English is a living language. This means that new words are always coming into the language: some of these are invented to describe new things and social situation, while others are “borrowed” from other languages. As new words enter the language, some words fall out of fashion, become archaic-sounding, and some disappear from the language.
In his delightful book Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language, Seth Lerer writes:
“Why do certain words survive in language and why do others disappear? Impede and expede show up in the seventeenth century, but only impede lives on. Adopted survives, but not adepted (meaning ‘attained’). Commit and transmit were coined and stayed on, but demit (meaning ‘send away’) vanished. Adnichiate (to reduce to nothing) is gone; eximious (‘excellent’) is lost to time; temulent (‘drunk’) forgotten.”
Some of the rather interesting disappeared words in English include:
Aforcing which refers to the practice of stretching the amount of a dish to accommodate more people. This was often done by adding cheese, grain, or eggs.
Begrumpled which means displeased.
Carfumish means to diffuse a very bad smell. With regard to etymology, this words seems to be related to the Old French “fumuse” which means “smoky” and to the Old English “fewmishing” which means “ordure of a deer.”
Dwizzen means to shrink and dry up; to have a parched appearance.
Exlex is an outlaw. With regard to etymology, this comes from the Latin “ex” meaning “out, away” and the Latin “lex” meaning “law.”
Flamfoo is a gaudily dressed female. With regard to etymology, this seems to be related to the Old English “flamefew” which means “the moonshine in the water.”
Glorg means to work in a dirty business.
Hoined means fatigued, oppressed. This word seems to be related to the Anglo-Saxon “hine” which meant “servant.” Since servants (hinen) had to do a lot of work for their lords, they became hoined.
Inwit refers to conscience. On the other hand, outwit refers to knowledge, ability, and information.
For more disappeared words, check out The Word Museum by Jeffrey Kacirk. And for a fun romp through the language let me suggest David Crystal’s The Fight for English: How Language Pundits Ate, Shot, and Left.
Welcome to Street Prophets Saturday, an open thread. Feel free to use whatever words—contemporary, antique, or disappeared—that come to mind in discussing politics, religion, food, pets, or whatever else.