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Tudor Dialect Exercises
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Exercise 6 of 13:
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MAN 1:
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What ho, Haster Ratcatcher! I would
have a word with thee! I've a complaint to
voice! |
MAN 2:
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Prithee, sir, I am behind the hour
in my work. Verily, I shall speak with thee
on the morrow. |
MAN 1:
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Hold, thou great king of rats! Thou
ragged regent of rodents! Thou parlous
minister of mice! Wouldst thou deny me thine
audience? Marry, thou shalt give ear to me,
presently, lest I find cause to take it with
my sword! |
MAN 2: |
Avaunt, thou tenpenny infidel! My
sib would speak with thee, an thou art
displeased. |
MAN 1:
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How now, villain! Thou hast shavered
me! Deny it not! |
MAN 2: |
I am no shaver, losel! Thou art
ecstatic o'er naught, I warrant thee. |
MAN 1:
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Naught, sayest thou? Be sixteen
shillings naught, thou fell toad of
trickery? Sixteen shillings I laid out to
thee for to rid my house of rats! I daresay
I might just as well have paid it to the
parson for to pray the pests away! Villain!
Cullion! Thou art less than the slimy
parbreak of the vermin thou dost ensnare! |
MAN 2: |
Fie, thou need'st not be so furious!
Cannot a man these days speak his defence
without being braved in the course of it? An
thou hast a quarrel with me, speak it like a
gentleman. An thou cannot, hie thee hence,
and be hanged! |
MAN 1:
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Faith! A gentleman rat catcher!
Beshrew me as I be not confuted! |
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Vocabulary Used:::
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Tudor Word |
Modern Translation |
Behind the hour
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Running late
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On the morrow
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Tomorrow
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An
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If
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Parlous
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Shrewd
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Sib
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Wife
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Give ear to me
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Listen to me
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Tenpenny infidel
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Common Derogatory expression
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Presently
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Immediately
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Avaunt
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Go away
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Losel
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Scoundrel
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Ecstatic
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Maddened
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Shavered, Shaver
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Cheated, cheat (verb and noun,
respectively) |
Cullion |
Rascal
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Parbreak |
Vomit
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Braved
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Challenged
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Beshrew me
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Damn me
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Confuted
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Confounded
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