What are you writing about now?

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

I know almost all of these words, I think.

buffet(a blow, typically received)
wyrm(a type of dragon or serpent)
lay(a type of song, typically an epic)
sacked(a verb, to have been sacked, or to be sacked. Basically, raided. Similar to despoiled)
weal(a type of injury. A raised lump of skin after having been buffeted)
shanty(a sea-song, usually sung by sailors while doing their work, I believe)
drake(another type of dragon. The definition of this word is debatable, as it sometimes refers to a dragon with wings, sometimes without)
surfeit(the only word I'm not certain of, but I believe it refers to a penalty of some sort)
sennight(a short-hand form of seven-night, or a week)
despoiled(depending on the context, this could refer to having had your possessions stolen, or to having been despoiled in some more intimate fashion. Older language could often mean the latter, from what I've read)
aft(aft and fore, if I'm correct. Two parts of a ship. The aft side being the back, the fore part being the front. Additionally, I only recently learned "larboard" and "portside" meant the same thing[left side of the ship], only larboard is an older word than portside, and more out of use)

Good job for putting in the effort to list all the definitions, lol. You pretty much said it as I thought! 🙌🫡 I'm lazy. 😂

 

[david_wendelken]

Thank you! I didn't know that about weal :0

An old expression woudl be for weal or woe.

I love the ambiguity. Could mean for good or bad, could mean for hurt or worse.

 

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

That'd be a fun book title. For Weal or Woe.

Also, I find surfeit is more satisfying to say than surplus. It feels like I'm floating in the air. So... 🛩

 

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

surfeit(the only word I'm not certain of, but I believe it refers to a penalty of some sort)

Fun fact: You're probably thinking of forfeit, which is the loss of something, a penalty of a sort after something went the way you didn't want/in which you failed.

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

Which of these words do you know?

I'm learnig that a number of my alpha readers don't know the words.

Here is a sample:

buffet (as in buff-fett, not buff-fay, we are not speaking of food)
wyrm
lay (not as in lie down or place on)
sacked (not with your groceries)
weal
shanty
drake
surfeit
sennight
despoiled
aft

These words are not completely obscure, I've seen all of them at some point or other. But they're the sort of thing you'd find in older texts. People interested in old (e.g. medieval) literature and history are more likely to know them. Or people interested in modern literature with a purposefully archaic writing style (such as Tolkien's wider legendarium, and other fantasy stories).

I personally wouldn't stop using such words just because readers might not understand them. If readers really want to know what they mean, they can look the words up, and they will have learned something new.
It's one way your vocabulary naturally increases in childhood: you discover new words while reading books, and you work them out from context, you ask someone what they mean, or you look them up elsewhere yourself.

However, it is true that using too many archaic words might confuse the reader if they are densely packed into the text (since it erodes the context from which they might work out the unfamiliar word: most of them are unfamiliar!), and it might seem a bit overdone, or like a parody. I'm sure you haven't done that, but it is something to be aware of.

 

[Ugluk]

My paper on flooding along the Darling river is finally out - only took 15 years!

just finished the write up of my Antarctic log for friends and family.

Nothing else on the books at present

If anyone is desperate enough to want and read my antarctic log I am happy to share the pdf, it's 39 pages. I have to make it un-copyable, though, if anyone knows how.

 

[david_wendelken]

Other archaic or uncommon words nowadays:

anon
whilst
castelan
leaguer

 

[WatcherWraith]

Anon: commonly means "soon", but may also bear a reference to some fixed point in time, whether far off or otherwise. I usually remember the Macbeth witches when seeing this word: it was from them I think I first read it.

Whilst: "whilst this was taking place". I think it has the same meaning as "while", though I am not familiar enough with philology to know why the word changed as it did.

Castelan: I do not know the exact meaning of this word, but I believe I have heard it used as a title of authority. Someone who is in charge of something smaller than a kingdom, larger than a boat. I'm not sure.

Leaguer: If I remember correctly, to  beleaguer someone is to trouble them, to harrass or lay siege to them. I'm not sure if this word refers to the one who is doing the troubling, but I very much doubt it refers to leagues.

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

Castelan: I do not know the exact meaning of this word, but I believe I have heard it used as a title of authority. Someone who is in charge of something smaller than a kingdom, larger than a boat. I'm not sure.

I think you're correct there. 😄 I think a castellan is someone in charge of a castle.

Leaguer: If I remember correctly, to  beleaguer someone is to trouble them, to harrass or lay siege to them. I'm not sure if this word refers to the one who is doing the troubling, but I very much doubt it refers to leagues.

Leaguer and siege are interchangeable, I believe. E.g. 'The leaguer of Angband' = 'The siege of Angband'

 

[WatcherWraith]

Ooo, the sweetness of words uncovered! Thank you :]

 

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

I just love Word Nerdery. These are great words. 👀 And it makes me happy to see everyone discussing what they are! 🥳

 

[WatcherWraith]

A game a few of my friends used to play is where one of us gives the others a word, and we all have to guess what it means or refers to. The person who gave the word has to only answer yes or no, so the guessers have to get creative.

My word was "carconet", which I am not sure I spelled correctly(I only heard it, I've rarely seen it). It was cool to see someone actually get pretty close before they had to ask for the answer.

 

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

My word was "carconet"

I believe the spelling you're looking for is "carcanet". But that is an excellent word to supply!!! Perhaps we should create a game thread for this. 👀👀👀👀👀

 

[WatcherWraith]

Perhaps we should create a game thread for this. 👀👀👀👀👀

Aye, let's 😁
It will be one way of improving our vocabulary, and that's always a good thing.

 

[Eljorahir]

Leaguer and siege are interchangeable, I believe. E.g. 'The leaguer of Angband' = 'The siege of Angband'

Tolkien seems to sometimes use leaguer to describe large scale protective barriers.

Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin: “…Turgon shut his ear to word of the woes without, and vowed to march never at the side of any son of Feanor; and his people he forbade ever to pass the leaguer of the hills.”, [Literal definition: siege or military blockade of a city.], [This use of leaguer seems to be metaphorical: the surrounding mountains (hills) serve the same as a besieging army to keep the people in.]

Then, there's the name of the ocean which serves somewhat as a barrier between two continents: Belegaer.

 

[david_wendelken]

More fun words:

festooned
pensive
sell-sword
liege
casque. I'm not using this one, though. It just popped in my head as I was writing this.
amongst
'tis

 

[WatcherWraith]

More fun words:

festooned
pensive
sell-sword
liege
casque. I'm not using this one, though. It just popped in my head as I was writing this.
amongst
'tis

Festooned: Decorated! I love this word, it's so fun-sounding. The halls were "festooned" with holly. "Decked" is another, similar word, only I think that one has a more stately connotation. Festooned is a fun, happy word which loves to go dancing.

Pensive: thoughtful, specifically in a serious or solemn fashion. Sometimes associated with worry or anxiety of a grave sort.

Sell-sword: a mercenary of medieval times. Literally, one who sells his sword for hire. Thank the Lord for Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, for I had a hefty example of this word in two of those books.

Liege: king, liege-lord. One who rules over a small kingdom, I think. I don't recall any kings of large kingdoms being specifically addressed as lieges, though I may be wrong and the word may also apply to them after all. I love this word for a king. It has many associations for me with loyalty, respect, and oaths of fealty.

Casque: I have not heard of this word, but I would be glad to learn about it.

'Tis: a combination of "it is", if I am not mistaken. For some reason, the apostrophe has disappeared in our modern use of tis, and I am not sure why....

 

[Eljorahir]

Liege: king, liege-lord. One who rules over a small kingdom, I think. I don't recall any kings of large kingdoms being specifically addressed as lieges, though I may be wrong and the word may also apply to them after all. I love this word for a king. It has many associations for me with loyalty, respect, and oaths of fealty.

I remember a discussion of liege elsewhere on the forum. I found it interesting because Denethor's use of "my liege" to Pippin is accurate in both cases: mockingly and kindly. IMO

Denethor to Pippin:
’Now tell me your tale, my liege,’ said Denethor, half kindly, half mockingly. ‘For the words of one whom my son so befriended will be welcome indeed.’

 

[WatcherWraith]

I remember a discussion of liege elsewhere on the forum. I found it interesting because Denethor's use of "my liege" to Pippin is accurate in both cases: mockingly and kindly. IMO

Denethor to Pippin:
’Now tell me your tale, my liege,’ said Denethor, half kindly, half mockingly. ‘For the words of one whom my son so befriended will be welcome indeed.’

I think this use of the term on Denethor's part may have been related to the reputation Pippin was already gathering of being a prince of hobbit-folk. And to his tendency for using more casual terms of speech, even when in the presence of great lords. Just my opinion, but a fun one, I think.

 

[Eljorahir]

I think this use of the term on Denethor's part may have been related to the reputation Pippin was already gathering of being a prince of hobbit-folk. And to his tendency for using more casual terms of speech, even when in the presence of great lords. Just my opinion, but a fun one, I think.

Yes, that explains the mocking aspect of Denethor's use of liege.

The more (perhaps) surprising case is that after Pippin spoke his oath of fealty before Denethor, Pippin actually became Denethor's liege. They were lieges to each other. (Or, noting the similarity with another word, in league with one another.)

Liege Definitions: 1. a loyal subject, or 2. a feudal superior to whom allegiance and service are due.