#25 Xow

DDW February Challenge #25 Xow

Along with only two X words in the archaic dictionary came this explanation on orthography: X is used in some dialects for sh. It constantly occurs in the Coventry Mysteries, xad, xal, xild, xalt, etc.

But now in the memory of my passyon,
To ben partabyl with me in my reyn above,
Ye xal drynk myn blood with gret devocyon,
Wheche xal be xad ffor mannys love.
Coventry Mysteries, p. 275

A show, according to the dictionary, refers to a print or a picture. In many dialects, this would have taken the form xow. So here is my xow for the day, two horse friends whom I hadn't seen for a while. I had some apples at home, so I brought them along with me. The last time I was there, I noticed they didn't have lush vegetation in their small pasture; today, they were pleased to see the apples and ate them with relish. As I was leaving, I turned back and noticed for the first time their backs steaming in the warmth of the sun. Since it has been a cold and rainy few days, they looked content to be basking the morning away.