Obs. or arch. [prob. derived from OF.
Palsgrave has ‘I gestyll a horse to and fro in the stabyll, Je jance. He hath gestylled my horse in the stabyll tyll he hath made hym all on a water: il a jancé mon cheual a lestable tant quil la mys tout en eaue.’ Cotgrave has ‘Iancer vn cheval, to stirre a horse in the stable till hee sweat withall; or (as our) to iaunt; (an old word).’ Neither of these writers uses the Eng. jaunce to render jancer, nor is the sense assigned by them that used by Shaks. But Palsgr. has ‘I gawance a horse up and downe upon the stones and make hym gambalde and flynge, je pourbondis. And you gaunce your horse up and downe thus upon the stones, he wyll be naught within a whyle: si vous pourbondissez vostre cheual en ce poynt,’ etc. (OF. Pourbondir = caracoler and faire caracoler, Godef.) This gawnce or gaunce appears to agree in meaning with Shakespeare’s jaunce, but hardly with jancer, as explained by Palsgr. and Cotgr. If the words are the same, the only possible inference seems to be that there was an OF. *jancer (? ONFr. gancer) to prance as a horse, to make a horse prance, the existence of which is as yet known only from Palsgr. and Cotgr. (both Englishmen), who perhaps did not clearly understand its meaning. See also JOUNCE v.]
a. trans. ? To make (a horse) prance up and down. b. intr. ? To prance as a horse. Hence Jauncing ppl. a., ? prancing.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. v. 94. Spur-gall’d, and tyrd by iauncing Bullingbrooke. Ibid. (1598), Rom. & Jul., II. v. 53 (2nd Qo.). Beshrewe your heart for sending me about To catch my death with iaunsing vp and downe.
1792. [S. Henley], Ess. new ed. Tibullis, 29. Behold Him sit, in conscious state, the jauncing steed.
1868. Browning, Ring & Bk., XI. 108. Just so wend we, now canter, now converse, Till, ’mid the jauncing pride and jaunty port, Something of a sudden jerks at somebody.
