References to Dance in Sixteen Early Modern Dictionaries

With the increase in availability of information in electronic form, interesting new resources are popping up. One such resource is the Early Modern English Dictionaries Database (EMEDD) at the University of Toronto, accessible at: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/english/emed/emedd.html

This database contains electronic editions of 16 sources dated 1530 to 1657, which the EMEDD editors describe as:

• "six bilingual dictionaries: John Palsgrave (1530; English-French), William Thomas (1550; Italian-English), Thomas Thomas (1587; Latin-English), John Florio (1598; Italian-English), John Minsheu (1599; Spanish-English), and Randle Cotgrave (1611; French-English). These cover four other languages and give pairs of French and Italian separated by 50-80 years.
• five English hard-word dictionaries: Edmund Coote (1596), Robert Cawdrey (1604, based on the transcription by Raymond Siemens; and 1617), John Bullokar (1616), and Henry Cockeram (1623).
• the first full English-only dictionary, by Thomas Blount (1656).
• three specialized lexicons: Bartholomew Traheron's translation of Vigon (1543), William Turner on herbal names (1548), and John Garfield on scientific terms in J. Renou's Dispensatory (1657).
• the first full English word-list by Richard Mulcaster in his The first part of the Elementarie (1582)."

While the authors of the EMEDD developed it primarily for linguistic purposes, it is useful to us to explore early dance references in these sources. Interpreting these references can be somewhat interesting, since a phrase in a bilingual dictionary might represent usage in one language, the other language, both, or be a figment of the dictionary author's imagination.

My attention to this approach was drawn by an article by Andrew Draskoy, entitled "Some definitions from Florio" (http://www.rendance.org/articles/florio.html).

Methodology

aleman, allem, alman, almond, bailler, branle, bransle, brawl, canar, carol, cinquepace, danc, dans, dauc, daunc, dauns, galliard, gambol, horse, measur, round, salt, sinka, stamp, trip.

Words I wish I had searched for:

tordiglione, battut, hey, hay, mores, bergamask, balter

It is likely that I missed some relevant entries. Six of the sources had no dance references.

Challenges with the EMEDD interface

The first is that the Web query interface only allows up to 100 results to be returned, which is not enough for words such as "salt" and "measur", which have more than 100 instances in a single source. Fortunately this can be worked around by fiddling with the URL: the underlying cgi script is actually willing to return any number of results.

The second is that the dictionaries have been marked up with SGML encodings. These are removed by the query script, but the script is imperfect in this regard, so it is often unclear what the original entry actually read.

The third is that no form of "browsing" the original is available. When a query returns an obviously incomplete entry, it is impossible to figure out what what entry is being referred to. Three example results are:

   (21) Cockeram (Cockeram 1623 @ 41140748)
   a Song, Ode, Hymne, Laye, Caroll.
       
   (111) Cockeram (Cockeram 1623 @ 40833342)
   to Dance. Saltate, Tripudiate.

   (1) Palsgrave (Palsgrave 1530 @ 668815)
   [Rounde daunce/]

The fourth challenge is that I don't believe that the script correctly does what it says it does. I have no way of checking that. I do know that querying single letters against the Mulcaster word list frequently returns "invalid query result", and through exhaustive searching I only managed to generate 6,700 of the alleged 8,143 entries.

Unfortunately, the EMEDD editors seem uninterested in addressing these issues, nor are they interested in providing the raw data to me.

Overall Results

Mention of Morris dance

Mention of Horsemanship as dancing

Mention of rope walking as dancing

Common Dance Types

• round 5
• pavane 5
• carol 4
• galliard/la volta 4
• courante 3
• Pyrrique 3
• country dance 3
• gavotte 2
• measures 2
• bransle 2
• bassadanse 2

These numbers are, of course, perturbed a bit by copying among the sources, especially for the references to pyrrique dance.

Spanish dance and making noise with the fingers

Individual Results

Palsgrave, 1530

Summary of interesting entries:

• horses: 1
• morris: 2 (morisque, morrasse)
• country used with negative connotation: 4
• carol: 3
• "bargeret" 1
• round dance: 1 (but it's a damaged entry)
• bransle as a dance: 0 references

Quote from primary source	Commentary
I Daunce I moue my body after the tewnes of a mynstell/ Ie dance. prime coniu. and in Rom[_a]t/ ie balle. prime coniuga. Let us da[_u]ce a morrasse this christmasse: Dancons vne morisque ce temps de nouel.	Morris
I Fetche a gambolde or a fryske in daunsyng/ Ie fays vne gambade, or vne frisque. Holde me a cappe I wyll fetche a gambalde as hye as I may reache: Tenez moy vng bonnet ie feray vne gambade aussi hault que ie puis attayndre de ma mayn.
I Foote a daunce or morisque I shewe my selfe to be delyuer of my lymmes en daunsyng/ Ie me debrise, ie me suis debris['e], debriser. verb[_u] me. prime c[_o]iuga. and ie tripe. prim. c[_o]iu. and ie tripette. prime coniu. I sawe nat a wenche this twelue monethes foote it better: Ie ne vis fille de cest an mieulx debriser, mieulx triper, or mieulx triperter.	Morris
I Go in [&] out with my legges as one dothe for nycenesse/ or I crosse my legges ofte in daunsyng/ Ie iam- boye. Se howe he crosseth his leg ges: Agardez c[_o]ment il iamboye.
I Hoppe I skyppe or leape/ Ie sautelle. prime coniu. I lyke nat his daunsing/ he hoppeth and tryppeth lyke one of the countraye: Sa ma niere de dancer ne me playst poynt, car il fautelle et tripette comme vng payssant.	Country negative
I Praunce an horse I make hym fetche gamboldes and to flynge/ Ie pourbondys, iay pourbondy, pour bondyr. sec[_u]de c[_o]iu. He pra[_u]sed his horse byfore the ladyes lyke a yonker: Il pourbondit son cheual deu[_a]t les dames comme vng rustre.	Horses, country negative ("yonker" == "rustre")
I Rocke as a thynge dothe that shaketh/ Ie bransle. pri. c[_o]iu. I loue nat to lye in his house for if there be any wynde styrryng one shall rocke to [&] fro in his bedde: Ie nayme pas coucher en sa mayson car sil fait aul cun vent on branslera de ca et de la en son lict.	Bransle, but not a dance reference
I Set a thynge in my lappe/ Ie engeronne. prime c[_o]iu Come hyther Kate and I wyll set [[ye]] on my lappe and da[_u]ce the: Viens ca Katheline et ie te engeronneray et te feray dancer.	Sexual connotations.
I Shake for feblenesse/ or as a house or thing dothe with [[ye]] wynde/ Ie bransle. prime c[_o]iuga. The house shaked as I laye in my bedde: La mayson bransloyt ainsi [q3] ie couchoye a mon lyct.	Bransle, but not a dance reference
I Skyppe as one dothe in daunsyng/ Ie sautelle. prime c[_o]iuga. Are you nat ashamed to skyppe thus in your daunsynge lyke a gyrle of the countray: Nauez vous poynt de h[_o]te de sauteller en ce poynt en dancant comme vne garce du pays.	Country with negative connotation
I Spring I leape/ Ie espingue. prime c[_o]iuga. Marke hym whan he daunseth you shall se hym springe lyke a yonkher: Aduisez le quant il danse vous le verrez espinguer c[_o]me vng rustre.	Country with negative connotation
I Tryll a whirlygyg rounde a boute/ Ie pirouette. prime c[_o]iuga. I holde [[ye]] a peny that I wyll tryll my whirlgyg longer about than thou shalte do thyne: Ie gaige a toy vng denier que ie pirouetteray de ma pi rouette plus longuement que tu ne fe ras de la tienne.	Explicit competition in dancing.
I Turne as a man dothe in a daunce/ Ie me renuoyse. prime c[_o]iu. and ie me vire. prime c[_o]iu and ie me reuire. pri. c[_o]iu. This terme waxeth out of c[_o]men spetche bycause the maner of daunsynge is cha[_u]ged/ howe be it/ it is somtyme vsed. Marke howe quicklye he tourneth hym in his dauce: Notez coment il se renuoyse, or reuire, or vire vistement en dansant.	Note the interesting comment about how dancing has changed: quick turns have disappeared from dancing?
Awkewarde: En bransle, as belles rynge whan a house is a fyre: as/ Le feu sest bout['e] en quelque mayson es coutez on sone en bransle.	Bransle, but not a dance reference.
Carole a song [chancno] de noel s ma. carolle s fe.	Carol.
Daunce dance s fe. tripude s ma.
Dauncer dancevr s ma.
Daunsyng balerie, dancerie s fe.
Hobby a horse of Irelande hobyn s ma.	Hobby horse in morris?
Kynde of daunce bargeret.	Also in Bullokar, 1616, and Elyot (ref at end).
Leader of a daunce auant dancevr s ma.
Play sport carolle s fe. deduit esbat z ma.	Carol.
Rounde a songe rondeau x ma. uirelay z ma.	Round, but not a dance reference.
Roundell rondeau x ma.	Round, but not a dance reference.
Sporte myrthe sovlas fe. iev x ma. esbat z ma. deduict z ma. esbatement z ma. a carolle.	Carol.
Staggeryng or leanyng of an house bransle s fe.	Bransle, but not a dance reference.

Palsgrave also contains one damaged entry:

   [Rounde daunce/]

Wm. Thomas, 1550

Summary of interesting entries:

• Carol: 2
• Galliard: 1
• Bassedance: 1

Quote from primary source	Commentary
Alamannj, Allemaignes or Doutchemen.
Ballare, to daunce. Ballo, a daunce. Ballatta, a balette.
Carola, a daunce.	Carol.
Carolare, to daunce.	Carol.
Danza, a daunce.
Danzare, to daunce.
Stampita, the plaiyng of a daunce, or of a song.	Note that it doesn't have any connotation of stamping or hopping. Also in Florio, 1598.
Tresca, a galyard, or other suche leapyng daunce.	Galliard. Also in Florio, 1598, as "a morice dance".
Tripudio, a base daunce.

Mulcaster, 1582

dance
dancing
gambold
measur
round

Th. Thomas, 1587

Summary of interesting entries:

• Horses: 0
• Morris: 3
• Pavane: 1
• Measure: 2 (but not as a whole dance)
• Ropes: 3
• Round: 2
• Pyrrhica: 3

Quote from primary source	Commentary
[Am[-i]ca,] [[ae],] [f. g.] [p. b.] Alemand, a concubine, a paramour.
[Ampiono,] vel [Ampirno,] [as, aui, are,] * Is, when in dauncing, like mouing that one maketh, he to whome it is made doth the like: the Priests called Alij did the like.	imitation?
[Bell[. i]cr[. e]pus,] [a, um,] Making a noise like the noise in warre, Bellicrepa sal tatio. [Fest.] A daunsing in harnesse.	Related to Pyrrhica?
[Ch[-i]r[. o]n[. o]m[. i]a,] [[ae],] [f. g.] [Quint:] A kinde of with the hands, either in daun cing or keruing of meate [Cheironomi ca saltatio.] The morrisse daunce.	Morris.
[Ch[-i]r[. o]n[. o]mus.] [mi,] [m. g.] & [Chiro nomon,] [ontis,] amp; [Chiro nomon,] [ontis,] [Iuven.] He that teacheth one to gesture, or one that daunceth with gesture in a morreise.	Morris.
[Chor[-a]gus,] [gi,] [m. g.] [Plaut.] A keeper of that apparell, the setter foorth of the playes: the leader of the daunce.
[Ch[. o]ra[_u]l[-i]str[. i]a,] [Propert.] A good daunser.
[Ch[. o]rea,] [[ae],] [f. g.] [Virg.] A daunce where many daunce togither.
[Ch[. o]r[-e]uma,] [[. a]tis,] [n. g.] [Plat.] A song when many sing and daunce togither.
[Ch[. o]r[. o]cyth[. a]rist[ae],] [t. b.] [Sue.] They that play on a harpe in daunsing with other themselues.
Ch[. o]r[-o]did[-a]sc[. a]lus, [li,] [m. g.] [Bud.] The master of a company of daunsers.
[Ch[. o]rus,] [ri,] A companie of singers or dauncers: sometime another a@ssem blie: the number: the wholl companie.
[C[. i]n[ae]dus,] [Catul.] One abused against nature: past al shame, wanton daunsers. Also, a fish so called.
[Circ[. u]l[-a]trix,] [[-i]cis,] [f. g.] [verb. [`a] Circu lo,] [Mart.] A tumbler or dauncer goeing about: a woman iester or iuglar, or such a one as getteth monie with dauncing or tumbling. Circulatrix lingua, pro pe tulanti & maledica.
[Cybist[-e]ter,] vel [Cybister,] [[. e]ris,] [m. g.] [p. b.] [Bud.] A douker vnder the water: al so one which doth tumble. a tumbler, or daunser that t [um] bleth & daunseth round.
[D[-e]salto,] [as,] [Suet.] To daunce forth a daunce.
[Em[. i]co,] [as, [. u]i, [-a]re,] [p. l.] [Plaut.] To shine brightlie; to daunce, leap, or mount vp: to rise, growe, or spring: to appeare higher than other, to excell: to come or issue forth suddenlie: to shew himselfe.
[Emmelia,] [[ae],] [f. g.] * A certaine quiet kinde of daunse, as it were a pavion.	Pavane
[Gest[. i]c[. u]l[-a]r[. i]a,] [[ae],] [f. g.] [Gell.] Dauncing with puppets: a dauncing or tumbling wench.
Gest[. i]c[. u]l[-a]tor, [[-o]ris,] [m. g.] [verb.] [Col.] One that vseth much gesture: a dauncer or player with puppets: a morise dauncer.	Morris
[Gest[. i]c[. u]lor,] [[-a]ris,] [depon.] [Colum.] to make much gesture, to make signes of mirth: also, to daunce by measures, [Suet.]	Measure.
Halter, [[-e]ris,] [m. g.] [Iun.] A plummet or weight of leade that leapers, vauters, or dauncers on cordes doe holde in their handes to counterpoise their owne weight for the more certaintie of their exercise.	Dancing on ropes
[Hemichorium,] * Halfe a daunce.
L[_u]dia, [[ae],] [f. g.] [Mart.] Shee that playeth with poppets, shee that with daunsing and gesturing delighteth the beholders.
[L[_u]dius,] [dij,] [m. g.] A player at the long sword, or a florisher with the two handed swort before a shew or triumph: V????? and target, daunceth before the shew or triumph.
[L[_u]do,] [is, si, sum, [. e]re.] Lo play, to mock or deceiue, to beguile, to laugh to scorne, to iest, to make, disport, to dallie, to finde pastime: to sport, to play as one doth on instruments: also to mooue, to daunce, or to write verses, epigrams, or like pleasant thinges, [Virg.] to sing, [Gell.] to close, [Terent.] [Batat?? ludere,] [Plaut.] to serve, to tosse from hand to hand. [Expul sim ludere, vid. expulsim. Raptim lu dere,] [Var.] To tosse a ball, to plaie aboue hand, or strike the ball to and fro, as it flyeth, and not to suffer it to fall. [Troiam ludere,] [Iun.] to runne at tilt, iusts and tronment.
[M[-o]tus,] [us,] [m. g.] [verb.] A moouing, a gesture: a commotion, sturre, or trouble: a motion or cause, a course, a passion, a measure in dauncing, a wagging, shaking, or swingeing.	Measure
[Orbis,] [is,] [m. g.] A circle, a ring or round circuite, a course, a round compasse: also a round couer or trencher, a roundle to set dishes on for foyling the table cloth: the world: a continual course or succession of things in writing with a certaine measure: a region or countrie: also a great company or multitude of people, [Ovid.] a yeare, [Virg. a bottome of yarne,] [Ovid.] An oyle presse, [Cato.] a fish called a lompe, or paddle, a seaowle, [Iun.] [Cavus orbis,] [Virg.] a buckler or targate. [Orbis saltatorius.] The daunsing of the round or in a ring. [Orbes in homine dicuntur frontis foramina inter qu[ae] latent o culi,] [Stat.] also the eyes themselues, [Lactan.]	The Round as a dance.
[Palp[. i]to,] [as.] To pant or rise often, as the hart or braine doth, to mooue, leape, daunce, or stirre: to throbbe.
[P[-e]d[-e]ma,] [[. a]tis,] [n. g.] [Iuv.] A manner of daunce, wherein they lifted vp their feete toward their buttocks.	Also in Florio, 1598.
[Pedio,] [is, ivi. ire.] * To stampe with the foote.
[P[. e]ta[_u]rum,] [ri,] [m. g.] [Mart.] A corde, staffe, borde, or other thing whereon light persons doe daunce: also a roust for poultrie: a shingle wherwith houses be coue red: a kinde of game wherein men by rolling of wheles were cast vp a loft.	Dancing on ropes.
[Pyrrh[. i]ca,] [[ae],] vel [Pyrrh[. i]ce,] [es,] [Plin.] A certaine forme of daunsing in armour and weapons vsed of souldiers, and first inuented by Pyrrhus.	Phyrrica
[Pyrrhicarius,] & [Pyrrhichista,] [Vlp.] Y He that vseth such daunsing.	Phyrrica
[Pr[ae]sul,] [[. u]lis,] [m. g.] [Iun.] A Prelate, or Priour, he that leadeth the daunce among the Romans priests, called Salij sacerdotes.
[Pr[ae]sulto,] [as,] [Liv.] To daunce before or first, to lead the daunce.
[Pr[ae]sultor,] [oris,] [m. g.] He that leadeth the daunce.
[Pyrrhiacus,] [a, um.] * Of or belonging to the daunce Phrrhica.	Phyrrica
[R[. e]dandruo,] [as,] [ex Re & Andruo,] [quo antiqui vteb tur pro Redeo.] [N [on].] dicitur propri[`e] in Salirum exultati onibus. To returne, or turne againe and againe: to make the same gestures in solemne daunces, that the leaders of the daunce did make before them.	imitation
[Restis,] [s,] [f. g.] [Plin.] An halter or cord, a rope or gable: also a rope of onyons, a bunch of garlick. [Restim ductans saltabas,] [Terent.] Thou didst daunse among them, holding one another by the hand, & keeping order.
[S[. a]lio,] [is, [-i]vi, itum, [-i]re,] [Ovid.] To leap, to daunse, to skip, to hop, to iump, to spring or shoote out, to pant & beat: also to ride or leap one another as the males do on the females in the acte of generation, [Ovid.] to tread, as the cocke doth the henne, or any other male bird doth his female, [Var.]
[Saltabundus,] * Full of leaping and daunsing.
[Salt[-a]tio,] [[-o]nis,] [f. g.] [verb.] A daunsing, leaping, iumping, vawting, hopping, skipping.
[Salt[-a]t[-o]rius,] [a, um.] Of or belonging to daunsing, vawting, [&c.] [Saltatorius orbis.] The round daunce or the daunsing of the roundes.	The round as a dance
Salt[-a]tr[. i]c[_u]la, [[ae],] [f. g.] [dim.] [Gel.] A litle woman that doth hoppe and daunce, a litle daunsing wench.
[Salt[-a]trix,] [[-i]cis,] [f. g.] [verb.] A woman dauncer.
[Salt[-a]tus,] [us,] [m. g.] [verb. [`a] Salto,] [Liv.] A dauncing, a iumping.
[Salt[. i]to,] [as,] [frequent.] [Macr.] To leap or daunse often.
[Salto,] [as.] To daunce, iump, hoppe, or skip: also to intermingle with dauncing, [Bud.]
[Saltu[-a]ris,] [re,] [Plin.] That daunceth to the stroke of an instrument, or of and be longing to daunsing, iumping, leaping: that hath daunsed.
[Saltura,] [r[ae],] [f. g.] [[`a] Salio.] * A leaping or daunsing.
Schoen[. o]b[. a]tes, [[ae],] [m. g.] [Liv.] A iuggler or any other that goeth or that daunceth vpon a corde.
[Schoen[. o]b[. a]t[. i]ca,] [[ae],] [f. g.] The arte of daunsing on a corde. [Schoenobaticam facere.] To get his liuing by daunsing or going vpon a rope or cord.	Dancing on a rope
[S[. e]liens,] [tis,] [part.] [Virg.] Leaping, skip ping, hopping, daunsing, iumping, sprin ging, trembling or beating.
[Sicinnis,] [f. g.] vel [Sicinnium,] [nij,] [n. g.] A kinde of daunsing, wherein they sung that daunsed.	Note that singing while dancing (carols) was supposed to have died out long before 1587. However, this word appears in classical Greek plays, and given the number of other references to antiquity in this dictionary, I suspect it's not a current practice in 1587.
[Staticulus,] [li,] [m. g.] [Cato.] A pase, measure, or wanton mouing in daunsing. [Dare staticulos,] [Cato.] To daunse.	Measure.
[Thy[. a]sus,] [si,] [m. g.] [p. b.] [Virg.] A daunce dedicated to Bacchus.
[Tr[. i]p[. u]dio,] [as.] To daunce, to goe tripping on the toe dauncer like.
[Tr[. i]p[. u]dium,] [dii,] [n. g.] A dauncing, or tripping on the toe dauncer like. [Tripu dium solistima,] * A diuination taken by by bread rebounding on the ground, wh [en] it was cast vnto the birds.
[Tr[. o]ch[ae]us,] [[ae]i,] [m. g.] A foote in verse consisting of two feete, the first a long syllable, & the last a short: so called of swiftnes in running, and because it was fit for dauncing.
[Versus,] [us,] [m. g.] A verse: also an order or rew, [Virg.] a line, [Plin. Iun.] a song, [Plin.] a squared plat of ground an hundred foote euery way, [Varr.] the turning of the bodie round, which is done on the toe in daunsing, [...]

Florio, 1598

Summary of interesting entries:

• Horses: 3
• Ropes: 2
• Morris: 6 (countrey hopping == morrice dance, moorish or ethiopian)
• Galliard: 4
• Country Dance: 5
• Canary: 4 (3 of which mention snapping the fingers)
• Round: 3
• Carol: 2
• Pavane: 2
• Pirrica: 2
• Bransle: 1
• Alman: 1 (but it's a step, not a dance)
• Courante: 1
• Gavotte: 1
• Measures: 1
• Individual dances: Vólta, Vilanélla, Villanata, Reorgarza, Chiaranzaza, Ballonchio.

Quote from primary source	Commentary
Ammuffare, to growe mustie, to dance, to leape, to skip, to excell: to peepe foorth.
Attegare, idem. Also to dance on ropes or to tumble.	Dancing on ropes
Attegatore, a teacher of nimblenes, a iugler, a tumbler, an actiue man, a dancer vpon ropes.	Dancing on ropes
Baldósa, bold, hardie, saucie. Also a musicall instrument so called. Also a kinde of countrie daunce.	XXX Check out the instrument. It seem to mean "floor tile" in modern Italian and Spanish, perhaps it's a place name? Country dance.
Ballare, to dance, to hop, to skip.
Ballarino, Ballatore, a dancer, a teacher to dance.
Ballo, any kinde of dance.
Ballonchio, a countrey hopping or morrice dance. Also a handball, a footefall.	Country dance. Morris.
Ballonciuolo, a merrie countrey dance.	Country dance.
Branla, a french dance called a bransle.	Bransle
Buffa, the buffie or breathing holes of a head-piece or helmet. Also a toade. Also a brawle, a hurliburly, a strife, a contention, a puffe, a push with the mouth in skorne. Also as Buffera.	note that Florio has many uses of brawling to mean fighting
Canarino, a daunce called the canarie daunce. Also a canarie man, or bird.	Canary.
Capriolare, to caper in dancing.
Caróla, a caroll or a song. Also a kinde of dance.	Carol.
Carolare, to caroll, to reuell, to sing and dance, to be merie. Also to make hollow, to worme or moth-eate. Also to deuour or fester with any gnawing sore, to grow to a cuntbotch.	Carol
Carpéa, a kinde of dance vsed among the Grecians.
Castagnette, little shels, such as they vse that daunce the canaries, to make a noise or sound or clack with their fingers.	Canary, noise with fingers, castanettes.
Chiaranzana, a kind of leape, or hopping or dauncing, as the Alman leape.	Alman. Note the 15c and 16c Italian dances with a similar name
Chioppare, to clack or snap with ones fingers as barbers vse, or such as dance the canaries.	Canary, noise with fingers.
Chipassa, the name of a galliard.	Galliard. Simpson BBB (ref at end) says first musical publication is 1557, Filippo Azzaiuolo, in Il primo libro de Viollotte alla Padoana. These tunes are indeed in triple time. Used in several English broadside ballads.
Chrich, a creaking noise. Also a clicking, a snapping or lirping of the fingers, as they vse that dance the canaries.	Canary, noise with fingers.
Ciurlo, a twirle or round tricke in dancing.
Coranta, Corranta, a kinde of French dance.	Courante
Coruetta, a coruet, a sault, a prancing or continuall dancing of a horse.	Horse.
Danza, a daunce.
Danzare, to daunce.
Danzatore, a dauncer.
Gagliarda, a dance called a galliard.	Galliard.
Gauazza, a dance, a leape, a skip or hop.
Gauazzare, to hop, to skip, to dance, to leape, to friske, to skud, to iump, to tumble, to play gambols. Also to encircle or swell round as a bile.
Gauazzi, hoppings, leapings, skippings, dancings, friskings, iumpings.
Gauótta, a French dance or round so called.	Gavotte. Round dance.
Intresca, iesting, iugling, dauncing, iumbling, all a hoit, tumbling.
Mattacini, a kinde of antique daunce or morris vsed in Italy.	Morris. Note that Arbeau equates "Bouffons" and "Mattachins."
Menadi, certaine women that were wont to sacrifice to Bacchus, dancing at the sound of hornes, and crying as mad women, carying staues wreathed about with vine leaues.
Menar la danza, to leade the dance, to begin, to giue the onset.
Moresca, a kinde of morice or antique dance, after the moorish or ethiopian fashion.	Morris.
Paganina, a kinde of dance vsed in Italy.	The 1611 edition changes "dance" to "Moris-dance"
Palpitare, to pant, beate, or throb as ones hart doth being wearie, out of breath, to moue, to dance, to stirre as ones braine doth sometimes.
Passamezzo, a passameasure in dancing a cinquepace.	Galliard. Passamezzo is a ground, not a tune; many passo e mezzo realizations are not galliards.
Pauana, a dance called a pauine.	Pavane.
Pedé ma, a kinde of dance, wherein they lifted their feete very hye backward.	also in Th. Thomas, 1587... although the next few entries are simply copied from Th. Thomas into Florio.
Pirrica, a kinde of dancing in armour v sed in Athens. Also a kinde of verses or song to dance by.	Pirrica
Pirrico, a foote consisting of two short sillables. It is so called of nimble moouing vsed in the dance Pirrica.	Pirrica
Presule, a prelate, a prior, or he that leadeth the daunce among the Romaine priests called Salij sacerdotes.
Raddoppiata, a double trick or turne in riding or dancing.	Horses.
Reorgarza, the name of a french dance vsed in Italie.	Castiglione mentions this dance in The Book of the Courtier.
Rida, a kinde of countrie, rounde, hopping dance.	Round, country dancing.
Riddare, to dance in a round.	Round dance.
Romanzina, a kinde of dance, or trick in dancing.
Ruótata, a kinde of round trick in dancing.
Saltabéllo, a kinde of hopping, or skipping dance.
Saltare, to leape, to iump, to skip, to hop, to prance, to bound, to dance, to trip, to vault, to tumble, to spring. Also to pant and beate. Also to ride or leape on another as males do on the females in the acte of generation.
Saltaréllo, a trick in dancing. Also a dance or a little leape.
Saltarino, a dancer, a tumbler, a leaper, a vaulter, a skipper, a iumper, a hopper.
Saltetto, a little leape, iumpe, skip, hoppe, bound, dance, prance, tumbling or vaul ting tricke, a sault.
Scarpini, linnen sockes. Also dancing pumps or little shooes.
Sgambettare, to skip, to hop, to leape, to shake the legs, to play gambols.
Sgambettate, gambols, skippings, or shaking of legs.
Siphita, a disease called S. Vitus his dance.
Solach, a kinde of beast in Tartarie som what like a sheepe with a precious horne in his head, which at the sounde of a drum will daunce rounde so long till he fall downe, and so they be taken.
Solistimo, a kinde of dancing among the Augures, or a diuination taken by the falling of the bread to the ground which was giuen to chickens.
Sonagliera, [hath beene] vsed for a mans priuie parts. Also a set of bels as morris dancers dance with.	Morris. Interesting crossover.
Stampita, a kinde of countrie dance, a fit of mirth or fidling. Also wearines.	Wearyness? Note the lack of mention of stamping or jumping. Also in W. Thomas, 1550.
Torlo, a twirle, a round turning tricke in dancing. Also a top or a gigge that children plaie with. Also a round ring to put vpon a spindle to make it go heauier when women spin. Also the yolke of an egge.
Tresca, a kind of antike, or morice dance, a iest, a daliance.	Morris. Also in Wm. Thomas, 1550, as "a galyard".
Trescare, to iest, to dallie, to dandle, to dance, to hop, to skip.
Trescatore, a iester, a dallier, a dandler, a morice dancer.	Morris.
Triccatina, a kind of tripping dance vsed in Italy. Also a nimble dancing wench, a trifling, iesting wench.
Tripudiare, to dance, to trip on the toes.
Tripudij, dancing of birds or trippings, trippings on the toes.
Tripudio, a kind of foolish countrie dance or tripping on the toe.	Country dance.
Villanata, a kinde of countrie song, iigge, or dance. Also a kinde of country meate for the poore.	Country dance.
Villanélla, a prettie little country wench lasse, or girle. Also a countrey daunce, a iigge, a round, a song, a horne-pipe, or a ballat, such as countrie milke-maids sing. also a milke-maide.	Country dance. Note the dance Vilanella in Caroso. Also in Cotgrave, 1611.
Vólta, a time, once, one time. Also a turne or a course. Also a reuolt or returne. also a circuit or a compasse. Also a flight. also about. Also a vault, a celler, an arche, a bent or bow. Also a dance called a Vólta. Also a mans turne or lot. Also the turne that cunning riders teach their horses.	Horses, galliard/lavolta.
Zampettare, to foote it daintily, to trippe it, to tread the measures faire and softly. Also to tipple square, to quaffe, to trot to tauerns.	Measures. Could be a mention of either the measure as a dance or the measure as a division in music.
Zurlo, a round turning tricke in dancing. also a kind of dizzines or giddines in the head. Also a whip or scourge to make a top turne round. Also a top or a gig. Also a foole, a ninnie, a gull.

Minsheu, 1599

Summary of interesting entries:

• Making noise with fingers: 4
• Claps hands on shoes: 1
• Moorish dancing: 3, Morris dancing: 0
• Morris-like pagents, which aren't morris dancing: 1
• Pavan: 1
• Round: 2
• Ropes: 2
• Canarie: 0 (4 overall mentions, none related to dancing.)
• Names: Zambra, Leyla, Buxahamel, Baxa

Cotgrave, 1611

Images of this text may be found at: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cotrgrave/

Summary of interesting entries:

• Horses: 6
• Dancing on ropes: 1
• Morris: 3 (equated to "Danser les buffons"!)
• Round: 6
• Other dances mentioned: galliard 8, measure 3, country dance 2, bransle 2, carol 2, pavan 2, Alman 0 (2 refs to Alman leape), coranto 2, (coranto, courante, currante) jigges 1, bassedanse 1, gavote 1.
• Unusual names: Cordace 1, Emmelie 1, Estrindore 1, Fissaye 1, "nosegay dance", "bransle du bouquet" 1, Martengalle 1, Matachin 1, Pyrrique 1, Tinton 1, Trihoris 1 Vergay 1, Vilanelle 1,

Quote from primary source	Commentary
Aime-bal. [Liuely, actiue, daunce-louing.]
Air: [...] [(Il danse d'un bel 7air:)] [In horsemanship, a doing, or stirring manage, or manage raised aboue ground.]	Horses and dance
Aise: [...] [Chascun n'est pas aise qui danse:] [Prov.] Euerie one is not merie that dances (viz. that seemes merie)
Aleman: [m.] [An Almaine, German, High-Dutchman; also, the Almaine, or German language.]
Alleman. Looke [Aleman.]
Alteré : [m.] [A poise of lead, which dauncers on ropes hold in their hands for a counterpeise; also, a piece of lead to lift vp, for exercise.]	Dancing on ropes
Atabal. as [Attabale;] also, [a tymbrell, or little brasen drumme, to daunce by.]
Attendre. [To attend, wait, stay, tarrie; expect, looke for; to daunce attendance on.] [s'attendre à.] [To trust, rest, relye, depend, vpon.] At
Bal: [m.] [A daunce; a dauncing; Reuels, or, a Reuelling.]
Balade. A ballet.
Baladin: [m.] [A common dauncer of galliards, and other stirring, or liuely Ayres.]	Galliards.
Baler. [To daunce.]
Balladin. [A dauncer;] as [Baladin.]
Balladiner. [To daunce high, or liuelily.]
Balladinerie: [f.] [High, or liuely dauncing, as, of galliards, Corantoes, or Jigges.]	Galliard, coranto, jig
Ballet: [m.] [A cape of a cloake;] also, as [Appentis;] also, a dauncing.
Basse-danse: [f.] [A measure.]	bassadanza, measure
Basteleur: A iugler, tumbler, puppet-player [;] one that professeth any of those arts; also, one that leades bears, apes, baboones, or dauncing dogges about the countrey, and gets a scuruie liuing by them.	Well, it probably beats ballad mongering
Bille: [...] [Danser en bille.] [To daunce verie lustily.]
Bouquet: [m.] [A nosegay, or posie of flowers, & c. also, a lock of wooll; also, a huckle-bone;] (also, [a great Prawne,] [Norm.)] also, [a loope-hole in a wall.] [Bransle du bouquet.] [The nosegay daunce, or kissing daunce (for there is much kissing in it.)] [Bailler le bouquet.] See [Bailler.]	See the "cushion dance", Playford?
Bransement: [m.] [A brandling; tottering; shaking, swinging; shogging, wagging; reeling, staggering; wauering; often, and vncertaine mouing from side to side;] al so, [a trembling.] [Branslement des dents.] [Loosenesse of the teeth.]	Bransle, not as a dance.
Branler. See [Bransler.]
Bransle: [m.] [A totter, swing, or swindge; a shake, shog or shocke; a stirring, an vncertain and inconstant motion; also, a brandling, & c.] as in [Branslement;] also , [a brawle, or daunce, wherein many (men, and women) holding by the hands sometimes in a ring, and otherwhiles at length, moue all together.] [Le bransle contrainct.] [The shaking of sheets.] [Le bransle de la corde.] [A swing in a halter; or, the rope-swing (which few men take with a good will.)] [Aller de grand bransle.] [To moue apace, to goe very fast.] [Il est en bransle si.] [Tis doubtfull, or vncertaine whether yea or no; the matter hangs in suspence, or is yet in the ballance.] [Sonner les cloches en bransle.] [To ring out the bels.]	Bransle as dance. Cotgrove also frequently uses "brawl" to mean fight. Note that the bransle, just like in Arbeau, is "sometimes in a ring, and otherwhiles at length".
Bransler. [To brandle; totter; shake, swing; shog, wag, reele, stagger; waue, wauer; nod often, stirre apace, moue vncertainely, or inconstantly, from side to side; also, to tremble, or quake.] [Bransler au manche.] [To be loose in the helue, or heft; to stagger, wauer, shake, or flinch, vpon a triall; to want courage, or grow faint-hearted, in a time, or at the point, of execution; resolution to faile a man when he hath most need of it.] [Bransler la pique.] [To frig, to wrigle it.] [Bransler la teste.] [To shake the head, in signe of con tempt, scorne, mockerie, or discontentment.] [La teste luy bransle.] [Said of one that is much afraid; and of one whose head by drinking is become too heauie for his bodie.] [L'Armé e bransle.] [The army begins to giue, or to loose, ground; begins to totter, or to fall into disorder.]
Bransloire: [com.] [Any thing that shakes, shogs, or swings a man vp and downe; any thing that makes him reele, totter, or stagger; also, a brandling , & c.] as in [Branslement;] and hence; [Bransloire d'enfans.] [A fashion of tottering vsed by schoole-boyes, vpon one forme layed (with the feet vpwards) ouercrosse another.
Buffon: [m.] [A buffoon, ieaster, sycophant, merrie foole, sportfull companion; one that liues by making others merrie.] [Danser les buffons.] [To daunce a morris.]	Morris. Buffons == morris? Certainly not in Arbeau, but it does point at the connection between theater and Morris.
Capriole: [f.] [A caper in dauncing; also, the Capriole, sault, or Goats leape (done by a horse;) also, the hearbe Manna-grasse, or Deaw-grasse;] also as [Pied de Corneille.]	Horses.
Capriot: [m.] [A caper in dauncing.]
Carolle: [f.] [A kind of daunce wherein many daunce together; also, a Carroll, or Christmas song.]	Carol.
Caroller. [To daunce, to reuell it; to sing carrols.]	Carol.
Chapelet: [m.] [A Chaplet; garland, wreath for the head;] also, [a couer, copping, or topping (made like a Chaplet) for any thing;] [...] [Danser en chapelet.] [To daunce in a round, ring, or circle.]	Dancing in the round.
Choëur: [m.] [The Quire of a Church; also, a round, ring, or troope of singers, or dauncers; or of Auditors, or Spectators of those, or the like Exercises.] [Enfans de choë ur.] Quirresters.	Dancing in the round.
Chore: [m.] [A companie of singers, or dauncers; any nu ber, assembly, or whole companie; as the Chorus between euerie Act in a Tragedie.]
Cordace. [A kind of countrey daunce:] [Rab.]	Country dance. If "Rab." is a reference to Francis Rabelais, his books Gargantua and Pantagruel contain several segments about dancing, but the word "cordance" does not appear.
Coryphée: [m.] [The first in a ranke, the best at a game, the chiefe of an Order; a President, Principall, or prime man;] hence, [the leader of a daunce;] and, [hee that in any manner of knowledge excells, or exceeds, all others.]
Courant: running, speeding, [...]
Courante: f. A Curranto.
Danse: [f.] [A daunce, or dauncing.] [La Danse des crapaux.] as in [Crapaud.] [Danse du loup la queuë entre les jambes.] [Lecherie.] [Danse Macabré.] [Death; (a daunce wherein there is no respect of age, degree, worth, or dignitie.)] [Danse Trevisanne.] [Lecherie.] [Elle sç ait assez de la vieille danse .] She knowes well enough what belongs to the Game; she hath bin a backster, a twigger, a good one, in her time. [De la panse vient la danse :] [Pro.] Men are the merriest when their bellies are fullest; or, when the bellie is full the breech would be figging; [(for by this Danse is any lustfull, or sensuall, motion vnderstood.)]	"Danse du loup la queue entre les jambes" is, literally, "Dance of the wolf, the tail between the legs".
Dansé. [Daunced; hopped, skipped.]
Dansement. [A dauncing; hopping, skipping; a motion directed by time, and harmonie.]
Danser: [m.] [To daunce; also, to hop, skip, or leape (for ioy.)] [Danser en bille.] [To daunce very liuely.] [Danser la grue.] [To hop, leape, skip, daunce often; or but vpon one leg.] [Il ne sç ait sur quel pied danser.] Hee is at his wits end, he knowes not what in the earth to doe. [Amour apprend les asnes à danser :] [Pro.] Loue makes the cokes turne courtier. [Chascun n'est pas aise qui danse:] [Prov.] Euerie one is not merrie that daunces; of such a one wee say, his heart is not so light as his heeles.
Danseresse: [f.] [A woman dauncer.]
Danserie: [f.] [A dauncing, & c.] as [Dansement.]
Danseur: [m.] [A dauncer, hopper, skipper.] [Iamais danseur ne fut bon clerc:] [Prov.] Neuer was dauncer good scholler.
Danspied. [The hollow part of the sole of the foot.]
Debrisé : [m.] [é e:] [f.] [Burst, broken, split asunder;] also, [nimbly footed (in dauncing.)]
Debriser. [To breake, burst, or split asunder;] also, [to foot it nimbly in dauncing.]
Desmarche: f. A backe step; a stepping, or stirring backward; a setting of one foot behind the other; also, a stepping aside, a trauersing of ground; and (more generally, and most usually) any pace, gate, or going; also, ward, fence, or the lying of the bodie in fencing; and the posture, or carriage thereof in any motion, or action whatsoeuer.
Desmarchè: m. eè: f. Stepped backe, remoued backward; that hath lost ground; thats gone, or put, from the place he held; thats recoyled, thats retired.
Desmarcher. To step, or goe, backe; to pluck, twitch, or bring backe a step; to remoue a foot backward; to recoyle, retire, stirre from, giue backe, loose ground.
Emmelie. [A quiet kind of daunce, as the Pauin, Measure, & c.]	Pavane, Measure.
Entamer. [To cut, open, or breake vp; to begin vnto; to tast, or take an essay of; also, to violate, marre, spoyle, wound, hurt.] [Entamer l'honnesteté.] [To disgrace, depraue, or detract from; to hurt the good name of.] [Entamer le pas.] [To begin; to lead the daunce, or breake the yce, vnto; to make an ouerture vnto.] [Entamer le peau.] [To exulcerate, breake, or cut, the skinne.]
Estrindore. [A kind of Brittish daunce.]	Estrindore is mentioned in Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francis Rabelais (1494-ca.1553), translated from French to English and published by Urquhart in 1653. The 1653 translation calls it "the British jig estrindore", while the French original simply calls it "l'estrindore" and does not refer to it as British or a jig. Both French and English versions are available on the web.
Faire. [To do, act, exploit, performe, effect, commit, work; to cause, made, forme, forge, compose, frame, giue a being, or fashion vnto; also, to counterfeit, resemble, imitate;] also, [to be;] [...] [Faire le pied de veau.] [To make an vntowardlie, or clownish leg; or, to vse a foolish lifting vp of the leg in dauncing, & c.]
Fissaye: [f.] [A quicke, and violent daunce much vsed by the French.]
Gaillard: [m.] [arde:] [f.] [Lustie, liuelie; frolicke, buxome, cheerefull, blithe, iocond, pleasant, gamesome; braue, gallant; valiant; well disposed, in good tune;] also, [rash, or somewhat vndiscreet, by too much iollitie.] [Galop gaillard.] See [Galop.] [Il a le cerveau vn peu gaillard.] He is a little humorous, toyish, fantasticall, new-fangled, light-headed. [Ouvrier gaillard cele son art:] [Prov.] The industrious workman prostitutes not his Art.	Note the lack of dance reference. In fact, you wouldn't think this word has anything to do with dance, except that in the Galop entry, [Galop gaillard] is equated to [The Gallop Galliard]. There are many other related entries to "Gaillard" in Cotgrave, none of which have dance related meanings.
Galop: [m.] [A (horses) gallop; or galloping.] [Galop gaillard.] [The Gallop Galliard; or, a Passasal to; or, one pace, and a leape.] [...]	Horses, galliard.
Gavote; [f.] [A (kind of) Brawle, daunced, commonly, by one alone.]	Gavote, bransle.
Gruë : [f.] [A Crane; also, the Engine so called; also, a sot, asse, goosecap, hoydon, lobcocke.] [...] [Danser la gruë.] [To hop; or daunce vpon (onely) one leg.] [...]
Iambe: [...] [Danse du loup la queuë entre les iambes:] [Prov.] [Lecherie.]
Iamboyer. [To iet, or, wantonly to goe in and out with the legs; also, to crosse the legs often in dauncing.]
Ingargouillat: [m.] [The crosse point (in dauncing.)]
Macabré. [Danse Macabré.] [Death.]
Mal: [...] [Mal S. Vitus.] [A pleasant disease, wherein the patient leapes, daunces, and laughes all the while his fit is on him.]
Manche: [...] [Bransler au manche.] [To shake in the helue, to be vn setled in heart.]
Martengalle: [f.] [A kind of daunce, as common in Provence, as the Bransle in other parts of France.]	Bransle. Regional differences.
Matachin: [m.] [The Matachin daunce; also, those that daunce it.]	See Matachines on Wikipedia. Related to Moresco/Buffons.
Mime: [m.] [A vice, foole, ieaster, scoffer, dauncer, in a Play; also, a foolish, wanton, shamelesse, ridiculous Poeme, part, or Play; also, a graue, and sententious Poeme.]
Morisque: [f.] [A Morris (or Moorish) daunce; also, the mizzen sayle of a Ship.]	Morris.
Moulinet: [m.] [A little Mill; also, a Morisdauncers Gamboll; also, a round feather on any part of a horse;] also, [a Fencer-like round flourish with a two-hand sword.]	Morris. Apparently a particular morris step. XXX
Mule: [...] [Brider la mule à.] [To daunce attendance on; or to drudge, or doe base offices for.]
Muser: [...] [Faire muser.] [To amuse, put into a dumpe, driue into a studie; to deferre, delay, driue off, make stay his leisure, or daunce attendance on him.]
Pas: [...] [Trois pas, & vn saut.] [The Almond, or Alman, leape.] [Vn pas, & vn saut.] [A Pace, and a Leape; a Manage, or Ayre in Horsemanship, tearmed otherwise, the Passa­ salto, or Gallop Galliard.]	Alman, but not as a dance. Horses. Galliard.
Passe-pied: [m.] [A caper, or loftie tricke in dauncing; al so, a kind of daunce, peculiar to the youth of La haute Bretaigne.]
Pavanier: [m.] [A Pauine-maker; a dauncer of Pauines.]	Pavane
Phissane. [A certaine tumbling tricke; or, a licentious fashion of dauncing, or singing, vsed, in some places, by Buffoons, or the Vices in Playes.]
Pance: [f.] [The paunch, maw, bellie; also, (the fashion of) a great bellied doublet; or the great bellie of a doublet.] [...] [De la pance vient la danse:] [Pro.] [From the paunch comes your daunce; the bellie glutted sets the legs a gog.]
Pique:[...] [Bransler la pique.] [To frig.]	sexual reference, literally "Shaking the pike". Several other definitions contain this proverb, with definitions "to labor in vaine", "to worke out a thing with great paines, or toyle".
Piroüette: [f.] [A Whirligig; also, a whirling about, a quick turne often redoubled;] and hence, [a dauncers turning on the toe.]
Poche: [f.] [A pocket, pouch, or poke; also, a meale-sacke, or corne-sacke; also, a pursenet; also, the fowle called, a Shoueler; also, the crop, or craw of a bird; also, the lit tle narrow, and long Violin (hauing the backe of one peece) which French dauncers, or dauncing Maisters, carrie about with them in a case, when they goe to teach their Schollers.]
Pyrrique. [A souldierlie forme of dauncing in Armour; inuented by Pyrrhus King of Macedonia.]	Phyrrus.
Redanser. [To daunce againe.]
Reprinse: [f.] [Orpine, Liblong, or Liue-long, an hearbe; also, a resumption, repetition, reiteration; a taking backe, a bringing, or comming, in againe; also, a closing, ioyning, or knitting together of disioynted things; also, a holding, taking, or thriuing of transplanted plants, and the fruit or increase yeelded by any seed or plant; also, a new homage done vpon the change of Lord, or Tenant;] also, [a turne in the dauncing of a Measure, & c.]	Measure. Note that it's a "turne", does the word "turne" have a meaning that would be consistant with "a taking backe"? XXX OED
Rond: [m.] [A Sol, or the French shilling (tenne whereof make but one of ours;) also, the daunce called a Round;] whence; [Ie suis tout saoul, ie dancerois bien vn rond.]	The Round as a dance.
Saulteur: [m.] [A leaper, iumper, bounder; also, a vaulter, tumbler, dauncer;] also, as [Saultoir.]
Saut: [m.] [A leape, sault, bound, skip, iumpe; also, (at Bowles) a rub; also, an vneuen, or ill pollished part of a pretious stone, which in a curious eye disgraces all the rest.] [Saut de Breton.] [A fall vpon the backe, a faire fall giuen one.] [Saut de la carpe.] [A turning topsie turuie, or top ouer taile.] [Saut de ferme à ferme.] [The manage tearmed a Sault, Capriole, or Goats-leape.] [Saut de hanche.] [A comming or turning sidewayes, cleane ouer, without the helpe of any hand.] [Saut de mouton.] [A kind of high manage.] [Saut rond.] [A turne aboue-ground, in dauncing.] [Mauvais saut.] [Donner vn mauvais saut.] Looke [Donner.] [Trois pas, & vn saut.] [The Almond leape.] [Vn pas, & vn saut.] [(In managing) a Passasalto, Gallop Galliard, Pace and a leape.] [En deux pas vn saut.] [Speedily, in a trice, in hast, apace.] [En mesme saut.] [Moulins estans en mesme saut.] [Standing in one leuell, or turned by one height, of water.] [Faire le saut.] [To breake, fall bankrupt, run his countrey for debt; also, to leape, or be turned, off an vnpleasing ladder.]	Alman. Horses. Galliard. Note the numerous horse references simply called "manage"s. There are other examples in Cotgrave.
Sicinnie: [f.] [A dauncing, and singing together.]
Sicinnistes: [m.] [Such as daunce, and sing together;] or, as [Siticines.]
Simple. [A simple in Phisicke, a Phisicall drug; also, a single in dauncing.]
Strambot: [m.] [A Iyg, Round, Catch, countrey Song.]	Musical reference, not dancing reference.
Tambour: [m.] [A Drumme; also, a Tabor.] [...] [Vn fol dessus vn pont c'est vn tambour en la Rivi ere:] [Prov.] [A foole on a bridge is a Drumme in the riuer; viz. makes it resound by his madde thumping, leaping, or dauncing ouer it.]
Teste: [...] [Bransler la teste.] To shake the head; a gesture denoting mockerie, or contempt; (We say of one that shaketh his head, it seemes he is not verie well pleased.) [La teste luy bransle.] [Said of one thats in a great feare, or that hath taken a pot too much.]	Bransle not as dance.
Tinton: [m.] [The burthen of a song; also, the ting of a bell;] also, [a kind of dance.]	Related to "Tinternell", an English measure?
Tourdion: [m.] [A turning, or winding about; also, a tricke, or pranke; also, the daunce tearmed a Round.]	Round. Galliard. Apparently "round" is a rather broad term...
Trepigné. [Trampled, daunced; often troad on.]
Trepigner. [To trample; hop, skip, daunce; tread often vpon.]
Trepillard: [m.] [arde:] [f.] [Skipping, hopping, dauncing, stirring; traumping or trampling on.]
Tresquer. [To daunce; (an old word.)]
Trevisaine. [La Danse Tre.] [Lecherie.]
Trihoris, [ou] Trihory: [m.] [A kind of British, and peasantlie daunce, consisting of three steps, and performed, by those hobling youthes, commonly in a round.]	Round. Note Arbeau's Bransle Trihory. Can "British" refer to Brittany in this era? XXX
Tripetter. [To trip, or foot it nimbly in dauncing.]
Triple: [m.] [A Triple; also, Galliard-time, in Musicke.]	Galliard.
Tymbale. [A Timbrell; or, a little brasen drumme to daunce by.]
Vaudeville: [f.] A countrey ballade, or song; a Roundelay, or Virelay; so tearmed of Vaudevire, a Norman towne, wherin Olivier Bassel, the first inue[n]ter of them, liued; also, a vulgar prouerbe; a countrey or common saying.]	Round, not as a dance.
Veau: [m.] [A Calfe, or Veale; also, a lozell, hoydon, dunce, iobernoll, doddipole; also, a baulke vntilled betwene two lands, or furrowes.] [...] [Faire, ou trousser le pied de veau.] [To make an vn towardlie, or clownish leg; or, clownishly to lift vp the leg in dauncing, & c.]
Vergaye: [f.] [A kind of daunce.]
Villanelle: [f.] [A countrey daunce, round, or song.]	Country dance, Round. Note the Italian dance Vilanella, found in Caroso. Also in Florio, 1598.
Virelay: [m.] [A Virelay, Round, freemans Song.]	Round in the musical sense.
Volte: [f.] [A round; or turne;] and thence, [the bounding turne which cunning riders teach their horses; also, a Tumblers gamboll, or turne;] whence; [Volte en arriere.] [A backe turne; a ierting, or wheeling backward, lighting againe on the feet;] and, [Volte en avant;] [(the contrarie) a turning ouer forward.] [...]	Horses.

Dance Proverbs from Cotgrave

• [Amour apprend les asnes à danser :] [Pro.] Loue makes the cokes turne courtier.
• [Chascun n'est pas aise qui danse:] [Prov.] Euerie one is not merie that dances (viz. that seemes merie)
• [Chascun n'est pas aise qui danse:] [Prov.] Euerie one is not merrie that daunces; of such a one wee say, his heart is not so light as his heeles.
• [Danse du loup la queuë entre les iambes:] [Prov.] [Lecherie.] {literally, "Dance of the wolf, the tail between the legs".}
• [De la panse vient la danse :] [Pro.] Men are the merriest when their bellies are fullest; or, when the bellie is full the breech would be figging; [(for by this Danse is any lustfull, or sensuall, motion vnderstood.)]
• [De la pance vient la danse:] [Pro.] [From the paunch comes your daunce; the bellie glutted sets the legs a gog.]
• [Iamais danseur ne fut bon clerc:] [Prov.] Neuer was dauncer good scholler.
• [Vn fol dessus vn pont c'est vn tambour en la Rivi ere:] [Prov.] [A foole on a bridge is a Drumme in the riuer; viz. makes it resound by his madde thumping, leaping, or dauncing ouer it.]

Bullokar, 1616

• Carol: 1, Bargaret 1

Quote from primary source	Commentary
Carol. A song: some time a dance.
*Bargaret. A kind of dance.	Also in Palsgrave, 1530, and Elyot (ref at end).
Gesticulation. A moouing of the fingers, hands or other parts, eyther in idle wantonesse, or to expresse some matter by signes, in dauncing, singing, or other such like exercise.
Trauerse. To march vp and downe or to moue the feete with proportion, as in dancing. In our common Law it signifieth to make contradiction, or to deny the cheefe point of the matter wherewith one is charged.

Cockeram, 1623

Quote from primary source	Commentary
Carol. A song.
Dancing. Tripudiation.
Gesticulation. A moouing of the fingers, hands, or oher parts, either in idle wantonnesse, or to expresse some matter by signes, in dancing, singing, or the like.
Halcean, the name of a strange dauncing Well.
Halceon well. A dancing well.
Measure in Musique. Modulation.
Reuells. Dancings, mummings, & c.
Saltation. Dancing.
Transuerse. To march vp and downe, or with proportion to moue the feet, as in dancing.
Tripudiate. To daunce.
Thymele, a woman that first taught dauncing.

Cockeram also contains 2 entries which cannot be fully printed through the EMEDD interface:

       
   (21) Cockeram (Cockeram 1623 @ 41140748)
   a Song, Ode, Hymne, Laye, Caroll.

   (111) Cockeram (Cockeram 1623 @ 40833342)
   to Dance. Saltate, Tripudiate.

Blount, 1656

Summary of interesting entries:

• Horses 2
• Types of dance: Morris 2, Courante 1, country dance 1, la volta 2, pavin 1, Saraband 1, Jonica Saltatio, round 0
• Rope dancing: 2

Acknowledgements

Works cited

Elyot, Sir Thomas. The Boke named The Governour. Various facsimile and transcription editions, or http://www.uoregon.edu/~rbear/gov/gov1.htm..

de Guardiola, Susan. "Quotes from Baldassare Castiglione's Il libro del cortegiano, 1528". http://www.generalist.org/susan/scadcou.html.

Simpson, Claude M. The British Broadside Ballad and its Music. Rutgers University Press, 1966.

Ward, John M. "Apropos `The olde Measures." Records of Early English Drama, volume 18, number 1, 1993. Page 2-21.

Appendix A: A comparison of Florio 1598 and 1611

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/florio/

The French Bibliotheque Nationale has made a copy of Florio's 1598 edition available as images:

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/florio1598/

Both of these are digitized as images, so you can't search the text, but you can browse adjacent entries. I have made a comparison of the entries found by searching in the 1598 edition, and have also noted a few nearby entries in the 1611 edition related to dance.

Florio 1598	Florio 1611	Commentary
Ammuffare, to growe mustie, to dance, to leape, to skip, to excell: to peepe foorth.	Amuffare, to grow musty or mouldy. Also to skip or leape. Also to peepe foorth.
Attegare, idem. Also to dance on ropes or to tumble.	Attegare, to goe or dance on ropes.
Attegatore, a teacher of nimblenes, a iugler, a tumbler, an actiue man, a dancer vpon ropes.	Attegatore, a dancer on ropes. Also a tumbler, an active man or teacher of nimblenesse.
	Attelani, men that with fowle mouthes, unseemely speeches, disfigured faces, minike gestures and strange actions professe to procure laughter.	See also Mattacini
Baldósa, bold, hardie, saucie. Also a musicall instrument so called. Also a kinde of countrie daunce.	Baldosa, blolde, saucie. Also a kind of crowd or country fiddle. Also a certain country dance.
Ballare, to dance, to hop, to skip.	Ballare, to dance, to hop, to skip.
Ballarino, Ballatore, a dancer, a teacher to dance.	Ballarino, a dancer, or teacher to dance.
	Ballerino, as Ballarino. Also hee that giues or leades a bride to her husband in Venice.
Ballo, any kinde of dance.	Ballo, a ball or any kind of dance.
Ballonchio, a countrey hopping or morrice dance. Also a handball, a footefall.	Ballonchio, a hand-ball or a foot-ball. Also a country hopping round or morice dance.
Ballonciuolo, a merrie countrey dance.	Ballonciuolo, a merry skipping dance.
	Brando, a sword. Also a gad of steele. Also a french dance called a bransel or braule.
Branla, a french dance called a bransle.	Branla, a french dance called a bransle.
Buffa, the buffie or breathing holes of a head-piece or helmet. Also a toade. Also a brawle, a hurliburly, a strife, a contention, a puffe, a push with the mouth in skorne. Also as Buffera.	Buffa, the buffie or breathing hole of a caske or heade-peece. Also a toade. Also a puffe a push or blurt with the mouth in skorne. Also a brabling contention. Also a skoffe or flout, or test, or vaine trifle. Also as Buffera.
Battuta, a beating, a panting, a keeping of time in musicke.	Battuta, a beating or keeping time in musicke.
Canarino, a daunce called the canarie daunce. Also a canarie man, or bird.	Canario, a sacrifice of a red dog, used of ancient to pacifie the dog star.
	Capriola, a Faune, a Kid, a youngue Hinde, a Roe-doe, a Calfe of a Hinde, Also a Capriole or Caper in dauncing. Also a Capriole, a Saut or Goates leape that cunning riders teach their horses. Also the hearbe Doggestooth.
Capriolare, to caper in dancing.	Capriolare, to caper, or capriole.
	Capriolo, as Capriola, but Masculine.
Caróla, a caroll or a song. Also a kinde of dance.	Carola, a song, a caroll. Also a dance.
Carolare, to caroll, to reuell, to sing and dance, to be merie. Also to make hollow, to worme or moth-eate. Also to deuour or fester with any gnawing sore, to grow to a cuntbotch.	Carolare, to caroll, to sing, to reuell. Also to make hollow. Also to moath or worme eat. Also to deuoure or fester with any corosiue or gnawing. Also to grow to a cunt-botch.	Great, now all the public library filter programs will block this document.
Carpéa, a kinde of dance vsed among the Grecians.	Carpea, a dance among the Grecians.
Castagnette, little shels, such as they vse that daunce the canaries, to make a noise or sound or clack with their fingers.	Castagnette, little shels used of those that dance the canaries to clacke or snap with their fingers. Also fips or flips with the fingers ends.
	Chiarantana, a kinde of Caroll or song full of leapings like a Scotish gigge, some take it for the Almaine-leape.
Chiaranzana, a kind of leape, or hopping or dauncing, as the Alman leape.	Chi{a}ranzana, as Chiarantana.	note that Chiaranzana is misspelled Chiranzana in the 1611 edition; its position in the dictionary betweeen the words "Chiarantana" and "Chiarantanare" indicates the "a" is missing.
	Chiarantanare, to dance Chiarantana.
Chioppare, to clack or snap with ones fingers as barbers vse, or such as dance the canaries.	Chioppare, to clacke or snap, or phip, or click, or lirp with ones fingers as they that dance the Canaries, or as some Barbers.
Chipassa, the name of a galliard.	Chipassa, the name of a galliard.
Chrich, a creaking noise. Also a clicking, a snapping or lirping of the fingers, as they vse that dance the canaries.	Chrich, a creaking noise. Aso as Chioppo.
	Ciurlare, to twirle or turne round in dancing.
Ciurlo, a twirle or round tricke in dancing.	Ciurlo, a twirle or round tricke in dancing.
Coranta, Corranta, a kinde of French dance.	[ no such entry ]
	Corranta, a dance so called.
Coruetta, a coruet, a sault, a prancing or continuall dancing of a horse.	Coruetta, a coruet, a sault, a prancing or continuall dancing of a horse.
Danza, a daunce.	Danza, a daunce, or ball.
Danzare, to daunce.	Danzare, to daunce.
	Danzarino, a dauncer.
Danzatore, a dauncer.	Danzatore, a dauncer.
Gagliarda, a dance called a galliard.	Gagliarda, a dance called a galliard.
	Gagliardaggine, as Gagliardia.
	Gagliardezza, as Gagliardia.
	Gagliardia, lustinesse, galliardise, force, strength or nimblenesse of body.
	Gagliardo, strong, lusty, or nimbly disposed of body. Also frolike or blithe.
Gauazza, a dance, a leape, a skip or hop.	Gauazza, a hop, a skip, a leape, a iumpe, a gamboll, a tumbling tricke.
Gauazzare, to hop, to skip, to dance, to leape, to friske, to skud, to iump, to tumble, to play gambols. Also to encircle or swell round as a bile.	Gauzzare, to hop, to iumpe, to skip, to leape, to tumble. Also as Gauocciare.
Gauazzi, hoppings, leapings, skippings, dancings, friskings, iumpings.	Gauzzi, iumpings, hoppings, skippings, frisks, gambols, leapes.
Gauótta, a French dance or round so called.	Gauotta, the name of a french dance.
Intresca, iesting, iugling, dauncing, iumbling, all a hoit, tumbling.	In tresca, all a hoit, in ieasting maner.
	Mattacinare, to play or dance the Matachino.
Mattacini, a kinde of antique daunce or morris vsed in Italy.	Mattacini, as Attelani, a kinde of antique moresco or mattacino dance.	Note that Arbeau equates "Bouffons" and "Mattachins."
Menadi, certaine women that were wont to sacrifice to Bacchus, dancing at the sound of hornes, and crying as mad women, carying staues wreathed about with vine leaues.	Menadi, certaine women that were wont to sacrifice to Bacchus, running and dancing at the sound of hornes, carrying certaine iauelins or staues with vine-leaues, chanting and crying as mad women.
Menar la danza, to leade the dance, to begin, to giue the onset.	Menar la danza, to leade the dance.
Moresca, a kinde of morice or antique dance, after the moorish or ethiopian fashion.	Moresca, a Morice, or Antique dance.
Paganina, a kinde of dance vsed in Italy.	Paganina, a kinde of Moris-dance in Italie.
Palpitare, to pant, beate, or throb as ones hart doth being wearie, out of breath, to moue, to dance, to stirre as ones braine doth sometimes.	Palpitare, to pant, to beate, to throb as ones heart doeth being wearie or out of breath. Also to moue or stirre as ones braine doeth sometimes.
Passamezzo, a passameasure in dancing a cinquepace.	Passamezzo, a passemeasure, a cinqupace.
Pauana, a dance called a pauine.	Pauana, a dance called a Pauen.
Pedéma, a kinde of dance, wherein they lifted their feete very hye backward.	Pedema, a kind of dance, wherein they lifted their feete very high backward.
Pirrica, a kinde of dancing in armour vsed in Athens. Also a kinde of verses or song to dance by.	Pirrica, a kind of verse or song to dance by. Also a kind of dancing in Armorie.
Pirrico, a foote consisting of two short sillables. It is so called of nimble moouing vsed in the dance Pirrica.	Pirrico, a foote consisting of two short sillables, so called of the nimble moouing in the dance Pirrica.
piva, a pipe, a bag-pipe. Also taken for a mans priuates. [...]	Piva, any kind of pipe or bag-pipe. Also a Piot, a Pie or Iay. Also a Butterflie. Used also for a mans privy members.
Presule, a prelate, a prior, or he that leadeth the daunce among the Romaine priests called Salij sacerdotes.	Presule, a prior, a prelate or he that leadeth the dance among the Romane Priests called Salij Sacerdotes.
Raddoppiata, a double trick or turne in riding or dancing.	Raddoppiata, a redoubling. Also a doubble turne or tricke in riding or dancing.
Reorgarza, the name of a french dance vsed in Italie.	Reorgarza, a French dance used in Italie.
Rida, a kinde of countrie, rounde, hopping dance.	Ridda, any kind of round Country dance as our Hay dance.
Riddare, to dance in a round.	Riddare, to dance round.
Romanzina, a kinde of dance, or trick in dancing.	Romanzina, a kind of dance. Also a kind of tricke in dancing.
Ruótata, a kinde of round trick in dancing.	Ruotata, a round tricke in dancing.
Saltabéllo, a kinde of hopping, or skipping dance.	Saltabello, a kind of hopping or skipping dance.
Saltare, to leape, to iump, to skip, to hop, to prance, to bound, to dance, to trip, to vault, to tumble, to spring. Also to pant and beate. Also to ride or leape on another as males do on the females in the acte of generation.	Saltare, to leape, to hop, to skip, to trip, to iumpe, to spring, to prance, to bound to salt, to vault, to dance. Also to pant as the pulse doeth. Also to ride, to sault or leape one upon another as males doe one the females in the act of generation.
Saltaréllo, a trick in dancing. Also a dance or a little leape.	Saltarello, any little leape. Looke Salto.
Saltarino, a dancer, a tumbler, a leaper, a vaulter, a skipper, a iumper, a hopper.	Saltarino, a tumbler, a leaper, a dancer.
	Saltatore, a leaper, a tumbler, a dancer.
Saltetto, a little leape, iumpe, skip, hoppe, bound, dance, prance, tumbling or vaulting tricke, a sault.	Saltetto, as Salticchio.
	Salticchio, a hop, a skip, a friske, a leap, a iump, a tumbling cast, a sault.
	Salto, any kind of leape, hop, friske, skip, iumpe, sault, trip, prance or bound. Also a laund in a Parke. Also a groue, a purly, a thicket or shady place ioyning to a Parke-pale. Also a shaking or suddaine shiuering. Used also for the sault of a bitch or rut of a Deere.
Scarpini, linnen sockes. Also dancing pumps or little shooes.	Scarpini, Scarpines, Pumps, or Sockes.
Sgambettare, to skip, to hop, to leape, to shake the legs, to play gambols.	Sgambettare, to shake the legges, to play gambols, to skip, to hop, to leape, to friske.
Sgambettate, gambols, skippings, or shaking of legs.	Sgambettate, gambols, skippings.
Siphita, a disease called S. Vitus his dance.	Siphita, a kind of disease called Saint Vitus his dance.	Contrast with "Siphile, the French-pox."
Solach, a kinde of beast in Tartarie som what like a sheepe with a precious horne in his head, which at the sounde of a drum will daunce rounde so long till he fall downe, and so they be taken.	Solach, a beast in Tartarie like a sheepe with a precious horne, which at the sound of a Drum will dance round till he fall downe and so is taken.
Solistimo, a kinde of dancing among the Augures, or a diuination taken by the falling of the bread to the ground which was giuen to chickens.	Solistimo, a kind of dansing or diuination among the Augures taken of the falling of the bread to the ground which was giuen to chickins.
Sonagliera, hath beene vsed for a mans priuie parts. Also a set of bels as morris dancers dance with.	Sonagliera, a set of bells as Morice-dancers use. Used also for a mans cods.
	Stampinata, a fit of mirth or fidling. Also a kind of country dancing, singing or fidling anciently used in Italie.
Stampita, a kinde of countrie dance, a fit of mirth or fidling. Also wearines.	Stampita, as Stampinata, Also wearinesse.
	Strisciare, [...]Also to make a trampling noise with ones feet as Canarie dancers vse.	Brought to my attention by Sutton's commentary in Nobiltà.
	Tordiglione, a kind of dance in Spaine.
Torlo, a twirle, a round turning tricke in dancing. Also a top or a gigge that children plaie with. Also a round ring to put vpon a spindle to make it go heauier when women spin. Also the yolke of an egge.	Torlo, a top, a gigge, a nunne or whirlegig that children play with. Also a spinners werule to put on a light spindle. Also the yolke of an egge. Also a twirle or round turning tricke in dancing.
Tresca, a kind of antike, or morice dance, a iest, a daliance.	Tresca, a kinde of Antike or merrie dance. Also a merrie rout, knot, or crue. Also a dalliance or wantonizing in action.
Trescare, to iest, to dallie, to dandle, to dance, to hop, to skip.	Trescare, to dance, to hop or skip. Also to iest, to dallie, or wantonize withall.
Trescatore, a iester, a dallier, a dandler, a morice dancer.	Trescatore, a iester, a dallier, a dandler.
Triccatina, a kind of tripping dance vsed in Italy. Also a nimble dancing wench, a trifling, iesting wench.	Triccatina, a kind of tripping dance. Also a nimble tripping or dancing wench.
Tripudiare, to dance, to trip on the toes.	Tripudiare, to dance or trip on the tooes.
Tripudij, dancing of birds or trippings, trippings on the toes.	Tripudij, dancings or trippings on the tooes.
Tripudio, a kind of foolish countrie dance or tripping on the toe.	Tripudio, a kind of tripping dance.
Villanata, a kinde of countrie song, iigge, or dance. Also a kinde of country meate for the poore.	Villanata, any kinde of Country song, giggle, or dance. Also a Country tricke or clownish part. Also a kind of Country water grewell for the poore.
Villanélla, a prettie little country wench lasse, or girle. Also a countrey daunce, a iigge, a round, a song, a horne-pipe, or a ballat, such as countrie milke-maids sing. also a milke-maide.	Villanella, a pretty Country-lasse, a handsome or youngue Country-wench, a youngue Sheepheardesse, a Milke-maide. Also any Country dance, gig, roundelay, song, ballad, dance or hornpipe, such as Country wenches sing.
Vólta, a time, once, one time. Also a turne or a course. Also a reuolt or returne. also a circuit or a compasse. Also a flight. also about. Also a vault, a celler, an arche, a bent or bow. Also a dance called a Vólta. Also a mans turne or lot. Also the turne that cunning riders teach their horses.	Volta, a turne, a course about, a turning round or comming about againe. Also a circuite or compasse of ground. Also a reuolt. Also the turn that cunning riders teach their horses. Also a chance or hazard at dice. Also a vault, an arch, an arched roofe, a bent or bow. Also a kind of turning french dance called a Volta. Also once, one time, one course or one turne. Also a certain monster deuouring all graines and spoyling all fruits that it can com unto. Also a round walke, a going round or any encompassing of ground. Also a turning about of a mans body. Also a flight or turning unto route and running away of souldiers. Also a charge, a turne or place to ones lot to doe or speake.
Zampettare, to foote it daintily, to trippe it, to tread the measures faire and softly. Also to tipple square, to quaffe, to trot to tauerns.	Zampettare, to trip it or foote it daintily, to tread the measures faire and softly. Used also to tiple and quaffe merrily, till one reele and stagger in going.
Zurlo, a round turning tricke in dancing. also a kind of dizzines or giddines in the head. Also a whip or scourge to make a top turne round. Also a top or a gig. Also a foole, a ninnie, a gull.	Zurlo, any kind of top, twirle, gigge nunne or whirligigge as children play withall. Also a round or turning trick in dansing. Also a giddinesse or dizzinesse in the head. Also a gull, a noady or a ninny.

Revision History

1.1, January 11, 2002. Note about "Sicinnis" being a classical Greek theater term.

1.2, March 16, 2002. Note about "zambra mora" and "zambra".

1.3, April 4, 2002. Labeled tables.

1.4, June 21, 2002. Introduction: "figment of the dictionary author's imagination", to make it clear. Bolded table headers.

1.5, Dec 12, 2002. Moved "chipassa" to the correct place in the Florio table, deleted duplicate "passa mezzo".

1.6, Dec 18, 2002. Added Appendix A.

1.7, Dec 24, 2002. Added Piva to Appendix A.

1.8, Feb 18, 2003. Corrected note by "passamezzo".

1.9, May 9, 2003. Slight formatting changes to Appendix A.

1.10, May 19, 2003. Added "battuta" and "tordiglione" to Appendix A; added "words I wish I had searched for" in Methodology section.

1.11, May 30, 2003. Add note about Arbeau equating "Bouffons" and "Mattachins."

1.12, June 2, 2003. Add "hey, hay" to words I wish I had searched for.

1.13, September 10, 2003. Add "desmarche" entries to Cotgrave.

1.14, September 22, 2003. Note about Rabelais and "cordace"; link to images of Cotgrave. Add entries from Cotgrave for: Balade, Courant, Courante. Add 1611 Florio Corranta.

1.15 October 5, 2003. Note about "Paganina" in Florio 1611 changing 'dance' to 'Moris-dance'.

1.16 December 6, 2003. Added 'strisciare' to Florio 1611. Looked up Tordiglione & Piva in Florio 1598. Added pointer to Florio 1598.

1.17 February 19, 2007. Added 'mores' to words I wish I had searched for.

1.18 January 8, 2009. Fixed UTF-8 botch, altered "Chiaranzana misspelled" note, minor formatting fixes.

1.19 November 30, 2016. Added 'bergamask' to list of words I wish I'd searched for.

1.20 January 28, 2018. Saw a reference to "matachines" in the New York Times, added a Wikipedia link.

1.21 August 2, 2021. Added 'balter' to list of words I wish I'd searched for.

Return to the SCA Dance Homepage.