, equivalent to the more widespread 'twitten'.
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