Bring Back These Beautiful Historical Words
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 лип 2023
- This video has been sponsored by Babbel. Start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel 🎉. Get up to 60% OFF your subscription ➡️ Here: bit.ly/vbirchwood60
In this video, I get very excited over historical words and Romantic Era literature, big passions of mine! There are so many beautiful words used historically that we don't use anymore, but I really think they could add something wonderful to contemporary vernacular.
Would you like to see more videos about historical poetry and the Romantics in the future?
Social Media:
Patreon - / vbirchwood
Instagram - / vasibirchwood
Facebook - / vbirchwoodhistorical
Business Inquiries - vbirchwood@helmtalentgroup.com
Sources:
Aeolian Harp:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Ada Salvato, CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...
ia600304.us.archive.org/14/it...
www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...
Oxford English Dictionary
Norton Anthology English Literature: The Romantic Period
Poems Referenced:
Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats
To a Sky-Lark by Percy Shelley
Mutability by Percy Shelley
Thoughts on My Sick-Bed by Dorothy Wordsworth
From Book Eleventh by William Wordsworth
From Book Thirteenth by William Wordsworth
La Belle Dame sans Merci by John Keats
The Fairy Fountain by Letitia Elizabeth Landon
Homer’s Hymn to Minerva by Percy Shelley
A Spirit’s Return by Felicia Dorothea Hemans
The Eiolan Harp by Samuel Coleridge
I hope you enjoyed watching me get super excited over Romantic Era literature! 😃 Which language would you like to learn?
This video has been sponsored by Babbel. Start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel 🎉. Get up to 60% OFF your subscription ➡ Here: bit.ly/vbirchwood60
I’m going to Berlin to improve my German very soon!
Not wanting to sound like I'm copying the channel owner, over a course of multiple decades it has become apparent that learning French would open up a whole new world of railway, aircraft, nautical, references.
I tried to teach myself Russian for four years using Babbel. I’m in my 70s and I was never all that great in school. I guess I did fairly well, but not having any Russian speaking people to talk to. It was very difficult to maintain it. I finally gave it up but Babel is very good, it was just my shortcomings. I really like your channel.❤
I know this is a little bit off-topic, but the series on TV signed, sealed and delivered. This would be excellent for them to fine. Lost letters with these words in them if you have ever seen this series.
I watched because I also love the word “cerulean” as well. I’m a huge fan of the color blue, so that and azure, sounds so beautiful~.
I love the colour blue too! (and it's associated words). On another note, "cyan" should really be a part of everyday vernacular considering it's a primary colour haha.
I have been teaching myself Irish this summer, so thanks for telling me about the Babbel app. As a retired teacher of Romantic literature, I use these lovely words regularly. When my daughter was a preschooler, people were always surprised to hear her say that her favorite color was cerulean!
I had similar funny looks when my son was three and used words like livid and repugnant.
As someone from Ireland who has been learning Irish for over a decade now, I'd highly recommend watching television shows [TG4 is an Irish-language channel that's available online], such as one for kids to get to grips with more basic things, but I've found that watching the soap Ros na Rún with English subtitles has helped me to understand different accents better, as well as phrases and abbreviations.
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat!
Mutability is used in software development jargon referring to "immutable" data which can't be changed once it's set as compared to regular "mutable" data which can changed at any time, great term. My favorite underused word is equanimity, meaning having an even emotional state regardless of what's going on around you.
You've picked out a few of my favourite words. It is such a shame that so many beautiful words have fallen out of common use over the years. I especially love the word effulgent, which means shining brightly.
Omg there's a running joke in the Buffyverse about Spike's use of the word effulgent. (My keyboard wouldn't even let me type it, autocorrect changed it to "effluent" every time lol.) 😅
I have fallen in love with the word “amaranthine”, which is on one hand a shade of purple, and on the other means immortal. I also wanted to ask if you could recommend some good romantic poem collections? I really like the style of that era and would love to read more!
Personally, I really like Tennyson’s “Lady of Shalott”. It’s a very beautiful medieval-influenced ballad. “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” is also great, and a bit shorter.
A beautiful word 😊 thanks for sharing!
Some of my favourite Romantic poems include the ones I mentioned in this video (I also wrote them in the description box) and I would also recommend:
-Surprised by Joy by William Wordsworth
-Grasmere (A Fragment) by Dorothy Wordsworth
-Sonnet to Sleep by John Keats
-To Autumn by John Keats
-Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats
I'm very proud to announce that I was well familiar with all the English words in this video except for Aeolian (which was so cool to learn about the harp as well!). One of my favorite historical words is "halcyon", which has various meanings but in general refers to something peaceful, happy, and beautiful, sometimes in the context of the past or a memory. In a related vein, "idyllic" needs to be used more, while not strictly a historical word since you do still hear it, I think it should be more common. :) Have an idyllic day Vasi!
When my daughter started preschool the teacher asked each student what their favorite color was and my daughter answered, "cerulean". The teacher was blown away. She asked me where my daughter learned that! Crayola crayons!
When my children were young, we loved to explore vernal pools in the forest. Excellent word.
When I was a teenager, I collected antique books and read them voraciously. My vocabulary was heavily laced with ponderous, quaint words. It's so pleasant to listen to someone with similarly influenced vocabulary. Lovely video ❤
where does one find antique books like the ones you read? As a teenager myself interested in expanding my vocabulary and knowledge of classical and older literature :)
Those are some lovely ones!
I think we should also bring back using the word "retire" to indicate going to one's room, but not necessarily going to bed yet. It would be great for anyone who doesn't want to be invited out anywhere, to say they've already retired for the evening. A fancier way of saying "I am NOT putting pants back on this late in the day".
Love these. I'd like a whole series on this topic!
Cerulean is used for paint in art and decoration.
I see mutability used a lot in biology and theology.
I've often thought about awful before. I suspect it became used so often in relation to astoundingly negative events while awesome became associated with positive events to new learners as they grew.
Adamantin must have been the inspiration for the fictional metal adamantium.
As a native French speaker from Québec, this barely starts to express what I love so much about French. It is a poetic language, a sort of balanced mix of simplicity and complexity, rules and exceptions, consonants and vowels. The meeting of the north and the south, like two worlds colliding. I'm delighted to see you take such joy from it. Je te souhaite de continuer de vivre entourée de poésie. Après tout, la poésie n'est-elle pas une forme de magie?
😍5:35 "It makes me think of a very fresh green colour, almost like that of the first leaf when it buds from a tree in the spring" Stunning !!! 🔥🔥🔥
I've often been quite interested in words like succor (which essentially means help) and beseech, both of which have a very Shakespearean sound to it. In fact, I'm mesmerized by the way people used to speak historically because it really makes you marvel at the historical evolution of linguistics. The way one speaks can have a very poetic flow and it's conversational art.
I have the word 'mutability' tattooed on my left ribs.
Amazing!!
Ooh I actually knew Aeolian already as a musician, but also I'm a harpist and heard the word when someone heard my harp playing itself on a windy day! Beautiful sound, but can get a bit disruptive when trying to play pieces outdoors!
That's awesome! Makes sense it would get disruptive if you're trying to play outdoors. It seems like quite an independent instrument that needs to be enjoyed just by itself I think haha
Aeolian mode, or at least the mode that is called “aeolian” now, is familiar to most people who know western music, as it’s the same as pure minor.
@@ragnkja yes! Which is where I originally heard it before someone told me about Aeolian harp :) Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian! :D
@@draigporffor3288
Most of which are sadly neglected these days. It’s mostly ionian and a bit of aeolian (usually modified into melodic minor), with the rest of the modes being relegated to niche uses such as experimental jazz.
@@ragnkja experimental jazz is where I know of them 😂
You can nerd out on language for as long as you like, as far as I'm concerned! I find language and words and their (often shifting) meaning absolutely fascinating.
Did you know, for example, that the English word 'gift' means 'poison' in German? And it's not a coincidence, as one would maybe assume at first. They have the same root (as many English and German words) and in middle high German, the meaning was still the same. But over time, a 'gift', something you gave to someone 'like medicine' became a euphemism for poison! And today, the original meaning is completely lost.
Loved this video, and as a native French speaker (from Switzerland) who LOVES poetry, has read and written serious chunks of it, and also read literature (including old stuff) passionately... I knew all these words - and most of them I use in my everyday vocabulary (not like I use each of them everyday, but without feeling them "old" in any way).
I resonate so much with what you wrote about Romanticism and company.
I think the Cerulean comeback is due to Meryl Streeps speech about the color in the Devil Wears Prada, it’s an iconic scene and for me is what added the word to my vocabulary. My personal favorite rare words are the ones with no direct translation to english (I study chinese based languages, so these come up a lot in my life), my most recent being 無常 (Mujo) which is a word in Japanese describing the freedom of temporary things and the comfort in impermanence (at least from what I could find).
There are artists who follow Mujo, even if they aren't aware of the term. They believe the work they create should be temporary, something you have to experience before it's gone (like, say, burned at some point). It's an interesting philosophy. 😊
I'm very late to this video but it was the same for me "...Meryl Streeps speech about the color in the Devil Wears Prada, it’s an iconic scene and for me is what added the word to my vocabulary. "
3:00 in is when you can start hearing the words in case anyone else is as impatient as me
There’s a poem by Clark Ashton Smith which I absolutely love, entitled “Ennui” 😉
an aeolian harp sounds incredible!!! an instrument played by the wind ???? DREAM
I love this topic and I agree - we should bring back these lovely words. One related word that I particularly love is immutability. I'm guessing you already know this, but "In the Gloaming" is a hauntingly beautiful ballad. If you haven't heard it, by chance, I highly recommend it.
I love this video! I studied French, and have written poetry since childhood. Words are my jam; I was told by an editor I needed to stop using so many big words and now that I'm publishing my own memoir and research on loneliness, I'm using all the words I want and my poetry too! Good luck with your book; it will happen one day! It's been nearly 5 years for me but it's almost here :)
I very much love the Old English word "welkin" meaning the cloud or later the sky. The word 'cerulean' is beautiful, and it is still used by artists today, because cerulean blue is a very specific hue of light blue color. Vernal is still used by astronomers as in "Vernal Equinox". Very beautiful words, indeed!
Apparently, I've found your channel just in time! I certainly consider myself a romantic. One of my favorite things about studying for my English degree was when we read romantic literature. And words! My focus in English was actually linguistics, so I am a lover of words. This video was a supreme delight for me. I hope you share more, even if they are but crumbs sprinkled among your videos
I enjoyed your video. There are some words which should never fall out of favor.
For what it's worth, the word "Aeolian" is still in common use today by musicians, not in the meaning you described but as a term describing one of the most commonly used modes: the "Aeolian mode." It contains the same notes as the natural minor scale.
Adamantin sounds it could be what Wolverine's unbreakable adamantium claws were adapted/inspired from.
Knew all but one, have used most of those since childhood.
You must read books... ;)
@@PatGilliland I’ve slowed down as an adult but have read 107 thus far this year.
By all means , Nerd Out! I do the same thing when learning something new. Nerding out is a good thing!
Hooray for the Sharing of Lovely Antique words.
Hooray for a beautiful thumbnail!
And, an excellent sponsor, because they chose you to support!
🎉😀⭐🐝🌻
I haven't read a lot of older books (through I have a few on my booklist), but I love to come across words that describe things, explores and gives a word to a feeling or sensation. Both in foreign languages and older language. I'm most of all into words that describe weather rather nicely, like Brumous (wintry fog), Apricity (the feeling of the warmth of the sun in the winter), Brontide (the low rumble of thunder on the horizon), Serein (rain from a clear sky), and words that describes smells (through I can only remember Petrichor at the moment).
I just need those kind of words in my life.
I love words too! It was a very happy day when some friends gave me their copy of the unabridged OED. Now I just need a whole set of bookcases for them!
Balderdash is one of my favorites (as is Frank Herbert's invented synonym 'Poppylarky'). Yet half the beauty in romance-era literature is not just the vocabulary but the sentence structure. Not simply the words, but the way they used them. Linguists will commonly refer to English as an SVO language (Subject, Verb, Object word order), but romantic literature and especially romantic poetry is rife (there's another good one!) with variations that shift the language from mere words into a dance of meaning and metaphor. A simple example: "The woman wept for her lost lover" (SVO), "For her lost lover the woman wept" (OSV), "For her lost lover wept the woman" (OVS), "Wept the woman for her lost lover" (VSO).
Also the use of helper verbs, "For her lost lover did the woman weep", and we start getting into some downright gorgeous writing.
Across the moors echoed the thunder of her beating heart. Charcoal clouds swept the sky above her aching breast which naught could part, for even the brightest ray of sun turned to blackest ink in her despair. In the depths of her soul, crushed beneath the weight of ten thousand fathoms, lay what remained of her hopes, dashed upon the rocky shoals and swept out to sea.
Hades held no fiery pits nor burning flames. Of pain and torture there was none amongst the eternal suffering of the damned. Chains and scourges, where she was going, did not exist.
Torment was the empty cushion beside her as she wept. Agony was the empty pillow beside her has she slept. Anguish was the void in her heart, where once her truest love resided, which no touch, no caress nor tender kiss of any other could ever fill.
Loneliness the darkest hell does make.
whenever i hear of balderdash i just think of bbc ghosts and thomas going ‘balderdash! I’ll thrash you all at twist it and run a mile!!’ xD
My boyfriend is making an Aeolian harp from the insides of an old piano for our garden.
Forlorn is still used regularly in the fantasy genre
And the north of England - its our word for hopes and dreams...
Yep! Which is why I put emphasis on the variant "lorn" specifically, as I've seen it far less often in the fantasy genre or historical fiction.
As a fan of using archaic language, I love this video!
As a french watcher of your channel it was really fun to see all the french words used in English. I seems nowadays that the tendency is more having english words used in french daily language !
We have an equivalent for"mutability" in french that is pretty common : it is "mouvant" it means moving litteraly and metaphorically.
Eolian makes me think of "éolien" the name in music for the minor "scale" or minor natural mode. I wonder if these 2 words are linked ?
The word "ennui" is used in daily language in french, it means boredom but also having troubles in french. (and yes it is prononced "en-u-i")
"Couchant" is prononced "k-u-ch-en" (the t is silent), but I guess that used in english, you can keep the english pronunciation :) Couchant, is mostly used in french to talk about sunset : "soleil couchant"
Eminence is also used in french with the same spelling ! Mostly used as a way to adress to a king ; "votre éminence" and also to talk about an expert in a field : "c'est une éminence dans son domaine"
About "anuiter" I had never seen the use of this verb ! We only use a name derived from this verb : "une nuité" which is the amount of nights that you spend in a place, moslty used when it is not at home (like "nous avons réservé 3 nuités dans cet hotel")
Bravo for your efforts in pronunciating french ! We know it is hard ;) (and sorry for my spelling mistakes)
Such lovely words, many of which I have used in everyday communication. However, I have mixed up "cerulean " with "celadon " when describing a color. It happens.
The pursuit of etymology has taught me that mysterious and gravid concepts always resolve to tangible experiences. Cerulean is a fancy sounding word until one learns that its root is the word for sky. It's then that it truly becomes available and familiar.
It would be fun playing Balderdash with you! That's how I learned the word "taplash" - skunky beer.
Couchant and the older definition of eminence were new to me! Within the English language, there is such potential for specificity in conveying exactly what you mean, provided you know less common words. I think there is a great beauty in language fully utilized and the history and context of languages are an unending well to draw from. I highly recommend the podcast "The History of the English Language" to anyone interested in history (prehistoric to present) or understanding how and why the English language is what is today!
A friend of mine once said that I spoke in an old fashioned manner, I suppose being exposed to Biblical language, then Shakespeare, Marlowe and Victorian writers rubbed off on me over time. The comment quite pleased me. 'Gossamer' and 'erstwhile' are two I try to squeeze in which are still recognisable. Two I would like to resurrect are 'fain' for joyful, and 'dudgeon' for annoyed.
I've done a fair bit of reading, and all of these (English) words are familiar to me. You might get a kick out of Rob Words channel if you're not already familiar. It gives a lot of etymology of various words and history of letters.
I absolutely adore Rob Words!
Thanks for the tip! 😊
There is actually a town in Kentucky known as Eminence - due to being the highest spot in the county. I use ennui, forlorn, verdant, and vernal on a regular basis.
I loved this video, Vasi. Funnily enough, I knew many english words which actually come from French, like cerulean or vernal but I didn't know the last two words which are actually French! I am trying to learn German and I am actually using Babbel. I will look at the lifetime subscription. One final note: I loved your outfit. Thanks for another great video which inspired me to read more poetry.
as a programmer, i actually use the words mutable/immutable quite a bit! it's used to describe whether or not some data should be changed after it has been defined or created.
i also use "awful" in its traditional sense sometimes as well, like "The cake was awfully good".
Beautiful video! I especially loved “vernal.” I love to collect interesting words. I studied poetry in college as well, which is where I learned one of my favorites: “ineffable” (from a Yeats poem I think?).
In addition to your usual videos. This kind of video, and even how people lived back in Victorian times are and would be interesting to watch. I hope you continue these fun and edutainment style videos
I would like to continue learning German. I use Duolingo right now. I would also like to learn Ecclesiastical Latin because that is what my church uses regularly in worship.
This was absolutely fascinating, please do more!
If you want to do poetry related videos I would also love that! (And dearly love to hear your poetry!)
That was a fun video. I don’t usually think of words like this. I think I will be contemplating this for the rest of the day
Aeolian is also a mode in music. It’s the natural minor mode. It is not used as often as the minor variations- harmonic and melodic.
I love romantic era words too! An interesting consequence of loving these words so much is how my brain responded to an injury that made it difficult to find words. Often, the only vocabulary and sentence structure I can come up with are something others find peculiar and unfathomable! I've learned to just say the weird word, then my brain usually allows me to describe what it means so I don't lose my audience. 😂
Thank you for enriching my vocabulary! I’m using babble for my grandson and I to learn Spanish.
NB Aeolian is also a musical scale/mode which is kind of haunting and wistful.
Cerulean is one of the more popular paint colors in fine art sets such as watercolor/oil/Gouache. It is "traditionally" made with PB35 although it can be found made with PB36 as well. I use Traditionally in quotes because this is a synthetic pigment and has only been widely used since 1860. my fav version is M Graham Gouache Cerulean Blue 080
My favourite old word is gad. Gadding about-having a fun frivolous time. Jane Austens Persuasion,"she is always upon the gad". And Putrid. Putrid sore throats,putrid smells etc.
Your French pronunciation is great! I'll help you with "couchant" - it sounds more like like "koo - shaw."
Personally, I miss the short, robust words that we've lost, like "vex" which is a bit stronger than annoy, or "bid" which can mean order or command but also wish, as in "I bid you good day." Isn't it cooler to command someone to have a good day than it is to passively hope they have a good day? 😄
Gumption is another good one, which is the quality of being proactive, determined, and resilient. Definitely needed in this day and age.
This is quite fascinating. I suppose it's because I read a lot myself, so I've met many of these words before. My favorite was "verdant" actually. The word "cerulean" made me a bit surprised. As a long time enjoyer of fanfiction, I noticed that a lot of less experienced people use this adjective to describe an eye color. Now I want to know where this trend has come from! I suppose I'll dig into it later. Thank you for this nice video, it was very inspiring. I would be happy to see more in the future!
A masters in creative writing? How cool!
I've always liked the word squamous; it means 'scaly', but sounds very Edward Lear to me. I also like 'perambulate' which means to walk leisurely around a place.
'Cerulean' is familiar enough if you are an artist. My ex-wife was a painter and always had a tube of 'cerulean blue' amongst her oil colours. I think Milton uses 'awful' (or perhaps 'aweful'?) in your sense and has a wonderful vocabulary, probably wider and deeper than the Romantics. How about his description of Satan as 'the artificer of fraud'?
This was lovely! I love to open to a random page in the dictionary and find a word to use that day. Not the little desk type book; the latest English Oxford addition 21,728 page in 20 book's addition! I enjoy learning its original origin...
You definitely made me want to read some poetry! Well done.
Blithsomely ,
Audri
max miller of tasting history is trying to revive "bedight," meaning decorated. i first learned that word in high school reading edgar allan poe's "the conqueror worm," which was part of a short story. those of us who paint or draw as a hobby use "cerulean" oftener than the general population, i'd wager. :)
In computing, mutability refers to the characteristic of an object having properties whose values can change while the object itself maintains a unique identity. An object is considered mutable if its state or value can be modified after it is created. Mutable objects allow you to change their value or data in place without affecting the object’s identity. In contrast, immutable objects cannot be modified after they are created1.
Judging by the comments, its probably no surprise as a programmer and an avid fantasy fan I didn't learn any new words! Though did tighten a couple a couple of my definitions, hazards of picking up from context.
I wondered a little if the resergence in the popularity of cerulean could be from The House in the Cerulean Sea, but it looks like it happens before that was published.
I'll also say in English there is the word adamantine, which seems to mean the exact same thing as the French equivalent.
That was fun to listen to! I also have some fascination with words, especially ones with deep meanings. I used to write poems...maybe I should start again.
I am currently studying Dutch as that is my main ancestry but I have recently found more ties to Danish so that is on my list also.
Your love of history shows through your enthusiasm in your speech and projects. It's quite inspiring💙Also cerulean blue is my favorite blue, it's one of my Prismacolor pencils, which I really appreciate working with.💙
I would love to buy a copy when you release your book of poetry. 😄
That’s very kind, thank you 😊
Romantic era language and poetry is incredibly beautiful! I studied John Keats and wrote many essays on his poems and it's great to see appreciation of that language! I personally love the language J.R.R. Tolkien uses in his works. I can't thing of a example's off the top of my head 😂
I wish I was an immortal vampire simply so I'd have time to learn all the languages 😂. At the moment though I'm learning Quenya (one of Tolkien's languages) and Ukrainian (slightly more practical) 😊
I've thought the same thing, minus the bloodthirst part lol. If I had confidence the world would still be here in 50-100yrs I'd want to be immortal to have time to read all the books and learn all the languages. 😊
This was a real interesing fun lesson on words. Thanks for sharing Miss Birchwood. I'm a lover of learning new things including history which got me to sub to ya way back in 2019 when the channel got recommended to me. I agree with ya on we need to bring some fun old words back into our vocabulary.
Merveilleux. J’ai moi aussi étudié la littérature et la création littéraire à l’université.
Couchant est prononcé ‘coo’.
J’apprécie beaucoup tes vidéos, Vasi.
You sound like JRR Tolkien himself in his enjoyment of language and words.
Being an avid reader with a degree in 19th century history (US), I was a aware of these words and do try to use at least some of them regularly. I often say that certain seasons (especially summer) make me feel stagnant, but I might replace this by saying that they fill me with ennui.
I really enjoyed this video!
new video of Birchwood?
instantly like
Hi from France, Lady :) I really love your videos, always calming and inspiring ! Thank you for your work.
For "couchant", we say "coo-chan" (-t is silent). And "ennui" is more "An-nui" (like in "antagonist") Hope this could help you improve your french as you help me improve my english :)
Have a nice day !
I really enjoyed your choice of words. I sometimes use outdated words just to not sound boring. Also, cause I watch a lot of period dramas, and I live in a country for which English is not the native language, so my language influence has become the period dramas rather than social interaction.
I also have a pretty good guess, why 'cerulean' made a comeback in the mid 2010s, btw. 2006 is when 'The Devil wears Prada' was released. A pop culture classic. And the famous 'Cerulean sweater' scene was one of the many memorable moments from that movie. I'm sure, I'm not the only one immediately remembering it, when hearing that word.
And just to add another pop culture reference: adamantine is also the name of a drug (or the active substance in a drug), that used to be used as treatment during a influenza A infection. I remember that from watching Dr. House, where one of the Team members dies of 'adamantine poisoning', when she damages her kidneys in an accident. It's funny, what our brains choose to retain, isn't it? It must be going on a decade, since I last rewatched that show and yet I still distinctly remember the name and what happened. And I'm not exactly known for my good memory otherwise.
I enjoy your passion for the Romantic era.
I wonder now, if I am at last ready/able to "understand"(in the compassionate sense) poetry from then
You already mentioned almost all of the few words I knew before the video.
I don't remember you mentioning:
Lyrical, or
Languishing
Below, I add some descriptive words for the less sensorally pleasant things to have in one's daily/lifestyle/ongoing presence:
Distain
Disenchanted
Vile
Repugnant
Revulsion
& at least too more a bit too graphic to post, on second thought.
They make things I want to dispose of sound poetic, & thus manageable.
The Verbal section of the GRE used to test students on many of these kinds of words. However, they changed it about ten years ago, which shifts the focus of American intellectualism again.
As somebody who enjoys pipe organs, I forgot that aeolian is a rare word. It is one of my favorite words too.
Kenopsia: n. the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that’s usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet-a school hallway in the evening, an unlit office on a weekend, vacant fairgrounds-an emotional afterimage that makes it seem not just empty but hyper-empty, with a total population in the negative, who are so conspicuously absent they glow like neon signs.
Learning Norwegian right now ❤
There is a lake in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada called Cerulean Lake. This has so much to do with your youth. When I was your age, most of these words were in use and those not were still understood if used. The English Language has, in my opinion, degraded into not much more than a bunch of tropes, tag lines, meaningless grunts and f'n emogis. Thank you for taking an interest in English. I am currently studying French, the second official language of Canada. I love it when younger people are interested in history. I like your channel and your presentation style.
cerulean is a gorgeous word, but i was always captivated by the word colour azure....the * zh * sound is so wonderful to my mind's ear! Aolian is very pretty....as a kid, I loved *reading* the dictionary, & I came across the word mellifluous, which I was obsessed with for a while.... immer (ih'mehr) sehnsucht (zehyn'zooht) are 2 German words I like: the 1st means *always*, the 2nd *intense wistful longing*. a friend taught me the second word....Sevdah means a dark melancholy caused by love in Bosnian (@ least that's how my Bosnian friend described it!) language i'd like to learn? Bosnian! btw- your 2nd pronounciation of couchant was pretty on point ( you just don't pronounce the consonant if it's the last letter...) Thank you so much for this video: I love words as well & enjoyed this very much!
Funny that in English, Athena's eyes are described as “cerulean” instead of “glaucous” (or "glaucopide" to use Homer's words), which is a less bright, uncertain shade of blue with hints of green and grey (Baudelaire compared eyes of such colour to a stormy sky in “Ciel Brouillé”). Moreover, the French "glauque" also means "shady" and "sordid".
Awful's meaning evolution reminds me of “formidable”, which primal meaning used to be “frightful” or “terrifying”, but today has a more positive vibe.
I also enjoy unique words and loved your video. I like how a word we know like couch is from a historical word. I will watch for another show!
A historical word from the 17th century I like is Amaranthine, which sort of means immortal or unfading.
"Vernal" is a word I'm most used to hearing in the context of "vernal equinox" "Cerulean" was, for a while, subject to a meme based on overly flowery romance novel ways of describing someone's eyes, i.e. "cerulean orbs", which may explain the rise in interest!
Quite a few of these words are still used in astronomy, although I have yet to encounter a journal article which uses the word gloam.
Tolkien thought cellar door was the most beautiful phrase in English. I like "piquant" "droll" "gambol" "gallivant" "widdershins"and "aether"
Here in England, these words still live. Cerulean is perhaps used almost exclusively by artists and Aeolian (harp) somewhat historical, while gloam survives as 'roaming in the gloaming' and couchant is pretty much restricted to heraldry (lion couchant)., but mutable is more widely used, and the vernal equinox i very much a 'thing'. Likewise ennui would be widely recognised and 'looking lost and forlorn' is a perfectly ordinary phrase ('lorn' is, I think merely a 'poetic' construction). As for 'eminience', Cardinals aside, I think it is still used with the meanings you ascribe to it . Finally, the English equivalent of adamantin is adamantine; I grant that its use as a adjective is a bit specialist, but the equivalent noun 'adamant' is the absolutely normal word for someone who refuses to back down.
My grandmother used to use awful to mean amazing, which is not quite awe-inspiring, but close!
This was such a wonderful video! I always keep a dictionary by my side when reading. one never knows when a definition of a word is needed.
I would like to learn French, as well as well German - the language of my ancestors.
One of my favorite now-slightly-archaic words is "wanton." The original meaning was "undisciplined" or "lavish, overly extravagant." The sound of the word does evoke a sense of waywardness, of capriciousness. As for which language I'd like to learn, it's Arabic. You might enjoy researching Arabic poetry, as the Arab culture was very concentrated on the use of beautiful language, and poets were their version of rock stars.
This appeals greatly to my inner geek. I studied old and middle English. Do you know 'Erlyft'? It means morning air, implying freshness and coolness no doubt. 😊
I'm working on learning Spanish to connect more with my ancestry!
I like ineffable (got that from Good Omens) and revelry meaning party which I found in The Mask of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe. Frolicksome also sounds nice (I just found it as a translation for the german 'ausgelassen').
I’d love to learn Anglo-Saxon (Old English). It’s a dead language but it’s just so beautiful.