Archaism is a language that has fallen out of use, including words, phrases, spelling, letters, and syntax. They can be used intentionally or accidentally, and historical fiction writers and filmmakers try to avoid unintended archaisms. Businesses use archaisms to evoke a mood or convey something about their product. Certain phrases and syntax are associated with rituals and traditions and continue to be used in significant contexts. Archaisms can also be used for irony or humor but can appear biased or misunderstood if used seriously in general discourse.
An archaism is a language that was once current, but has fallen out of regular use. An archaism can be a word, phrase, or use of spelling, letters, or syntax that has gone out of use. Because they are both rare and dated, archaisms draw attention to themselves when used in general communication.
Archaisms can be used intentionally or accidentally. Writers of historical fiction, as well as historians and filmmakers, for example, do their best to accurately represent time and culture and avoid unintended archaisms. Creating a fictional character from times gone by can require extensive research and knowledge of archaisms.
An example of a fairly common archaism involving spelling and letters is businesses that include Ye Olde in their name. The word Ye doesn’t actually start with ay, as it might seem; begins with the letter thorn which has fallen out of use. Thorn was a letter used to write the sound we now spell with the consonant digraph th. Hence, Ye is pronounced as and means the. Olde reflects a Middle English spelling of the word we now spell as old. Businesses may use such archaisms to evoke a mood or atmosphere, as in Ye Olde Tea Shoppe or The Publick Theare; or to convey something about their product, as in Olde Musick and Cokery Books, an Australian company specializing in sheet music and recipes from the past.
Certain phrases are associated with rituals and traditions, and while they would not be considered current when used in general speech or writing, they continue to be used in places or situations where they are significant. For example, phrases like “thou shalt” and “should not” are considered archaic in general usage, but as part of the common English translation of the Ten Commandments, they continue to be repeated and used in that context without calling attention to themselves. Syntax also falls into this category. Legal documents typically include lists of sentences beginning with a recital, followed by a beginning therefore – an archaic style and structure not typically found elsewhere.
Archaisms can also be put to good use when they are carefully chosen to create irony or humor. One might, for example, mock the triviality of an errand run by saying, “Alas, I must leave on my journey in time. I have to walk the streets, traveling hither and thither in search of… . . muffin.” Used seriously in general discourse, however, archaisms can appear biased or misunderstood.
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