19th Century English Vocabulary

Notes from the last decade (or so) of reading 19^th century novels (a follow-up to my earlier post on syntax)

… with a special focus on “false friends”: words whose meanings have subtly shifted or narrowed in ways that may lead today’s novice reader astray.

“agree with” for “accord/mesh with”

“answer to/for” for “fulfills the need of”

“answerable” for “responsible”

“art” for “skill”

“bring to terms” for “force to surrender”

“careless” for “carefree”

“closet” for “private rooms”

“country” for “part of the country” or “countryside”

“condescension” for “kindness towards a person of lower status”

“check” for “limit”

“discover” for “find” (“My father is going to London to try to discover her”)

“discover” for “reveal” (“she risked discovering herself”)

“dull” for “stupid”

“easy” for “relaxed” or “at ease”

“even” for “just” (“even so”)

“gay” for “happy”

“fair” for pretty or nice

“fix” for sabotage (“Pelops bribed the charioteer to fix the chariot”)

“host” for army

“in a body” for “as a group”

“intercourse” for “social interaction”

“interview” for “conversation”

“issue” for “children/offspring”

“issue” for “consequence”

“late” for “recent”

“make love to” for “woo”

“miss” for “notice that something is missing”

“might” for “power”

“object” for “goal”

“person” for “personality”

“sensible of” for “aware of”

“signify” for “means something” (“That doesn’t signify”)

“society” for “company” or “social events”

“souls” for “people” (“a village of only 400 souls”)

“stay” for “wait”

“suffer” for “allow”

“suppose” for “assume” (“I supposed he wouldn't be at home”)

“throat” for “neck”

“use” for “treat” (“ill-used”)

 “want” for “need” or “be lacking in” (“He does not want abilities”)

“weeds” for “clothes”