Friday, April 24, 2009

Bits of language excellence.

These are fantastic, much prefer them to their contemporary counterparts:

unfold yourself = identify yourself (I.i.2)
with martial stalk = stealthily (I.i.75)
keeps wassail = parties (I.iv.10)
drabbing = hanging with hookers (II.i.28)
sift = question to figure out what is going on, as in "we shall sift him" (II.ii.62)
candied tongue = flattering/fawning manner (III.ii.56)
envenom = fill with anger/embitter (IV.vi.93)

I like them better because:

unfold yourself is just lovelier than identify yourself.
martial stalk is stronger & spookier.
drabbing -- for some reason feels like there's some onomatopoeia in there, word sounds kind of funky.
keeps wassail -- "wassail" originated as a drunken pagan tradition & suggests awesome debauchery, while "keeps" gives it a ceremonial feel, like "keeping kosher," something done with prescribed intent.
candied tongue is more unctuous-sounding.
sift and envenom = pitch-perfect in terms of what they mean.

The pic above: from The Tragedie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke
Weimar: Cranach Press, 1930.

1 comment:

  1. my favorite thing here is your usage of unctuous. it's my new favorite word. i'm also going to start using candied tongue. and maybe start drabbing.

    ReplyDelete