Middle English–English Dictionary

Look up Middle English words and get English translations, with parts of speech and example sentences. Browse the common-word table below or type a Middle English word into the lookup tool.

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Browse common Middle English vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Translation	Example
ich	pronoun	I	Ich am here now. I am here now.
þou	pronoun	you	Þou art my frend. You are my friend.
he	pronoun	he	He walketh to toun. He walks to town.
she	pronoun	she	She singeth every morwe. She sings every morning.
we	pronoun	we	We werken togidere daily. We work together daily.
þei	pronoun	they	Þei liven nygh here. They live near here.
what	pronoun	what	What seest þou? What do you see?
where	adverb	where	Where gon þei? Where do they go?
whanne	adverb	when	Whanne shal he come? When will he come?
who	pronoun	who	Who is at the dore? Who is at the door?
why	adverb	why	Why art þou sory? Why are you sad?
how	adverb	how	How knowest þou? How do you know?
ben	verb	to be	Þei ben ful glad. They are very happy.
han	verb	to have	Ich have a book. I have a book.
don	verb	to do	We don oure werk. We do our work.
gon	verb	to go	Þei gon to scole. They go to school.
comen	verb	to come	Com to myn hous. Come to my house.
seen	verb	to see	Ich se the mone. I see the moon.
knowen	verb	to know	Þei knowen the sothe. They know the truth.
thenken	verb	to think	Ich thenke of hom. I think of home.
wanten	verb	to want	We wanten more breed. We want more bread.
neden	verb	to need	Ich nede thy help. I need your help.
maken	verb	to make	Þei maken good breed. They make good bread.
taken	verb	to take	Tak this book hom. Take this book home.
given	verb	to give	Yif me the breed. Give me the bread.
seien	verb	to say	Ich seye the sothe. I say the truth.
tellen	verb	to tell	Telle me thy name. Tell me your name.
asken	verb	to ask	Þei asken for water. They ask for water.
finden	verb	to find	We finden the wey. We find the way.
loken	verb	to look	Loke at the sky. Look at the sky.
usen	verb	to use	Ich use this knyf. I use this knife.
werken	verb	to work	Þei werken every day. They work every day.
eten	verb	to eat	We eten warm breed. We eat warm bread.
drinken	verb	to drink	Ich drinke cold water. I drink cold water.
slepen	verb	to sleep	Children slepen at nyght. Children sleep at night.
walken	verb	to walk	We walken to toun. We walk to town.
rennen	verb	to run	Boys rennen ful faste. Boys run very fast.
reden	verb	to read	Ich rede this book. I read this book.
writen	verb	to write	She writeth a lettre. She writes a letter.
speken	verb	to speak	Þei speken with us. They speak with us.
herknen	verb	to listen	Herkne to my wordes. Listen to my words.
heren	verb	to hear	Ich here the wind. I hear the wind.
byen	verb	to buy	We byen fresh fish. We buy fresh fish.
sellen	verb	to sell	Þei sellen good breed. They sell good bread.
paien	verb	to pay	Ich paye the man. I pay the man.
helpen	verb	to help	Helpe thy olde frend. Help your old friend.
loven	verb	to love	We loven oure child. We love our child.
liven	verb	to live	Þei liven in London. They live in London.
dien	verb	to die	Alle men moten dien. All men must die.
lernen	verb	to learn	Children lernen at scole. Children learn at school.
techen	verb	to teach	Þei techen yonge children. They teach young children.
openen	verb	to open	Opene the houten dore. Open the wooden door.
shutten	verb	to close	Shutte the dore now. Close the door now.
persone	noun	person	Ech persone hath a name. Each person has a name.
man	noun	man	The man is heigh. The man is tall.
womman	noun	woman	The womman speketh softe. The woman speaks softly.
child	noun	child	The child is slepinge. The child is sleeping.
boy	noun	boy	The boy renneth hom. The boy runs home.
girle	noun	girl	The girle redeth wel. The girl reads well.
familie	noun	family	Oure familie liveth here. Our family lives here.
moder	noun	mother	My moder is kinde. My mother is kind.
fader	noun	father	His fader werketh hard. His father works hard.
frend	noun	friend	My frend cometh today. My friend comes today.
hous	noun	house	The hous is newe. The house is new.
hom	noun	home	We gon hom now. We go home now.
scole	noun	school	The scole is large. The school is large.
citee	noun	city	This citee is bisy. This city is busy.
contree	noun	country	The contree is pesible. The country is peaceful.
world	noun	world	The world is wide. The world is wide.
strete	noun	street	The strete is long. The street is long.
roum	noun	room	The roum is warm. The room is warm.
time	noun	time	Time passeth ful quickly. Time passes very quickly.
day	noun	day	The day is bright. The day is bright.
nyght	noun	night	The nyght is cold. The night is cold.
morwe	noun	morning	The morwe is clere. The morning is clear.
even	noun	evening	The even waxeth derk. The evening grows dark.
weke	noun	week	A weke passeth sone. A week passes soon.
month	noun	month	This month is cold. This month is cold.
yeer	noun	year	The yeer endeth now. The year ends now.
today	adverb	today	Ich werke today. I work today.
tomorwe	adverb	tomorrow	We leven tomorwe morwe. We leave tomorrow morning.
yisterday	adverb	yesterday	He cam yisterday even. He came yesterday evening.
now	adverb	now	Com hider now. Come here now.
sonne	noun	sun	The sonne is hoot. The sun is hot.
mone	noun	moon	The mone shineth tonyght. The moon shines tonight.
sterre	noun	star	A sterre shineth above. A star shines above.
sky	noun	sky	The sky is blew. The sky is blue.
erthe	noun	earth	The erthe is wide. The earth is wide.
fir	noun	fire	The fir brenneth bright. The fire burns bright.
water	noun	water	The water is cold. The water is cold.
rein	noun	rain	The rein falleth softe. The rain falls softly.
wind	noun	wind	The wind is strong. The wind is strong.
tree	noun	tree	The tree is tall. The tree is tall.
flour	noun	flower	The flour smelleth swete. The flower smells sweet.
mountain	noun	mountain	The mountain is heigh. The mountain is high.
river	noun	river	The river renneth faste. The river runs fast.
see	noun	sea	The see is rough. The sea is rough.
mete	noun	food	The mete is redy. The food is ready.
breed	noun	bread	This breed is fresh. This bread is fresh.
flesh	noun	meat	The flesh is hoot. The meat is hot.
fish	noun	fish	We eten fish today. We eat fish today.
ey	noun	egg	The ey is broken. The egg is broken.
milk	noun	milk	The milk is warm. The milk is warm.
fruit	noun	fruit	The fruit is swete. The fruit is sweet.
heed	noun	head	My heed aketh today. My head aches today.
eye	noun	eye	Hire eye is blew. Her eye is blue.
ere	noun	ear	Myn ere hereth wel. My ear hears well.
mouth	noun	mouth	Opene thy mouth wide. Open your mouth wide.
nose	noun	nose	His nose is reed. His nose is red.
hand	noun	hand	My hand is cold. My hand is cold.
foot	noun	foot	My foot hurteth now. My foot hurts now.
herte	noun	heart	Hire herte is strong. Her heart is strong.
name	noun	name	My name is John. My name is John.
book	noun	book	This book is olde. This book is old.
word	noun	word	That word is trewe. That word is true.
language	noun	language	This language sowneth fair. This language sounds beautiful.
moneye	noun	money	Ich have no moneye. I have no money.
werk	noun	work	The werk is hard. The work is hard.
love	noun	love	Love maketh lyf swete. Love makes life sweet.
musike	noun	music	The musike is lovely. The music is lovely.
tale	noun	story	The tale is long. The story is long.
wey	noun	way	This wey is short. This way is short.
thing	noun	thing	This thing is profitable. This thing is useful.
lyf	noun	life	Lyf is ful short. Life is very short.
dore	noun	door	The dore is open. The door is open.
table	noun	table	The table is round. The table is round.
chaier	noun	chair	The chaier is broken. The chair is broken.
good	adjective	good	This breed is good. This bread is good.
badde	adjective	bad	This water is badde. This water is bad.
greet	adjective	big	The hous is greet. The house is big.
smal	adjective	small	The roum is smal. The room is small.
newe	adjective	new	Ich have a newe book. I have a new book.
olde	adjective	old	The olde man walketh. The old man walks.
long	adjective	long	The road is long. The road is long.
short	adjective	short	The tale is short. The story is short.
heigh	adjective	high	The mountain is heigh. The mountain is high.
lowe	adjective	low	The table is lowe. The table is low.
hoot	adjective	hot	The fir is hoot. The fire is hot.
cold	adjective	cold	The water is cold. The water is cold.
glad	adjective	happy	She is ful glad. She is very happy.
sory	adjective	sad	He feleth sory today. He feels sad today.
fair	adjective	beautiful	The flour is fair. The flower is beautiful.
esy	adjective	easy	This werk is esy. This work is easy.
hard	adjective	hard	This lesson is hard. This lesson is hard.
swift	adjective	fast	The hors is swift. The horse is fast.
slow	adjective	slow	The cart is slow. The cart is slow.
right	adjective	right	Thyn answere is right. Your answer is right.
wrong	adjective	wrong	That answere is wrong. That answer is wrong.
important	adjective	important	This werk is important. This work is important.
trewe	adjective	true	His wordes ben trewe. His words are true.
free	adjective	free	This man is free. This man is free.
ful	adjective	full	The cuppe is ful. The cup is full.
empty	adjective	empty	The roum is empty. The room is empty.
yong	adjective	young	The child is yong. The child is young.
strong	adjective	strong	The man is strong. The man is strong.
weik	adjective	weak	The olde man is weik. The old man is weak.
reed	adjective	red	The flour is reed. The flower is red.
blew	adjective	blue	The sky is blew. The sky is blue.
grene	adjective	green	The tree is grene. The tree is green.
yelowe	adjective	yellow	The flour is yelowe. The flower is yellow.
blak	adjective	black	The nyght is blak. The night is black.
whit	adjective	white	The milk is whit. The milk is white.
yea	interjection	yes	Yea, ich shal come. Yes, I will come.
nay	interjection	no	Nay, ich knowe not. No, I do not know.
not	adverb	not	Ich am not redy. I am not ready.
and	conjunction	and	Breed and milk ben here. Bread and milk are here.
or	conjunction	or
but	conjunction	but	He is povre but honest. He is poor but honest.
if	conjunction	if	If he cometh, we eten. If he comes, we eat.
for	conjunction	because	Ich abyde, for it reineth. I stay because it rains.
with	preposition	with	Ich go with my frend. I go with my friend.
withouten	preposition	without	He lefte withouten moneye. He left without money.
for	preposition	for	This yifte is for thee. This gift is for you.
from	preposition	from	Ich come from toun. I come from town.
to	preposition	to	We gon to scole. We go to school.