This is a list of words, and their definitions, I found in the Samuel Butler translation of the Iliad that are either: 1) no longer in the common parlance, or 2) are used differently than how we commonly define them today.
I am only including the definitions that are used in the Iliad. Many of these words have multiple definitions.
Lastly, some of these words were difficult to find a definition for, so I don’t claim 100% accuracy.
The Free Dictionary was a great resource for finding a lot of these definitions.
If you found words in the Samuel Butler translation for the Iliad you want to submit for this list, email me at: andronikos@wendsofchange.com.
- Aloof – cool and distant
- Babel – a confusion of sounds
- Baldric – a belt for a sword or other equipment that goes from the shoulder to the opposite side hip
- Bate – escape
- Bedight/Bedizened – adorned
- Blandishment – flattery in order to persuade
- Bootless – without result; useless
- Boss – round stud or knob
- Bullock – steer (male cattle)
- Contumely – insolent or insulting language and treatment
- Cornel – dogwood
- Covert – thicket
- Cozen – trick or deceive
- Cyanus – cornflower used for blue pigment
- Damask – a figured woven fabric with a pattern visible on both sides, typically used for table linen and upholstery
- Dell – small valley, usually among trees
- Demesne – estate; domain
- Dingle – deep wooded valley or dell
- Disport – amuse oneself
- Doughty – brave and persistent
- Draughts – checkers
- Dudgeon – feeling of offense or deep resentment
- Facile – effortless
- Fain – willing
- Fell – terrible evil or ferocity; deadly
- Fen – frequently flooded area
- Filly – a young, female horse (usually under five years of age)
- Grip – small drainage tunnel cut above an excavation
- Hard – firmly
- Hale – drag or draw away forcibly
- Hawsers – thick rope for mooring or towing a ship
- Hecatomb – public sacrifice of 100 oxen
- Hie/Hied – go quickly; went quickly
- Hoar – grey
- Homed – being aimed at
- Hurly-burly – commotion
- Inveigle – persuade by means of deception or flattery
- Ken – range of knowledge or sight
- Knavery – dishonesty, unscrupulousness
- Loth – reluctant
- Meed – a deserved share or reward
- Meet – suitable; fit; proper
- Mere – lake, pond, or arm of the sea
- Mess – a portion of semisolid or pulpy food
- Offing – distant part of the sea in view
- Pall – grow wearisome
- Pard – leopard
- Pell-mell – a reckless, hurried manner; a confused, jumbled mass
- Perforce – by force
- Prate – talk foolishly or tediously
- Pulse – edible seeds of certain pod-bearing plants like lentils
- Quoit – ring used for a game involving throwing it around a peg in the ground
- Recked – pay heed
- Rood – a unit of length about 5.5 – 8 yards (5 – 7 meters)
- Ruth – pity, distress, or grief
- Sallied – suddenly go from a defensive position to an offensive position (sortie)
- Sate – past tense of “sit”
- Scurvy – worthless or contemptible
- Serried – standing close together (in a row)
- Soughed – make a moaning, whistling, or rushing sound
- Sound – test
- Spleen – bad temper; spite
- Spunge – one who lives on others
- Stay – endurance
- Straits – trouble or difficulty
- Suborning – bribing
- Surfeit – overindulge; an excessive amount
- Swart – swarthy; dark skinned
- Termagant – harsh tempered and overbearing woman
- Unguent – lubricant
- Van – forefront
- Vaunts – boasts
- Vintager – a producer or harvester of wine grapes
- Weal – red swollen mark (welt)
- Ween – be of the opinion
- Welkin – skies; heavens
- Withes – tough, flexible branch
Other pages I have made about the Iliad can be found here.
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