obsolete vocabulary/language

[cacian]

I came across a word TREEN for TREE and I found out it is an obsolete word.

SWIVE is apparently also obsolete. Here is a short quote/article I found:


Just wondering if you can shed any historical light on the word "swive," a favorite of John Barth, though I don't believe any of his novels have gone into its etymology. Love to hear your thoughts.

Swive, which means 'to copulate or copulate with', and which rhymes with hive or jive, is a word well-loved by a lot of people. As an obsolete word for sex with a good literary heritage, using it gives smart folk a chance to be mildly dirty and show off at the same time.

The word swive is most prominently found in Chaucer's Miller's Tale, one of his more bawdy works: "Thus swived was this carpenter's wife." Most language buffs who know the word have picked it up directly or indirectly from here. John Barth, as you note, was a fan: "Swive was a fine old verb whose desuetude in all but a few back-campus areas was much to be deplored, as it left the language with no term for service that was not obscene, clinical, legalistic, ironic, euphemistic, or periphrastic" (Giles Goat-Boy); "Think not we crave a swiving pure and simple at any time as do men always--'tis oft a pleasure with us, but rarely a passion" (The Sot-Weed Factor). Anthony Burgess, another vocabulary arcanist, also used it: "Swives like a rattlesnake, so they tell me" (Napoleon Symphony).

Despite these occasional modern examples, used self-consciously, the word does not really have currency, and most dictionaries regard it as either archaic or obsolete. First recorded in the thirteenth century, swive seems to have been popular through the seventeenth or early eighteenth century (particularly in Scottish use), when it fades into archaism. The word swive derives ultimately from an Old English word meaning 'to move; wend; sweep'.


Now that it is obsolete I may give it a new meaning and reintroduce it to language. I have used it in a poem to mean ''sweeps''.
I was surprised as I did not know language can go obsolete.
This is one type of vocabulary that oozes satiety when I read it. It has weight.

How and why words do go obsolete? Is it technology or our disinterest in the word?
Should there be a revival to all words that go missing?

[hannah_arendt]

Soem words can be considered as old- fashioned, a little bit forgotten maybe. It is normal that some words , one day, comes out of use.

[cacian]

Soem words can be considered as old- fashioned, a little bit forgotten maybe. It is normal that some words , one day, comes out of use.

Do you have the same in Polish? are you aware words that go missing?

[Adolescent09]

Phrases like 'chaise-and-four' are outdated although were once commonly used in Austen's time.

One word that should most definitely be obsolete is: "ignorant". I can't even remember the last time I read/heard it used correctly.

[cafolini]

phrases like 'chaise-and-four' are outdated although were once commonly used in austen's time.

One word that should most definitely be obsolete is: "ignorant". I can't even remember the last time i read/heard it used correctly.
roflmao!!

[cacian]

Phrases like 'chaise-and-four' are outdated although were once commonly used in Austen's time.

One word that should most definitely be obsolete is: "ignorant". I can't even remember the last time I read/heard it used correctly.

Indeed. Ignorant from Ignoramus is it?
I am sorry to hear you want it obsolete but then I see the language follows the mean and so ignorant obsolete makes less of ignorance to be.
I am a great believer in words. In more words we make in more we are.
Oh and about chaise-and-four it is not the same as chaise-longue is it? I must look it up I guess. :)

[hannah_arendt]

Do you have the same in Polish? are you aware words that go missing?

Yes, I do. I wrote my M.A on history of the language so I think that I know something about it. I prepare you more interesting materials about changing the meaning in Polish soon:)

However many people aren`t aware of all those linguistics processes.

[cacian]

Yes, I do. I wrote my M.A on history of the language so I think that I know something about it. I prepare you more interesting materials about changing the meaning in Polish soon:)

However many people aren`t aware of all those linguistics processes.

Hannah thank you very much that sounds interesting.:)
It is true that people are unaware of the changes of language and I think it is important to realise that language is the mean to our personalities.
We must therefore be aware not to let ware.

[hannah_arendt]

Hannah thank you very much that sounds interesting.:)
It is true that people are unaware of the changes of language and I think it is important to realise that language is the mean to our personalities.
We must therefore be aware not to let ware.

I have always found it very interesting:) For example, about XIV century word "Maciora " (now: 'sow') meant 'mother'. We have still a root coming from this word in many other constructions: macierzyński ('maternal'). The word 'mać' is a part of many swearwords. Contmporary "mother is 'matka'.

Up to XIX century in Polish existed many words meaning relations in families. Now we don`t distinguish, for instance, the man`s mother in low, from the wife`s mother in love.

For instance, now 'ksiądz' is 'priest'. In Xv century this word had the meaning of 'prince'.

Probably soon I`ll find more interesting examples.

[cacian]

This is so interesting Hannah.
I am liking the word 'maciora'. How intriguing how it changes from being a mother to snow.
I like the sound 'macierszynski' I can pronounce and it is very gratifying to say ;)
The word 'mać' is easy to say.
'Matka' is this how you would call your mother?
I was going to ask what is 'mother in love'?
I would like to read more and thank you for such an insightful post.:)

[PeterL]

Phrases like 'chaise-and-four' are outdated although were once commonly used in Austen's time.

One word that should most definitely be obsolete is: "ignorant". I can't even remember the last time I read/heard it used correctly.

"Ignorant is in common use, and I frequently see or hear it used correctly. It means "lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned." How does that make it obsolete?

[cacian]

"Ignorant is in common use, and I frequently see or hear it used correctly. It means "lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned." How does that make it obsolete?

Ignorant from ignore could also be interpreted as one ignoring another one on purpose.
For example I could

''he is ignorant of him'' different to ''he is ignorant''.
I often write using 'ignorant' as in the first sentence.

[hannah_arendt]

This is so interesting Hannah.
I am liking the word 'maciora'. How intriguing how it changes from being a mother to snow.
I like the sound 'macierszynski' I can pronounce and it is very gratifying to say ;)
The word 'mać' is easy to say.
'Matka' is this how you would call your mother?
I was going to ask what is 'mother in love'?
I would like to read more and thank you for such an insightful post.:)

yes, 'matka'= 'mother'
'mother-in-law'= 'teściowa'.

What more would you like to know? Maybe one day I`ll write a book about it:)

[cacian]

yes, 'matka'= 'mother'
'mother-in-law'= 'teściowa'.

What more would you like to know? Maybe one day I`ll write a book about it:)

I wanted to ask what is the root language of Polish if I may ask?
Writing a book about sounds a good idea.

[PeterL]

I wanted to ask what is the root language of Polish if I may ask?
Writing a book about sounds a good idea.

Polish is of the "satem" branch of Proto-Indo-European along with Germanic and Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi and Persian.

[PeterL]

Ignorant from ignore could also be interpreted as one ignoring another one on purpose.
For example I could

''he is ignorant of him'' different to ''he is ignorant''.
I often write using 'ignorant' as in the first sentence.

I often see and hear "ignorant of" comments, but they almost always that someone does not know something in particular.

[hannah_arendt]

I wanted to ask what is the root language of Polish if I may ask?
Writing a book about sounds a good idea.

Polish has more than 1 root of course: proto-slavian, latin, french. First of all it is slavian. Very big inflaunce on the process of creating new words had latin. However we shouldn`t forget about French and German impact, mainly on borowings, derivations.

Examples:

The very basic vocabulary comes from slavian roots. We have common words with Russian for example. However there are certain differences in meaning sometimes. If it comes to Latin, as a result of christianisation, going into Church organisation, we got many words connected mainly with the new religion. Here there is an influence of czech language: in Polish 'sky' is 'niebo', in Czech: 'nebesi'.
French influence is seen from the XVI century. There are words connected with culture, clothes. We have many words taken from German, also those from dialects.