* * *

Read, ‘Than i’th’ sea-monster.’ Meaning the river-horse, Hippopotamus*; the hieroglyphical symbol of impiety and ingratitude. (203)

SECTION IX.

’Tis a common expression in the western counties to call an ill-natured, sour person, VINNID. For vinewed, vinowed, vinny or vinew (the word is variously written) signifies mouldy. In Troilus and Cressida, Act II, Ajax speaks to Thersites, thou vinnidst leaven [2.1.14] i.e. thou most mouldy sour dough. Let this phrase be transplanted from the west into Kent, and they will pronounce it Whinidst leaven. So that it seems to me ’twas some Kentish person who occasioned this mistake, either player or transcriber, who could not bring his mouth to pronounce the V consonant, as ’tis remarkable the Kentish men cannot at this day. And this accounts for many of the Latin words, which begin with V, being turned into w, as Vidua, widua, Widow; Ventus, wentus, Wind; Vallum, Wallum, Wall; Via, Wia, Way, &c. In the same play, Act V, Thersites is called by Achilles, thou crusty batch of nature [5.1.5] i.e. thou crusty batch of bread of nature’s baking: the very same ludicrous image as when elsewhere he is nick-named from his deformity Cobloaf. The word Leaven above-mentioned is a scriptural expression. Leaven is sour and salted dough, prepared to ferment a whole mass and to give it a relish: and in this sense used in Measure for Measure, Act I.