Old Fashioned English.

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Svartalf
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Old Fashioned English.

Post by Svartalf » Wed May 05, 2021 1:15 pm

Say people, would any of you be familiar with old fashioned (Victorian) British English?

I'm reading the Great God Pan, by Arthur Machen, and I've stumbled on a term I can't understand.
the word 'area', except that it's definitely not the modern or mathematical meaning.
It seems to be some place, apparently outside, but clearly a dependance of a house, like a court yard, but since Machen didn't use that word, I guess there are nuances that escape me.

Can anybody shed light on that mystery?
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L'Emmerdeur
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Re: Old Fashioned English.

Post by L'Emmerdeur » Wed May 05, 2021 4:39 pm

There are a number of archaic uses described in the Oxford English Dictionary.
1. A level open space with defined boundaries, either open-air or within a building, in a variety of particular contexts; an arena, court, square, yard, etc. Now historical and rare.

2 a. Originally: †(in a theatre) a level, typically semicircular, space immediately in front of the stage where audience members (or performers) may stand (obsolete) (historical in later use). Later: a seated part of a theatre auditorium immediately behind the stalls and beneath the circle (now rare).

b. A sunken court giving access to the basement of a house, separated from the pavement by railings, with a flight of steps providing access.

3. A garden bed or border. Obsolete.
I don't know if any of these help--context is important.

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Re: Old Fashioned English.

Post by Brian Peacock » Wed May 05, 2021 10:23 pm

L'Emmy's probably nailed it. Can you quote the passage Svarty?
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Svartalf
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Re: Old Fashioned English.

Post by Svartalf » Thu May 06, 2021 9:05 am

L'Emmerdeur wrote:
Wed May 05, 2021 4:39 pm
There are a number of archaic uses described in the Oxford English Dictionary.
1. A level open space with defined boundaries, either open-air or within a building, in a variety of particular contexts; an arena, court, square, yard, etc. Now historical and rare.

2 a. Originally: †(in a theatre) a level, typically semicircular, space immediately in front of the stage where audience members (or performers) may stand (obsolete) (historical in later use). Later: a seated part of a theatre auditorium immediately behind the stalls and beneath the circle (now rare).

b. A sunken court giving access to the basement of a house, separated from the pavement by railings, with a flight of steps providing access.

3. A garden bed or border. Obsolete.
I don't know if any of these help--context is important.
The sunken court thing would vibe well, I remember those Georgian/victorian houses, with the main stories above ground level, and kitchens etc below, with some kind of moat around them...
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