archaisms
|ar-cha-isms|
🇺🇸
/ˈɑrkeɪˌɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˈɑːkeɪˌɪzəm/
(archaism)
old-fashioned expression
Etymology
'archaism' originates from French, specifically the word 'archaïsme', where the root 'archaï-' (from Greek 'arkhaios') meant 'ancient'.
'archaism' changed from Old French 'archaïsme' and Medieval Latin 'archaismus' (itself reflecting Greek 'arkhaios'), and eventually became the modern English word 'archaism'.
Initially it referred broadly to 'ancientness' or things belonging to an earlier time; over time it narrowed to mean specifically 'an old or obsolete word, expression, or linguistic form' or the deliberate use of such language.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
words, expressions, or forms of language that are old-fashioned or no longer in everyday use.
The novelist peppered the dialogue with archaisms to evoke a medieval atmosphere.
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Noun 2
the use of archaic language as a stylistic device (intentional employment of old-fashioned words or forms).
Scholars noted several archaisms in the translation that signaled an attempt to preserve the original's tone.
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Last updated: 2025/10/04 12:48