What Is an Archaism?

Definition of "Archaism"

An archaism is an archaic word or spelling. In other words, archaisms are words that have gone out of use in modern language. Nowadays, their use is usually for impact, comic effect, or portraying a sense of the old fashioned.

Archaisms are also seen in idioms and proverbs, which can "preserve" them. For example:

• She doth protest too much.
• To thine own self be true.

Easy Examples of Archaisms

Here is a list of some common archaisms with their meanings (or approximate meanings) in today's language:

Archaism	Meaning Today
afore	before
agone	ago
alack	expression of regret
anon	at once
aright	right
avaunt	away
aye	yes
betwixt	between
certes	certainly
eft	again
eke	also
erewhile	until now
fie	expression of disapproval
fore	earlier
forsooth	indeed
forthwith	immediately
gadzooks	mild expression of surprise
hark	to listen
hither	to here
howbeit	although
meseems	it seems to me
methinks	I think
nigh	almost
nowise	not at all
sith	since
sooth	truth
soothfast	faithful
soothly	truly
thereinto	into it
therewith	forthwith
therewithal	knowledge
thither	to there
tother	the other
twain	two
twixt	between
verily	truly
whenas	when
whencesoever	from any place
whichsoever	any
whither	to what place
whithersoever	to any place
wist	to know
yede	to go
yoicks	expression of surprise
yon	over there

Real-Life Examples of Archaisms

The shaded words in the following quotations are archaisms now but not when they were used:

• The lady doth protest too much, methinks. (William Shakespeare's Hamlet, written circa 1600)
(Methinks translates as I think.)
• But whence does that gas originate? (Jane Marcet's Conversations on Chemistry, written circa 1805)
(Whence translates as from where.)
• There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip. (Old English proverb with its roots in the 2nd century AD)
(Twixt or betwixt means between.)

The shaded words in these next quotations were archaisms when they were written. They have been used to achieve specific effects:

• That will be Victoria's hardest battle, methinks: to overturn her image of having more money than taste or talent. (Fashion Journalist Liz Jones in 2008)
(The archaism adds impact.)
• Every year, Mother Nature challenges us to a game of hide and seek. The fun begins as we search hither and yon through our medley of vineyards. (Wine grower Malcolm Leask in 2012)
(Hither and yon best translates as here and there. These archaisms add a sense of fun.)
• Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go. (American novelist James Baldwin in 1953)
(The archaism portrays a sense of the old fashioned and an air of wisdom. Technically, from whence is a tautological error. It literally means from from where.)

Even though archaisms are words no longer in common usage, some have survived by virtue of being embedded in commonly used terms.

• With this ring I thee wed.
(a line from the wedding ceremony)
• THIS AGREEMENT (hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement")...
(common jargon in a legal contract)
• To thine own self be true.
(proverb)

Why Archaisms Are Important

Archaisms are rare in business writing. In creative writing, they can be used for impact, fun (e.g., comic effect), or portraying a sense of the old fashioned.

• Methinks not! (Adds impact)
• The Yorkshire Tea factory is just through yonder snicket. (Adds fun)
• Hark the ghostly wails. (Adds a sense of the old fashioned)

Key Point

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