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| Terms and ways of speaking; Writing helps | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 28 2012, 11:11 PM (90 Views) | |
| Macalaure | Apr 28 2012, 11:11 PM Post #1 |
Beachcomber
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Here is a list of archaic words, or words that are seldom used and have gotten out of the general population, though of some words you might say "I use that word all the time." May they help you with terms and ways of speaking that have eluded you. A abide: (1)put up with, tolerate abide: (2)await abjure: renounce, turn away from abroad: in the open, at large adamant: diamond, or (more generally) any very hard substance afield: away, especially from home aforetime: in earlier times aghast: terrified, amazed agin: a dialect word meaning 'against', 'next to' amiss: not as things should be anon: soon; ever and anon often apace: quickly argent: silver assuage: soften, lessen, soothe aught: anything B bade: old past tense of 'bid', pronounced 'bad' baldric: a shoulder-belt for carrying horns, swords, etc bannock: flat bread-cake barrel: the long, cylindrical part of a key baseborn: ignoble, illegitimate bay: (of a dog) bark or howl bebother: bring trouble upon befall: happen, occur belie: give a false impression benighted: in, or overtaken by, darkness beset: attacked, assaulted by enemies besom: a stiff broom made out of sticks and twigs besotted: (1)made drunk besotted: (2)obsessed, entranced besought: old past tense of beseech bier: platform for carrying a coffin or body bight: a curved recess in the edge of a geographical feature, such as a coast or forest tree-line billow: (large) wave bivouac: temporary camp, without tents blazoned: painted or inscribed (an heraldic term) bond: storage of wine, etc, until duty has been paid; out of bond released from this booby: stupid person boon: favour, gift brake: thicket brazen: made of brass brood: (1)children brood: (2)related creatures brook: tolerate, accept buckler: a small round shield, held in one hand bulwark: a defensive structure burg: a fortress, or a fortified town burgeon: come forth, bud, begin to grow quickly burnished: polished C cairn: a mound of stones or rocks, used as a marker, memorial or tomb carcanet: jewelled necklace carouse: drink heavily carven: old form of 'carved' cataract: waterfall cesspool: a pool of waste-water or sewage chalcedony: a precious form of quartz: onyx, agate and cornelian are all types of chalcedony champ: (of a horse) munch on the bit, showing eagerness chime: agree with, be in harmony with circlet: a thin band of precious metal, worn on the head clave: old past tense of cleave, in the sense 'stick, adhere' cloven: split into two coëval: born at the same time cob: spider (the name survives in the term 'cobweb') coffer: strongbox, especially for holding valuables comely: pleasant-looking commons: shared food; short commons insufficient food compass: accomplish, achieve conclave: a meeting, or the place where a meeting is held concourse: large group of people; crowd confines: borders; borderlands confusticate: a nonsense word, probably not intended to have a meaning (though its Latin roots can be interpreted 'beat with a cudgel') cony: rabbit coomb: short valley in the side of a hill or mountain coop: cage, imprison corslet: a piece of armour covering the body, but not the arms or legs cot: a small shelter; the origin of the word 'cottage' counsels: words of advice covet: be jealous of, desire cozen: lie to, cheat, deceive craven: coward crocks: items of crockery: plates, dishes, etc. culvert: a channel carrying water beneath a thoroughfare cumbrous: awkward, inconvenient cunning-handed: deft, artful, dexterous cur: a worthless or ill-tempered dog curdle: turn sour D dainty: morsel, delicacy damask: steel and iron specially welded to make a serpentine pattern darkling: dark (poetical) daunt: intimidate declaim: speak or recite passionately deem: consider, conclude defile: ruin, corrupt defray: pay for dell: small valley descry: catch sight of, especially something difficult to see devices: things, especially situations, devised or engineered dingle: deep hollow, usually shaded with trees dissemble: hide one's true intentions divers: numerous and various dolven: delved, dug out doom: fate (as opposed to modern usage, doom in this sense is not necessarily bad) dotard: a person who has lost their wits, especially through old age doughty: strong, powerful draught: (1)drawing or pulling force draught: (2)a drink drawn from a barrel or storage jar drear: dismal, gloomy dregs: sediment found at the bottom of wine, tea, etc. To 'drink to the dregs' is to completely drain a cup or (metaphorically) fully involve oneself dry: (of bricks or stone) laid without mortar durstn't: dare not dwimmer-crafty: skilled in the arts of magic E eaves: the fringe of a forest (from the resemblance of the overhanging forest canopy to the eaves of a house) ell: a measure of length, usually equivalent to 45 inches or 114 cm embattled: (1)of a fortress, having battlements embattled: (2)of an army, fortified against attack (this is the dictionary definition, but in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien's usage seems to mean simply 'in battle') embrasure: bevelled door or window frame cut into a wall encompass: surround ere: before errantry: journeying in search of adventure espy: catch sight of essay: attempt esteem: consider to be of worth; esteem too lightly underestimate et: a variation of 'ate', common in British rural dialects etten: eaten - see 'et' ewer: large, wide-mouthed water jug eyot: a small island, especially found in a river F faggot: bundle of sticks used as firewood falter: waver, lose courage fane: temple fare: travel, go on a journey fastness: secure fortress fawn: cringe, grovel fealty: allegiance and service to a lord feign: pretend fell: (1)merciless, terrifying fell: (2)animal's hide fell: (3)moorland hill fender: a metal frame placed around a fireplace fetter: chain, shackle fey: certain of death; having no thought for one's own fate figured: marked with drawings or writing firth: An inlet of the sea at a wide river estuary flagon: large jug or mug, usually used to hold wine or beer flammifer: in Latin, flammifer means 'fiery', but Tolkien's usage is likely meant to suggest 'flame-bearer', as a reference to the blazing Silmaril borne by Eärendil. flank: the exposed side of an attacking or marching army flotsam: floating wreckage; flotsam and jetsam items washed up by the sea, or a flood (also used figuratively) flummoxed: bewildered, disconcerted footpad: a thief (historically, a 'footpad' was a highwayman who had no horse) forbear: hold back from forebode: foresee (especially something that is evil) forespeak: foretell, predict foreswear: swear not to do something forgo: let go, do without forlorn: abandoned, desolate forsake: desert, turn away from (the past tense is forsook) forsooth: in truth, actually fortnight: a period of two weeks fosse: a defensive trench or ditch founder: sink, after taking on water fraught: full (of) freshet: a stream, or (strictly) a flood of fresh water furlong: one eighth of a mile (220 yards), or about one fifth of a kilometre G gaffera: word meaning both 'old man' and 'foreman': its use as the nickname of Hamfast Gamgee is probably mean to combine both meanings. gainsay: contradict gallop: boil and bubble game: crippled gammer: old woman garthan: enclosed garden or yard ghyll: deep ravine gibbet: A gallows built to display the body of an executed criminal gimlet: A sharp boring tool, similar in general design to a corkscrew; see like gimlets see sharply girdle: (1)belt or cord used especially to confine clothing girdle: (2)something which surrounds or encircles; girdle of Arda the central regions of Arda, equidistant from the far north and south girt: bound or attached with a belt glede: burning coal or cinder gloaming: the twilight of evening glower: scowl, frown goggle: stare with round eyes graven: engraved, carved greened: made green from the mosses and lichens on a tree's trunk grotold: form of 'grotto'; an ornamental or picturesque cavern guileful: treacherous, deceitful gunwale: the top edge of a boat's side, pronounced (and sometimes spelt) 'gunnel' H habergeon: a mail-coat without sleeves hale: robust, strong of body hame: hide, pelt hang: to leave food, especially game, in the open until it becomes 'high' or tender harbour: succour, assistance hardly: (1)with great difficulty hardly: (2)only just harry: ravage haste: hurry, rush hauberk: mail-coat headstall: a covering for a horse's head, used as an alternative to bridle and bit hearken: listen, pay attention heed: thought, consideration heedless: careless of danger hence: from here hew: chop, slice hither: (1)to here, to this place; hither and thither in various directions hither: (2)nearer, closer hoar: grey- or white-haired hobble: limp, walk with difficulty hock: the middle joint of a horse's or pony's leg hue: form or shape hummock: a small hill or knoll (in The Lord of the Rings, 'hummock' is used metaphorically to describe the shape made by the palantír beneath Gandalf's cloak) hunter's moon: the full moon of mid- to late October hythe: a small harbour or haven, especially on a river I ill: evil, wrong J jetsam: items thrown overboard from a ship, and later washed ashore K keen: sharp kerb: a raised edge to a road or path kindle: set fire to, begin to burn L lave: wash, bathe laya: poem that is meant to be sung league: a measure of distance, usually considered to be equivalent to three miles leaguer: an encampment or encampments, especially for defensive purposes leave: permission lee: shelter, especially from wind and weather leech: healer leechcraft: an old name for the practice of medicine, from the ancient belief that blood-sucking leeches had a healing effect lissom: lithe, supple loath: reluctant lob: spider (seen, for example, in the name Shelob) loth: reluctant [a variation on loath above] louver: a domed structure built on a roof with side-openings to allow smoke to escape lower: to become less high (used of hills, cliffs, and so on) M malefactor: one who commits an evil act mantle: cloak, cover mar: spoil or damage beyond repair march: share borders marchwarden: border guard mark: notice, detect marshal: place in proper order mattock: a primitive weapon, originally a farming tool, perhaps best described as a double-headed battle-hoe maw: jaws and throat, especially of a ferocious animal mayhap: perhaps mead: (1)an alcoholic drink made from honey mead: (2)meadow mere: lake or pond mew: a type of gull midge: tiny airborne biting insect; not unlike a mosquito, but much smaller mischance: accident misgive: fill with doubt or suspicion moonshine: fantastic ideas muster: collect, assemble N nethermost: lowest, deepest nicety: precision, exactness; weigh to a nicety measure exactly nigh: near; well nigh, wellnigh almost, very nearly nightshade: probably simply 'darkness' (the literal use of this word appears to be unique to Tolkien - in historical English, it is only used figuratively as the name of a poisonous plant) noisome: foul-smelling, poisonous nook: corner, recess O obeisance: bowing or kneeling in submission oft: often ostler: stable-keeper oust: take possession of another's lands, property, title, etc. outworn: exhausted overbear: defeat by weight of numbers P pallid: pale panoply: full suit of armour parapet: defensive wall built to protect troops parley: discuss terms of peace or cease-fire passward: something granting passage of a guard pate: head, mind pent: restricted, confined penthouse: the area beneath a sloping roof, especially as a later extension to an existing building perforce: having no choice, being forced pinion: a bird's wing, and especially the tip plash: splash portage: transporting a boat overland portent: omen, sign postern: a back- or side-entrance profound: deep prosy: dull, contented with the commonplace provender: food puissant: powerful, influential purloin: steal Q quaff: drink deeply quail: give way to, be intimidated by R raiment: clothing rearguard: that part of an army set to cover its rear ranks, especially in retreat rede: counsel redound: contribute to, advance redress: setting right reft: past tense of the old word reave, to take by force rent: past tense of rend, to tear or split repair: go often respite: relief, calm interval revelry: merrymaking rick: a stack, especially of hay rill: a small stream rude: simple, primitive rue: regret, repent of rumour: sound S sable: heraldic term for black sallow: having yellow or pale brown skin save: except semblance: appearance shade: ghost or phantasm shankleg: especially that part between the knee and ankle sheaf: bundle or cluster of stalks shoal: a particularly shallow part of a river- or sea-bed shore: slice, tear (an old past tense of 'shear') shun: refuse sister-son: nephew slot: track followed by a hunter slowcoach: someone who moves slowly, or is often late sluggard: slow or lazy person smite: strike, attack (the past tense is smote) snuff: sniff deeply sojourn: temporary stay sooth: true, truthful sortie: an attack launched by a besieged force spinney: group of trees, or small wood stead: place, position stem: block, hold back stock: the trunk or stump of a tree; stock and stone inanimate things stoop: in falconry, to swoop on prey straightway: immmediately, directly strait: narrowly confining straitly: narrowly, tightly strand: shore, shoreline, especially a beach stricken: struck; (as an adjective) damaged, broken succour: give aid sunder: divide, separate surname: an additional name indicating some quality or ability (as distinct from modern usage, surname in this context has no connection with family) sward: region of short grass, lawn swart: dark-skinned swarthy: dark-skinned swath: a strip of grass that has been flattened or mown swoon: faint T tarn: mountain lake tarry: pause, wait thence: forward from that time on thither: to or in that place thraldom: slavery thrall: slave thrawn: (1)twisted, misshapen thrawn: (2)obstinate, stubborn throe: violent agony throve: old past tense of 'thrive' thwart: foil, stop tidings: news tipsy: slightly drunk tithe: one tenth toils: trap, snare toothsome: pleasantly appetising tor: rocky hill, especially among moorland toss-pot: drunkard tracery: complex interlinked ornamentation traffic: trade trammels: nets, traps traverse: travel through or across trove: found treasure truncheon: a wooden shaft used as a weapon, or part of a weapon trystan: arranged meeting; break tryst fail to attend a tryst tumult: noisy disturbance tunic: a loose, short-sleeved garment tuppence: two pence, a very small amount of money; not care tuppence have no interest turnkey: jailor tussock: clump of grass twine: twist strands together into a rope U umbel: long flower, as in hemlock or parsley unblazoned: an heraldic term: plain, undecorated ungentle: rough, coarse unquiet: anxious, concerned unsated: unsatisfied unsullied: pure, uncorrupted upbraid: criticise upheave: push or force upwards V vale: the valley of a river varmint: pest, bothersome person or animal vassal: servant, bondsman vie: struggle with, be rival to vigil: watchfulness; hold vigil make devotion viol: an old instrument, usually with six strings, similar to a violin but held in a vertical position like a 'cello W waif: homeless person wain: wagon; The Wain the constellation of the Plough or Big Dipper wan: pale wards: the 'teeth' of a key wareold form of aware waver: (1)shimmer, flicker waver: (2)show indecision wax: grow stronger; increase waylay: intercept, prevent from going forward wayward: uncontrollable, unpredictable web: tapestry wellnigh: almost, very nearly weregild: a payment in compensation for a death (literally 'man-gold') wheedle: coax, persuade whelm: engulf, cover whence: from where whereat: for which reason wherefore: for what (or which) reason whet: sharpen whither: to which place wile: trick, deceit wizened: of shrivelled appearance wold: an upland region of moorland wont: customarily, regularly; wont to err thus regularly make mistakes of this kind worrit: worry worst: defeat wrack: clouds being driven by a strong wind wraith: ghost, apparition wreathe: engulf, surround (especially of vapour or fire) wrest: take by force writhen: writhing, twisting wroth: angry Y yammer: wail, weep yoke: wooden harness for oxen; under the yoke under complete control yonder: over there yore: long ago Z zenith: highest point |
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| kio | Apr 29 2012, 04:48 AM Post #2 |
politician or woodsman
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| Haradwen | Apr 29 2012, 06:05 PM Post #3 |
The Wanderer
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Kio! Shame on you! *laughs* That was actually quite funny. Thanks for the list, Maka. I will do my best to work these words into both my writing...and my speaking. Tomorrow's word: abjure! |
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2:18 AM May 23
