The Lelamour Herbal does not seem to be particularly well known, outside of scholars in the field, compared with other herbals, such as those of Pedanius Dioscorides (1st century), Apuleius Platonicus (4th century), Rembert Dodoens (1554), John Gerard (1597), Gaspard Bauhin (1623), John Parkinson (1640), and William Salmon (1710). That may in part be because it is not illustrated. It is not mentioned, for example in Blunt and Raphaelβs comprehensive survey of illustrated herbals.9
Even allowing for the inaccuracy of the assumption that the whole text was compiled in 1373, Lelamourβs lexicographical importance is clear. For example, although Parkinsonβs Theatrum Botanicum is cited 338 times in the OED, it is cited in earliest quotations only 29 times (8.6%). The corresponding figures for Gerardβs well known Herball are 1230 and 215 (17%), and for Salmonβs Botanologia 51 and 2 (3.9%). Mrs Grieveβs Modern Herbal (1931) weighs in with no earliest citations out of 96 in all.
Publication of Lelamourβs original manuscript, held in the British Library, is long overdue. This year, the 650th anniversary of its own claimed compilation, offers a good opportunity.
Entries in the OED that credit Lelamour with the first use, assuming a date of 1373
β abortive: an aborted fetus; a stillborn child or animal
β airy: of or belonging to the air, esp. as distinguished from the earth, water, etc.; living or located in the air
β angerly: violently, savagely, fiercely
β astrologia: any of several medicinal herbs of the genus Aristolochia, formerly used to facilitate childbirth (also called birthwort)
β blue-purple
β bollock stone: a testicle
β cake: a mass or portion of food, usually formed into a rounded, flattened shape, and frequently cooked on both sides
β cardiac: a medicinal plant (not identified; perhaps garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata, hedge mustard, Sisymbrium officinale, or motherwort, Leonurus cardiaca)
β cardiaca and cardiacle: a disorder characterised by symptoms attributed to the heart, esp. palpitations [sic] and syncope
β chickweed: any of several, typically relatively broad-leaved, plants of the genus Stellaria (family Caryophyllaceae)
β cold: as a count noun: an instance of such disease
β costmary: a perennial aromatic herb, Tanacetum balsamita (family Asteraceae (Compositae)) …
β dog fennel: originally: the stinking chamomile, Anthemis cotula (family Asteraceae (Compositae))
β engendure: the action of begetting or producing; procreation; production; creation. Also: offspring
β female: a female plant or flower
β germander: any of the plants constituting the genus Teucrium (family Lamiaceae (Labiatae))
β green sauce: a sauce of a green colour made from herbs, esp. sorrel, with vinegar and sugar, and eaten with meat
β hardbound: suffering from constipation
β hasty hastily; quickly, rapidly
β heartwort: a small, blue-flowered herbaceous plant, perhaps a kind of bugle (Ajuga species) or self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)
β hypochondrium: in a human or other vertebrate: either of the two regions of the upper abdomen located beneath the ribs on either side of the epigastrium
β knob: a small rounded lump, bump, or protuberance on the surface of something; a rounded or spherical projection at the end of an object
β langue de boeuf: any of various plants, chiefly of the family Boraginaceae, having rough, tongue-shaped leaves, as viper’s bugloss, Echium vulgare, borage, Borago officinalis, and (esp. in later use) ox-tongue, Picris echiodes (now included in the family Asteraceae (Compositae))
β lesser: in the names of plants and animals distinguished by having a smaller size than another of the same name
β lock: to join (two or more things) by interlocking or by fitting of parts firmly together
β [to] make urine
β marigold: a plant of the genus Calendula (family Asteraceae (Compositae)) with golden or bright yellow flowers; esp. C. officinalis
β mater: the womb
β May-butter: unsalted butter preserved in the month of May and sometimes used medicinally
β migraine: a severe headache which characteristically affects only one side of the head and is typically preceded or accompanied by visual or other neurological disturbances and is associated with nausea and vomiting
β mise: a crumb, a breadcrumb
β morel: any of several kinds of nightshade with black or deep purple berries; esp. black nightshade, Solanum nigrum
β mullein [leaf]: any of various plants of the genus Verbascum (family Scrophulariaceae)
β nephritic: perhaps: a disease of the kidneys [and precedes other confirmed meanings]
β nose-holl: nostril
β nut: a nutmeg
β oak fern: any of several ferns often found on or among trees, walls, etc., including certain spleenworts; spec. (among herbalists) common polypody, Polypodium vulgare agg., which was supposed to be especially effective as a remedy when growing on the oak
β oat-malt: malt prepared from oats
β origanum: any of the perennial herbs and subshrubs constituting the Eurasian genus Origanum (family Lamiaceae (Labiatae)), esp. wild marjoram or oregano, O. vulgare
β osmund: the royal fern, Osmunda regalis; (also) any fern of the genus Osmunda. In early use also: any of several other ferns, esp. the male fern, Dryopteris filix-mas
β ox-tongue: any of several plants of the genus Picris (family Asteraceae (Compositae)), allied to the hawkweeds, which are covered with hooked bristles and have yellow flowers
β painter’s oil: a pale, flammable drying oil used by artists, spec. linseed oil
β papwort: a medicinal herb, perhaps annual mercury, Mercurialis annua (family Euphorbiaceae)
β park leaves: the plant tutsan, Hypericum androsaemum (family Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)), a large-leaved shrubby species of St John’s wort
β paunch: a large or protruding belly, usually that of a man
β pelleter of Spain: (a) white hellebore, Veratrum album, or black hellebore, Helleborus niger (rare); (b) pellitory of Spain, Anacyclus pyrethrum [and precedes other meanings of pelleter]
β petty morel: black nightshade, Solanum nigrum
β pimpernel: a small trailing plant, Anagallis arvensis (family Primulaceae), native to Europe but widely distributed elsewhere, which is often found as a weed of cornfields and waste ground and has smooth ovate leaves and usually bright scarlet, pink, blue, or white flowers which close in cloudy or rainy weather (hence its regional names poor man’s weatherglass, shepherd’s glass, etc.); spec. one with red flowers [and precedes other meanings of pimpernel]
β pip: chiefly humorous. Illness or malaise in humans. Usually with the
β podagry: gout [and related meanings]
β (by) even portion: in equal shares or amounts
β portulac: purslane, Portulaca oleracea; (also) a purslane plant
β primrose: an early-flowering European primula, Primula vulgaris, found in woods, hedges, etc
β privity: the genitals, the private parts
β puliol: either of two aromatic herbs of the family Lamiaceae (Labiatae), pennyroyal, Mentha pulegium, and wild thyme, Thymus serpyllum
β purge: to act as a purgative; spec. to cause emptying of the bowels
β quick: (of a place or time): full of activity; busy
β quick: the highly sensitive area of a finger or toe covered by the nail plate
β rack: something which causes acute physical or mental suffering
β receive: to take in by the mouth; to swallow
β red henbane: (probably) a variety of henbane (genus Hyosycamus), with red seeds or flowers
β rising: a swelling or tumour; esp. a boil, an abscess
β Roman: derived or descended from Latin
β room: to clear (a bodily cavity) of obstruction or constriction
β root stem: any stem-like root or rootlike stem, as an aerial root, caudex, rhizome, etc
β rosemary: an evergreen aromatic shrub, Rosmarinus officinalis (family Lamiaceae (Labiatae))
β round aristolochia: round birthwort
β rubble: to crush to pieces, to smash; to destroy
β standelwelks and standenguss: any of several European orchids; esp. the early purple orchid, Orchis mascula
β subjugation: suffumkgation (the use of a medicine to produce a therapeutic effect by penetration of the body)
β swine’s fennel: hog’s fennel, Peucedanum officinale
β swinecrress: knotgrass, Polygonum aviculare (which is attractive to pigs as food)
β unremoved: not physically moved from a place or position; not taken away, lifted off, or displaced
β violent: of a poison, medicine, chemical reagent, etc.: having a powerful, drastic, or highly injurious effect; noxious, virulent
β well known: widely or generally known; (of a person) famous
β worthy: esp. of a medicine, treatment, etc.: effective, efficacious; potent