A glossary of Tudor and Stuart words, especially from the dramatists

A portal to the secret language of Shakespeare's stage. This scholarly glossary resurrects words that buzzed through Tudor and Stuart playhouses but have since fallen into delicious obscurity - words that carried wit, insult, beauty, and bawdy humor now lost to modern ears. Walter W. Skeat, the eminent philologist, compiled these lexical treasures with the precision of a scholar and the reverence of a literary detective, drawing especially from the dramatists who gave English some of its most vital vocabulary. Each entry provides definition, etymology, and the crucial theatrical context that reveals how these words functioned in performance. Whether you encounter a character's slur of 'base guest' (a contemptible visitor), discover that 'kickshaws' meant mere trifles, or learn what it meant to be 'madded' beyond reason, you will find yourself reading the plays anew. This is not a dry reference work but a key to understanding Early Modern English as it was actually spoken and heard - with all its layered meanings, puns, and raw immediacy.