Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums (Old) Weekly themes. (have been consolidated into a single forum above) Meta-words le mot juste
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
OP For the first time I believe I have caught Dickens failing to use the best word.
"They were a goodly company, and the Innkeepers all but worshipped
them. Wherever they went, their importance preceded them in the
person of the courier riding before, to see that the rooms of state
were ready. He was the herald of the family procession."
The word should have been "harbinger", which was the designation of a servant sent ahead of travelling nobles to
ensure their being properly received where they wished to stop.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
harbinger
SYLLABICATION: har·bin·ger
PRONUNCIATION: härbn-jr
NOUN: One that indicates or foreshadows what is to come; a forerunner.
TRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: har·bin·gered, har·bin·ger·ing, har·bin·gers
To signal the approach of; presage.
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English herbengar, person sent ahead to arrange lodgings, from Old French herbergeor, from herbergier, to provide lodging for, from herberge, lodging, of Germanic origin. See koro- in Appendix I.
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted le mot juste wwh 12/01/03 03:03 PM Re: le mot juste Wordwind 01/01/04 03:16 PM Re: le mot juste wwh 01/01/04 03:28 PM Re: le mot juste Wordwind 01/01/04 03:30 PM Re: le mot juste wwh 01/01/04 04:16 PM
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics Forums16Topics13,913Posts229,372Members9,182 Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now 0 members (), 767 guests, and 1 robot. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days) A C Bowden 25
Top Posters wwh 13,858Faldage 13,803Jackie 11,613wofahulicodoc 10,561tsuwm 10,542LukeJavan8 9,919Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210AnnaStrophic 6,511Wordwind 6,296of troy 5,400
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith.org