Everything about Archaism totally explained
In
language, an
archaism is the use of a form of speech or writing that's no longer current. This can either be done deliberately (to achieve a specific effect) or as part of a specific
jargon (for example in
law) or formula (for example in
religious contexts). Many
nursery rhymes contain archaisms. Archaic elements that occur only in certain fixed expressions (for example "be that as it may") are not considered to be archaisms.
Usage
Archaisms are most frequently encountered in
poetry,
law, and
ritual writing and speech. Their deliberate use can be subdivided into
literary archaisms, which seeks to evoke the style of older speech and writing; and
lexical archaisms, the use of words no longer in common use. Archaisms are kept alive by these ritual and literary uses and by the study of older literature. Should they remain recognised, they can be revived, as the word
anent was in this past century.
Some, such as academic and amateur
philologists, enjoy learning and using archaisms either in speech or writing, though this may sometimes be misconstrued as
pseudo-intellectualism.
Archaisms are frequently misunderstood, leading to changes in usage. One example is the use of the archaic familiar second person singular pronoun "
thou" to refer to God in English Christianity. Although originally a familiar pronoun, it has been misinterpreted as a respectful one by many modern Christians. Another example is found in the
phrase "the odd man out", which originally came from the phrase "to find the odd man out", where the verb "to find out" has been split by its object "the odd man", meaning the item which doesn't fit.
The compound adverbs and prepositions found in the writing of
lawyers (
for example heretofore, hereunto, thereof) are examples of archaisms as a form of jargon. Some
phraseologies, especially in religious contexts, retain archaic elements that are not used in ordinary speech in any other context: "With this ring I thee wed." Archaisms are also used in the
dialogue of
historical novels in order to evoke the flavour of the period. Some may count as
inherently funny words and are used for
humorous effect.
Alternative meanings
In
anthropological studies of culture, archaism is defined as the absence of writing and
subsistence economy.
In history, archaism is used to connote a superior, albeit mythical, "golden age."
Further Information
Get more info on 'Archaism'.
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