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Six rare and ancient words we should (re) use

2020-11-24T18:09:34.751Z


"Imbriac", "stiffness", "captious" ... The dictionary is a gold mine of words fallen into oblivion. An anthology of these old-fashioned charming terms, to use absolutely.


What if we made our good resolutions for next year today?

One of them could be to renew our lexical field, by using these old terms which make the charm of our language.

Precious, obscure, or obsolete, they deserve to be dusted off.

Let's open the dictionary.

»READ ALSO - These French words that we would do well to use (instead of anglicisms)

Do you know what the word “objurgation” means?

It is used in a context of arguments, where one of the interlocutors sends to his vis-à-vis "strong remonstrances (...) severe warnings to distract someone from his projects", as well as Le Larousse specifies.

Someone is said to have "yielded to objurgations".

Born from the Latin “objurgatio” (reproach, blame), it is also used to translate an “urgent prayer, a supplication”, specifies the Treasury of the French language.

We thus say "to address a fervent objurgation".

What about the word "stiffness"?

He describes a person who lacks ease, naturalness, who gets entangled in a lack of spontaneity.

The one who shows rigidity is endowed with a rigid, uncompromising character.

Synonymous with "stiffness", we find this word in the French language from 1170 to signify a "character of severity, rigor", underlines the Treasury of the French language.

Imagine the following scene: you go to a last minute dinner.

The prospect of reuniting with old friends without being forced into socializing enchants you.

O rage, O despair!

Your "companion", in other words your dining companion, is an illustrious stranger who does not give you a moment's respite.

This ancient term has been attested in French since the 16th century, and also refers to "a domestic animal fed by man", states the dictionary.

We can also say "to be the companion of a restaurant" to say "to be a regular, a faithful".

Do you know the meaning of the word "captious"?

If you are faced with an individual who is trying to deceive you, to mislead you with fine, seductive words, you can call him “captious”.

This term a bit precious is also used to qualify an argument, a way of saying things.

Example: "He presented things to me in a captious way".

We all know someone around us who is jealous, full of bitterness and resentment.

This one is a "bastard", he struggles to rejoice in the happiness of others.

This is how someone who "is inclined to malice, to denigration, which testifies to animosity", indicates Le Larousse.

We also speak of a "fielleuse" action.

As specified in the Treasury of the French language, in the proper sense, the word "fiel" means "bitter, greenish liquid contained in the bilary vesicle".

The surest way, when trying to be forgiven for something, is to show "resipiscence".

This funny word is to be used when you want to make amends after an error, a word too much or an awkwardness.

According to Le Larousse, the custom is to say "come, bring to resipiscence" in the sense "to recognize a fault with the will to correct".

An honorable intention ...

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-11-24

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