ABSTRACT
There are some interesting specimens in the first group. The English equivalent of gracculus is given as ka chog, a possible combination of the ME ka or kaa and the more normal chough. Buteo is given as busshard; mustela al'pina as harmine, although the normal spelling at the time of the compilation of the Nomenclator was ermyne; balaena is translated as whule; FJpiphania as thedertien dayes; colus as dysselstajJ; struthio as oisiris; and alauda as lerck. All of these English equivalents differ enough in spelling from the normal spelling of that date to indicate a variant pronunciation. Some seemingly mediaeval retentions also appear. Luscinia is translated as nichtingale, a perfectly good northern form of about 1520, but one rarely used in mid-century midland. Junius gives penna as feader, a form quite usual in ME and occurring with the voiced dental stop in early sixteenth century writings; but even at that time there is no record in the historical dictionaries that the old diphthong was retained. Another apparent example is Junius' translation of iunix as heffar or yonge ku. The first equivalent shows a definite variant from the common forms of heyfer, hayfer, heyghfer, and heighfer; the latter variant may indicate another old retention.
