March 5, 2011

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  The only benefit I've been able to come up with so far for my insane procrastination this weekend is that it'll result with me in the comp. sci. labs from roughly 1 to 9 in the morning munching on a full pizza and blasting Bruce Springsteen music in a pure marathon (17 albums? Should be enough to last me the night) because no one will be there with me at so late an hour.

  Also, my latest music obsession:
  

   

  So, I know I've been saying I'd do another archaic word of the day for a while now (that being an understatement). And, in pure Jon fashion, I have yet to do it. SO, to make it up to you all, I'm doing three today. You English-lovin' subscribers, start rejoicing.

  Since, admittedly, it's been a while, I'll explain the point and purpose behind this little (laxidasical) project of mine again. I'm a writer, and, as such, I love words. I particularly have a taste for the rare and obscure (for whatever reason), so I'm naturally drawn to archaic words. Also, I'm finding I love linguistics, and I like things which are in sort of in-between positions (such as, for example, words that belong to a particular type of a language (I'm thinking British English here) and not others - scrumping being an excellent example. It means to steal, specifically, apples from a garden or orchard (not any other kind of fruit, funnily enough). Use it in an American conversation sometime). Plus I think once a word has a definition, that definition is valid forever.

  Also, I'm going to start re-posting the definitions of all the past words when I do this too, so you don't have to figure it out from the example sentences alone or search through my xanga for the original entries.

  Now, without further ado...our three new words! They are Weal, Nesh, and Farrant. Farrant, in fact, is so archaic that I can't seem to find a definition of it anywhere other than the text I got it from for my English class and the OED. Also interesting (according to the OED apparently), Farrant has two adjective forms (Farrantly as well). However, seeing as farrantly as an adjective is first seen used several centuries after farrant, it's likely just a product of the language breaking down over time; need further evidence? Quick - adjective, quickly - adverb.

  Interestingly for neal, only the World English dictionary (of the dictionaries that dictionary.com lists; I didn't check the OED) list weal as archaic. It's a good crop this time, guys.

   

  Farrant [ˈfær-ənt]
  -adjective

  1. of a person: Obs.
     a. well-favored, comely, handsome, good-looking.
     b. genteel, respectable
  2. of a thing: becoming, fit, proper
  3. having a specified appearance, disposition, or temperament:
      auld-farrant, evil-farrant, fair-farrant, fighting-farrant, foul-farrant, well-farrant.

  Origin:
  c1380; probably an application of farande, northern present participle of fare v.; compare the sense ‘to suit, befit’ of Old Norse fara

  Related forms:
  farrantly, adjective (same as above)
  farrantly, adverb

  1. pleasantly, handsomely, splendidly
  

   

   

  Nesh [nɛʃ]
  -adjective

  1. sensitive to the cold
  2. timid or cowardly

  Origin:
  from Old English hnesce;  related to Gothic hnasqus  tender, soft; of obscure origin
  

   

   

  Weal [wiːl]
  -noun

  1. wale, welt, Also called: wheal - a raised mark on the surface of the body produced by a blow
  2. archaic prosperity or wellbeing
      the public weal, the common weal
  3. obsolete the state
  4. obsolete wealth

  Origin:
  1st: variant of wale , influenced in form by wheal; 2nd: Old English wela; related to Old Saxon welo, Old High German wolo 

   

   

  Luculent [loo-kyoo-luhnt]
  -adjective

  1. clear or lucid:
      a luculent explanation.
  2. convincing; cogent.

  Origin:
  1375-1425

   

   

  Acherontic [Ach`e*ron"tic]
  -adjective

  1. of or pertaining to Acheron; infernal; hence, dismal, gloomy; moribund:

  Origin:
  dictionary.com doesn't say
  

   

   

  Deign [deyn]
  -verb (used without object)

  1. to think fit or in accordance with one's dignity; condescend:
      He would not deign to discuss the matter with us.

   

  -verb (used with object)

  2. to condescend to give or grant:
      He deigned no reply.
  3. Obsolete. to condescend to accept

  Origin:
  1250-1300

   

   

  Gainsay [geyn-sey, geyn-sey]
  -verb (used with object), -said, -say⋅ing

  1. to deny, despute, or contradict
  2. to speak or act against; oppose

  Origin:
  1250-1300

  Related forms:
  gainsayer, noun

   

   

  Ere [air]
  –preposition, conjunction

  before; previous to; sooner than

  Origin:
  before 900

   

   

  Mauger  [maw-ger]
  -preposition

  1. archaic in spite of; Notwithstanding:
      I will follow you, mauger your recent defeat.

  Origin:
  1225-75; Middle English<Middle French: literally, spite, ill-will

   

   

   

  Mauger the upcoming onslaught of the end-times, I haven't had such a lucucent vision of what I want to do with my life in years. Ere the Hell-demons come, I shall have to do more physical work (my skin is far too nesh at the moment - there are ice demons in Hell, you know). I'm told I have far too acherontic of a future-view but I gainsay those people and tell them the simple truth - they are ignoring our impending reality. I surely find it better that I not allow pride to influence me; should I never deign to speak on the future would be a severe blow against the public weal, surely. If only wish more could learn to be so farrant a person as me.
  

  • 11:03 pm
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