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History => Ancient and Medieval History => Topic started by: Imperial Dave on December 17, 2024, 04:11:37 PM

Title: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Imperial Dave on December 17, 2024, 04:11:37 PM
https://www.medievalists.net/2024/12/words-changed-meaning-middle-ages/

Very silly  :)
Title: Re: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Erpingham on December 17, 2024, 04:15:54 PM
Well, it seems to have left you in good cheer  :)
Title: Re: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Imperial Dave on December 17, 2024, 04:59:04 PM
I find these things fascinating as you know  :)
Title: Re: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Erpingham on December 18, 2024, 11:36:59 AM
For a more military one, try chariot.  In medieval English this could mean a vehicle for battle (e.g. in reference to classical times) but what the reader/listener envisaged may have been different to the modern view. It could also mean a fancy carriage for the nobility but a common meaning was a lighter four wheeled wagon used in agriculture, haulage and military baggage roles. The two-wheeled vehicle meaning comes to the fore later, due to a confusion of the words chariot and charette, the latter being a light two wheeled cart.

Title: Re: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Imperial Dave on December 18, 2024, 12:20:00 PM
As in your chariot awaits....
Title: Re: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Erpingham on December 18, 2024, 12:45:02 PM
Another good one is naughty, which originally held  quite a strong meaning of wicked or malevolent but softened over time to mean mischievous and applied to children and cream cakes. It also developed a euphemistic meaning of promiscuous in Victorian times and, according to the OED, Australia has both noun and verb forms relating to this use.
Title: Re: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Cantabrigian on December 18, 2024, 12:54:45 PM
Quote from: Imperial Dave on December 18, 2024, 12:20:00 PMAs in your chariot awaits....
I can't help thinking that you're reading a little too much Jane Austen for a Wargamer...
Title: Re: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Imperial Dave on December 18, 2024, 01:13:05 PM
 ;D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Jim Webster on December 18, 2024, 06:05:26 PM
I did entitle a story 'A nice discrimination'

Which rather flummoxed a younger editor  8)
Title: Re: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Erpingham on December 30, 2024, 03:08:43 PM
Another word worthy of mention occurs to me : jape. This held a similar meaning to the modern version. But it had a  second medieval meeting - to have sex. I would have thought this could have led to some misunderstandings  ::)
Title: Re: Medieval words that changed meaning
Post by: Imperial Dave on December 30, 2024, 04:23:27 PM
As in a jolly jape....