Feb 11, 2009
22 English words that still exist almost entirely because of hymns and the King James Bible
(A guest post by Joe Rigney)
1. Verily
2. Buffet
3. Diadem
4. Beseech
5. Balm
6. Ebenezer
7. Hark!
8. Begotten
9. Hither
10. Admonish
11. Gird
12. Want (as in “lack”)
13. Hallowed
14. Firmament
15. Brethren
16. Bulwark
17. Countenance
18. Quickening
19. Adjure
20. Brimstone
21. Surety
22. Goad
What others?
Twain, tumult
transgressions
suffer (as in permit)
i am a fan of bulwark, we need to bring that one back.
3 words in one verse:
1. Superfluity
2. Naughtiness
3. Engrafted
“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
James 1:21
I think “atonement” might be one. Although I think it might have been Wycliffe who coined it originally.
Propitiation
OK, Timmy, I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I thought you were joking, so I had to look it up.
It’s interesting how “naughty” has gotten milder in it’s meaning.
Verily is an obvious #1
I’m shocked that ‘vain jangling’ from 1 Tim 1:6 hasn’t taken off.
Or various words from Isaiah 3:
Muffler, wimples or crisping pins.
I can’t understand why they aren’t everyday language even in church
This is a fun post–and road trip game for word geeks. Thanks, Joe.
I’ve got to say, though, that goad is still a plenty-used word, and Blistex does the heavy lifting for balm these days.
KP
The way say ‘Blessed’ when reading from the Bible is different that when it is normally said. I always think that is due to the KJV.
That might also be due to the way the word is sung in classical music: it is generally made into two syllables when it is extended over two notes. Of course, that may only be the standard because the KJV made it that way in the first place. *shrug*
Dunno whether the KJV is keeping them in the language, but superfluity of naughtiness has to be one of the all-time great oxymorons.
You know, huuuge overflowing excesses of moral vacancy.
:-)
KP
missing a ‘we’, “The way we say…”
Buffet? Is that in the King Jim? I can only guess in reference to the feeding of the five/four thousand, or maybe the last supper ;-)
[...] ‘22 English words that still exist almost entirely because of hymns and the King James Bible’ February 11, 2009 … including hither, gird, and brimstone. Read them all at Abraham Piper’s blog. [...]
I think Lord of the Rings helped this word as well, but you usually only hear the word “fell”, as in “destroy”, “kill”, or “overcome” in hymns.
Scapegoat.
I like this topic – my long departed ancestor had something to do with this. :-)
Doesn’t Shakespeare get any credit for any of these?
I don’t know KP – a moderate amount of naughtiness is good, it’s just when people get out of hand and it reaches a superfluity that it becomes a problem ;-)
Just because a word is in the langugage, and even used, doesn’t mean it has any meaning to the people using them. I’ve asked church members and even music ministers who have sung songs using “diadem” and “ebeneezer” what those words mean, but I rarely find someone who can actually define those terms. Still, those people sing about them.
I actually had to learn the scriptural significance of “Ebenezer” in a church music class a couple of years ago.
Joel–
Oh they do give credit to Shakespeare. the writers of KJV give him a ‘shout out’ throughout the psalms. just google it. :)
does yoke count? my vocabulary is very limited.
assuage
this (how the KJV has influenced the english language) is secretly one of my FAVORITE topics. secret because i never actually talk about it. it’s too nerdy. thanks for indulging me.
“Ebenezer” (#6) is not technicaly an English word, just a Hebrew transliteration. Does it still count?
I think Wycliffe came up with the word Atonement too.
It was to express ‘at one-ment’ (at 1-ment) with God.
Goad is also in the ESV, for what it’s worth. See: Judges 3.
I’m going to try to use each one of these in conversation in the next 22 days.
What about ‘peradventure’?
whence
cleave
transfigured
recompense
whoremonger
sin.
thou and thee
Does “verily” translate to “truly, truly”? It’s so King James, these words. Neat post!
Abraham,
I’m glad you have chosen to take me seriously on this one. Trust me, I know my KJV!
Of course, there can be no superfluity of words here.
Knew. As in naughtiness knew.
Perdition….
froward
prevent (as in ‘go before’)
scoffer
…but I can’t say I use these much!
The KJV uses “pisseth”. Don’t hear that much in church circles these days: “And it came to pass,when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolk, nor of his friends.” 1 King 16:11 (and 5 other times, I believe).
I dunno, there is this youtube video that I can think of… but come to think of it, the preacher was a KJV only fanatic.
“assuage” – Laden with Guilt
“compasseth” – Jesus, I am resting
We’ve been reading the KJV for morning prayer in our house, just to keep the words alive.
Found one: Whoso.
And has “privily” been mentioned yet? Both are found in Psalm 101:5
And to expand on Dana’s “knew”. We don’t here it used much in the following way:
“Adam knew Eve.” (And then she became heavy with child.)
How about ‘rebuke’?
If this is allowed to extend to phrases, ‘backside of the desert’ (Ex 3:1)
The KJV coined the phrase ‘a little birdie’ told me…
Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. Ecclesiastes 10:20
Enmity
abomination
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On the subject of “naughty” I saw struck by how much the word has been weakened after I read transcript of a Wat Tyler speech. In the speech he calls the king a naughty man because of the high taxes levied on the peasants!
How about “rereward” It may not exist anymore but I’m glad that God’s covering mine!
Behold!
(one of my personal favorites. It’s the 17th century equivilant of “check this out”)