the archaisms “methinks” and “saith”

Recent Examples on the Web

Narrator Mary Lewis, raised in Newfoundland herself, delivers the book in a manner that seems stilted at first but grows more appealing as Lewis moves further into the story, with its pleasing archaisms and evocation of balked communication. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, "Listen up! Our critic picks three new audiobooks for your playlist.," 21 Jan. 2020

That phrase, which may strike some young American ears as an archaism if not an oxymoron, is worth unpacking, and Amis provides readers with a pocket account of the historical preconditions of his extravagant fame. A.o. Scott, New York Times, "In His New Collection, ‘The Rub of Time,’ Martin Amis Takes On Everyone From Travolta to Trump," 28 Feb. 2018

For the Latin American left, that vision has congealed into archaism. The Economist, "BelloTime to bury Che Guevara for good," 12 Oct. 2017

But the main challenge for any translator is to remain true to Virgil without wrenching him into archaism or stiffness. Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, "Of Arms and the Man," 22 Sep. 2017

Full of archaisms, the language has a neo-Nabokovian extravagance, occasionally overindulgent. Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, "Briefly Noted," 13 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'archaism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.