Medieval Wordbook defines some 4,000 medieval terms and expressions from art and architecture, sex and science, costume and cookery, literature and magic, liturgy and astrology, and warfare and ceremony. A real companion to medieval culture, this concise handbook includes general concepts central to medieval thinking, such as allegory, polyphony, and numerology.
Entries include:
blackmail: Scottish for rent or tribute paid in grain or meat, as opposed to "white mail" paid in silver or coin
corduroy: from the French corde du roi, "cloth of the king," is a ridged silk or cotton fabric
gossip: from the Anglo-Saxon god sib, "sister in God," a friendly woman companion
upper crust: the top crust cut from round loaves of bread presented to the noble guests at feasts.
