etymology - Relation of RUFFLER and RUYFLER


The OED entry for RUFFLER, n1 -- "1. Esp. in the 16th and 17th centuries: a member of a class of vagabonds and rogues" -- has a first citation from 1535. However, in the C-text of Piers Plowman, we find the line: "Robert the ruyflare / on reddite lokede," (Huntington MS Hm 143) where "ruyflare" replaces "robbere" of the A and B MSS.


My question is whether it's possible that this occurrence in Piers Plowman may be an earlier example of the word.


(To complicate matters, OED (following the MED) under RIFLER, n1: "1. A robber, a plunderer, a looter," cites this line, but with a different form -- "ryfeler" -- from a different manuscript: (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. vii. 316 (MED), Roberd the ryfeler [v.r. riflere] on reddite lokede.)



Answer



I think it's a variant form of "rifler". According to the OED rifle v.1 page, ruyfle is a variant spelling used in ME. You can find several instances of this word in the manuscript, such as this one:



To robbe me or to ruyfle me yf y ryde softe.



It's not that big of a jump from ruyfle to ruyflare. According to OED, the -are ending is a Middle English variation of -er. (However, I don't know what the significance of spelling it ruyfle in the first place is.)


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