Arts & Culture

Archaic Words Part #2: Twenty Words to Implement

My dear readers, now that we have been educated on the beauty of archaic grammar, this next article will address the quite necessary subject of archaic, or obsolete, words. Archaic dictionaries, of course, are figurative gold mines for such things, but many of those “archaic” words are restricted to archaic spellings, such as “vye” instead of “vie,” “mirrour” instead of “mirror,” and so on. The words in this article, however, will truly be words that have fallen out of common use and are completely obsolete.

Each of the words below, with two exceptions and one surprise meaning, were words that I have used at least once, though most have been utilized far more than that. Assuredly, when many of the below words were dropped out of popular use in the English language, their meanings vanished too, along with their specificity. Thus, one ought to consider reintroducing them into the English language (or, at the very least, adopting some as spectacular Scrabble or Bananagrams words).

Firstly, the word “ilk” is of particular note and surprised me with its initial meaning. When beginning to write this article, my poor, uneducated self, along with many others, believed that the word “ilk” meant “of that kind,” in reference to a previous statement. Of course, when I sought out the official dictionary definition, I was startled out of my ignorance to see that it rather meant “of the place or estate of the same name,” in its original Scottish usage. The word “ilk” has become misunderstood over the years, though that misunderstanding itself is quite near to becoming archaic, and should be used in the following sense: “The man, William Hardvesty, born to Peter III of that ilk, was interested in starting a business venture.”

The spectacular word “quaff” means to “drink (something, particularly an alcoholic drink) heartily.” Of course, in day-to-day usage, one could always quaff a drink of water, juice, or some other beverage to quench one’s thirst.

The words “ken” and “wit/wot” are quite similar in definition, though they each cover areas that the other does not. Ken is defined as a verb meaning “know” or “recognize” or “identify.” Wit, in first person (wot in second person), means “know… come to know… learn.” As seen by these definitions, they could be used in both the same or different ways. The word “ken” is a noun, as well as a verb. As a noun, “ken” means “one’s range of knowledge or sight,” for which I cannot think of a modern English replacement.
“It’s in ahind yon oul fail dyke
I wot there lies, oh, a new-slain knight
Naebody kens that he lies there…”
Both “wot” and “ken,” as seen above, are featured in the classic Scottish/English song, “Twa Corbies.”

“Fain” means “pleased or willing to under the circumstances” and is quite versatile. From explaining, “I fear I was fain to continue reading my book; the plot was thickening” to accepting a request by saying, “I am fain to dine with thee, my good friend,” this word fits conversation quite well and flows nicely.

The word “bark,” though already used today in a variety of ways, has still another, archaic meaning. In the archaic sense, bark means “a ship or boat.” Bark is a splendid addition to one’s poetry word bank, as it rhymes splendidly with “dark,” “remark,” “shark,” and “hark.” It also provides an explanation from whence “embark” came.

The word “troth” means “faith or loyalty when pledged in a solemn agreement or undertaking” and can also be used when meaning “one’s pledged word.” Rather than say, “I was not planning on eating a cookie, honest!” which is both grammatically confusing and incorrect, one ought to say, “I was not planning on eating a cookie, by my troth!” The word also lends a more convincing air and is a more solemn promise (NOTE: Please, do not break your troth, word, promise, or otherwise blemish your honesty; do as you say and let your yes be yes and your no be no, as instructed per Jesus the Christ. The author is not responsible for any misuse of this word to provide false credibility). A word with a definition in the same area, “verily,” means “truly, certainly.”

“Degree,” while having plenty of definitions currently, has a beautiful archaic definition to add to the others. It refers to one’s “social or official rank.” “A man of high degree” would be a man of great importance, office, or status. The president, for example, is a man of notable degree.

A knave is “a dishonest or unscrupulous man,” a rapscallion is “a mischievous person,” and a “scaramouch” is a boastful but cowardly person. On the more humorous side, however, a slugabed is “a lazy person who stays in bed late.” The English language is in desperate need of the last word.

“Perchance” means “by some chance; perhaps” and, though perhaps replaces it perfectly, variety is generally welcome and it offers options should one use “perhaps” too often in a story or need to start each sentence with a different word, thanks to school. Of course, it also provides an older, more eloquent response for conversation. “Prithee,” which means “please,” works similarly.

The pleasurable set of words “Hither,” “thither,” and “whither” act similarly to “here,” “there,” and “where.” “Hither” means “situated on this side,” while “thither” refers to that side, and “whither” inquires what side.

“Hight” means “named” and is most often used in the following manners: “I am hight Holly” or “Isabelle, for so the girl was hight, looked like a living sunbeam.” “The Wife of Bath’s Tale: The Marriage of Sir Gawain,” a song inspired by the Canterbury Tales, written by Lisa Theriot, uses it in the following lyrics:
“”Dame Ragnall,” said Queen Guinevere,
For so the beast was hight,
“Be welcome to our court;
You shall be married this same night.””

Speaking of Sir Gawain, the word “gramercy,” which is an exclamation that communicates surprise or gratitude. This word appears in the work noticeably and clearly upholds the general theme of grace in the book. Verily, it came from the phrase “great mercy” in Middle English.

The word “mien” refers to “a person’s look or manner, especially one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood” and writing is rife with opportunities to use this, as much of literary description ought to go in this direction. It also covers something that the word “appearance” cannot. A person’s mien says far more than only their outward appearance.

Each of these words, having been lost from the accepted English language, have a particular charm to them and carry inherent worth for both their history and for their meaning. Now, I shall break the third wall and ask you to comment with a response to the following questions:
What archaic words are your favorites?
Do you know of any not mentioned in this article?

Fare well; until the next time.


Works Cited

“Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America’s Most-Trusted Online Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/.

Lexico Dictionaries | English, Lexico Dictionaries, www.lexico.com/.

Author Maureen A. Taylor. “5 Strategies for Deciphering Old English Words in Records.” Family Tree Magazine, 20 Dec. 2020, www.familytreemagazine.com/heritage/english/old-english/.

 

Comments are closed.