grucche

Middle English

Etymology

See grudge.

Verb

grucche (third-person singular simple present grucches, present participle grucching, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle grucched)

1. To murmur; to grumble.
   • 1387, Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales‎^[1], Clerk's Tale, pages 351–4:

     I seye this, be ye redy with good herte
     To al my lust, and that I frely may,
     As me best thynketh, do yow laughe or smerte,
     And nevere ye to grucche it nyght ne day,
     And eek whan I sey ye, ne sey nat nay,
     Neither by word, ne frownyng contenance?
     Swere this, and heere I swere oure alliance.

     I say this, be ye ready with good heart
     To all my lust, and that I freely may
     As me best thinketh do you laugh or smart,
     And never ye to grudge it, night nor day,
     And eke when I say "Yea", ye say not "Nay",
     Neither by word, nor frowning countenance?
     Swear this, and here swear I our alliánce.

Descendants

• English: grutch, grudge

References

• “grucche”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.