Inkhorn Terms Flashcards
What is a Inkhorn Term?
An inkhorn term is any foreign borrowing (or a word created from existing word roots by an English speaker) into English deemed to be unnecessary or overly pretentious.
When were they most used?
Although they’ve existed during 15th century, it wasn’t until the 18th century i.e. the height of Modern English that inkhorn terms were used by pedantic writers and scholars.
Did most inkhorn terms survive? Give examples!
No, although recorded many overly-complex inkhorn terms were only used once and gained no populace with other writers.
Examples: foresayer (prophet), gainrising (resurrection) and hundreder (centurion).
Who rejected inkhorn terms?
Everyday English language speakers that claimed scholars were trying to reinvent the language.
Conservatives.
Linguistic Canutes such as Thomas Wilson.
What is the for argument for Inkhorn terms and did any survive? Give examples!
Writers were experimenting with the language, importing and inventing terms to meet their needs, basing most of them on Latin, with some from Greek and other languages.
Some words have survived that are present and permanent in the English language today such as ‘capacity, mundane, celebrate’
