30 Mary Crawford 
Magnyfycence, 247: Ye coulde not ellys, I wote, with me 
endure. Magn., 248: No, God wote, it were great payne. 
i-wys. Meaning certainly. Revived in modern usage; together 
with eftsoons and words of like nature. The modern form J 
wis is due to misconception. ‘The prefix 7- is not a pronoun, but 
a weakening of ge-, the old sign of the perfect participle. 
Compare German gewiss. The form wis or wys is from OE. 
witan, know. Cf. wote, above. Hence i-wys originally meant 
known. 
York Plays, i, 81, Lucifer: Owe! certes! what I am worthely 
wroghte with wyrschip, i-wys! Magnyfycence, 1176: Nay, 
iwys, fole; itis a doteryll. Castell of Perseverance, 201: I-wys, 
fro Carlylle In- to Kent, my carpynge pei take. Coventry, xii: 
That she is with i-wys. Nativity: For the breathing of these 
beasts hath warmed well, i-wis. 
pard(i)e, perde. Literally, an oath, per Dieu. Cf. French dieu, 
God. 
Not-browne Mayd, 187: That where ye be, me semeth, 
parde. Towmeley Plays, xiii, 426: Perde. Occleve, To the 
Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God, 87: By thee the world 
restored is pardee. Magnyfycence, 1308: Yes, perde, man, 
whether that ye ryde or go. Magn., 1755: Yet somtyme, parde, 
I must vse Largesse. York, xv, 45: Me falles for to haue 
parte, parde! Everyman: Ye promised me otherwise, pardie! 
sikerle, sekerlye. Meaning certainly. In Scotch dialectal usage, 
sickerly. OE. sicor, stker, from Latin, securus, without care. 
Secure and sure are doublets of sicker. 
York Plays, xxxviii, 303, Miles: Sekirlie, I telle vs schente. 
York, xiii, 63: But is nought sho, sekirly. Merlin, 836: No, so 
me good helpe, Sire, Sikerle! Guy of Warwick, 6998: I yow 
sey, sekerlye. Coventry, xii: Sekyr, sere, beth nowth dys- 
mayde. Battle of Agincourt: And the Earl of Devonshire, 
sikerly ! 
verily. Meaning truly, certainly. From OF. verai (Fr. vrai, 
true), combined with ME. ending -/y. Connected with Latin 
ao0 
