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for searching only. 720 SMALL LATINE AND LESSE GREEKE
This word mulier seems to have been peculiarly fruitful of fanciful etymologies. Stephanus (1531) says, "Muller . . . a mollitie dicitur, vt inquit Varro, immutata & detracta litera, quasi mollier."mob Owen has made a Latin epigram on this etymology.
70. Mulier.
Dicta fuit Mulier quasi* mollior: est tame Eua Non de carne sui sumta, sed osse, viri iaa *Marro de ling. lat.
This etymology of mod/ter had been further broken into mollos aer, else that etymology had been independently derived.
Dr. Aldis Wright points out the following in A World of Wonders by Henry Stephen, translated by R. C., 1607, p. 292: "the ancient Latinists .. had no good deateritie in giving Etymologies of Ancient Latin words; witness the notation of Mulier, quasi molies aer." A writer in Notes and fucries (Feb. 1857) quotes Isidore of Seville as giving this grotesque etymol-
ogy.'37
Shakspere is thus turning a current Latin etymology to his purposes. To do this and his other feats of etymologizing he needed only the elementary training of grammar school. This training enabled him at need to manufacture ludicrous Latins and etymologies for his pretenders and pedants. I take it that Quinapalus"8 is one of these, being quina palus, five marsh, rather an appropriate authority for a clown to quote on fools. Of what Shakspere could do seriously in this type of thing we have no surviving illustrations; but at least he had some smatterings such as grammar school should have given. We shall probably be safe enough in concluding that Shakspere memorized his Withals and learned how to use Cooper, probably Baret, and other aids as he struggled with his Latins, Biblical and other-wise.
"s See also Calepine, Cornucopia, etc. Baret, 41vearie (158o) says, "a Woman. Muller .. . a mollicie dicta eat, immutata & detracts litera quasi mollier: & proprii Muller dicitur, quae virgo non est" etc.
I" Owen, J., Epigrammatum ... Libri Tres (London, 1607, personal), p. [Aso]r. Dowden, E., Cymbeline (Arden ed., p. 209). us Twelfth Night, I, 5, 39.
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