Lost words

[Tringa]

The University of York have found some words that have fallen out of use and which they think could be revived.

Some great sounding ones -

'rouzy-bouzy' is a colourful term for being boisterously drunk

'nickum' is a cheat

'snout-fair' meant comely or handsome, and

'betrump' means to deceive or cheat - say no more!


Dave

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4885246/Experts-compile-list-use-English-words.html

 

[omens]

I've read Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue and it is amazing how English has changed over the years. I'd never thought about why some things that are plural end in 's' but some don't (eg oxen, brethren, children). Some things use to eg eyen (instead of eyes), housen (instead of houses), treen (instead of trees) but no longer do so. Likewise, familiar words have fallen out of favour or their meanings have changed (eg queer no longer means "strange").

 

[sphexx]

I've read Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue and it is amazing how English has changed over the years. I'd never thought about why some things that are plural end in 's' but some don't (eg oxen, brethren, children). Some things use to eg eyen (instead of eyes), housen (instead of houses), treen (instead of trees) but no longer do so. Likewise, familiar words have fallen out of favour or their meanings have changed (eg queer no longer means "strange").

Though queer still means strange and I hear it all the time as in nowt so queer as folk. There is the other usage as in queering someone's pitch too which possibly comes from the same meaning. And BTW I'm not so sure it hasn't returned to common usage in LGBTQ where obviously it doesn't mean male homosexual.

 

[MartynK]

I've read Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue and it is amazing how English has changed over the years. I'd never thought about why some things that are plural end in 's' but some don't (eg oxen, brethren, children). Some things use to eg eyen (instead of eyes), housen (instead of houses), treen (instead of trees) but no longer do so. Likewise, familiar words have fallen out of favour or their meanings have changed (eg queer no longer means "strange").

Of course it does.