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Wrought

lfsaldenbirch , , , ,

“Wrought” is the archaic past participle of the very common word “work”, but I simply couldn’t bear to throw it away.

  • 01.075 They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
  • 12.013 gold wrought
  • 12.013 and unwrought,
  • 12.096 for it was wrought of pure silver
  • 13.037 wrought for some young elf-prince long ago.
  • 18.033 and gold, wrought and unwrought
  • 18.033 and gold, wrought and unwrought

Lade

lfsaldenbirch , , ,

While the past participle “laden” is not archaic, the present form is!

  • 07.126 and he would lade them with food
  • 10.045 laden with rowers,
  • 11.003 each leading another pony heavily laden beside him;
  • 14.016 into laden boats
  • 19.004 O! Whither so laden,

“lade, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

Kine

lfsaldenbirch , , ,

The old plural of “cow”.  Some Middle English and earlier plurals were formed with and “n” ending (housen = houses, eyen = eyes, oxen).  This word appears in an elven poem, so it gets a double boost in register!

  • 09.053 Where the kine and oxen feed!

“kine, n.1.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

Forebode

lfsaldenbirch , , ,

“Bode” is archaic, but “forebode” is not.  I am fascinated.  Based on “bode” and since foreboding is certainly uncanny, I have given it a high tag.

  • 12.090 and his foreboding grew.
  • 14.007 You are always foreboding gloomy things!’

“bode, v.1.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

“forebode, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

Uncanny

lfsaldenbirch , , , ,

Uncanny – in meaning 4 “not to be trusted as being associated with supernatural arts or powers” – made perfect sense as the opposite of canny – “wise and safe and to be trusted.”  Gandalf is both uncanny and canny in these senses, as he is wise and eminently trustable and good.  This word is a Scottish regionalism and here I am eating another slice of humble pie, as the word is used not for low effect but by painting the picture with mystery and magic, to heighten the passages.

  • 04.002 for the echoes were uncanny,
  • 06.065 and uncanny fire.
  • 08.006 in the enormous uncanny darkness.

“unˈcanny, adj.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

Delve

lfsaldenbirch , , , , , ,

I am learning humility.

The word “delve” is labelled by the OED as northern and Scottish – and right up against Wales, one source says it is specifically to dig two spades deep.  Clearly that’s a regional, parochial word, one which I should by my own arbitrary rule tag as “low”.  It’s also in the middle of a rather high-register poem in a position rhyming with “elves”, which by any first approximation should make it be tagged “high”.  I have tagged it both.

  • 01.078 And harps of gold; where no man delves

“delve, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

Yell

lfsaldenbirch , ,

I am fascinated to observe the gap in the uses of “yell” in chapters 9 through 16.  Surely, there was a good deal of noise being made in those chapters.

  • 04.015 Of course he gave a very loud yell,
  • 04.015 as loud a yell as a hobbit can give,
  • 04.016 Bilbo’s yell had done that much good.
  • 04.036 The yells and yammering,
  • 04.038 down more dark passages with the yells of the goblin-hall
  • 04.048 and gave one yell before they were killed.
  • 04.048 The ones behind yelled still more,
  • 05.137 With yells of delight
  • 05.138 They yelled twice as loud as before,
  • 05.141 This way!’ some yelled.
  • 05.141 That way!’ others yelled.
  • 06.028 As soon as Gandalf had heard Bilbo’s yell
  • 06.071 Then suddenly goblins came running up yelling.
  • 06.082 the goblins yelled
  • 07.084 They yelled with delight
  • 08.073 and though after a while it seemed to him they changed to yells
  • 17.050 The yells were deafening.