Use of 'tis', 'twas', 'dost' and other such terms

[booklooker]

Do MNers find it vaguely amusing when others try to use arcane English.

I don't, I find it reeks of pretentious twattery.

I don't particularly like the use of the term 'twattery' either.

And I have probably misused the term 'Arcane'

[AgentProvocateur]

I quite like it. All adds to the rich tapestry of language.

Archaic.

[OfstedAintEverything]

Nay, tis unreasonable....

[CaoNiMa]

I love it. I also enjoy the subjunctive. If only it were more common!

[IdaDown]

'Betwixt' - a favourite of estate agents.

[Anniegetyourgun]

I use that stuff (I may have been the first to say on MN "hie thee unto a solicitor"). I love that stuff. But don't forget the apostrophes. It should be 'tis and 'twas. It gives me gyp when people use archaisms incorrectly, such as "he art a twat" or "thee has a face like a prune". Still, kudos for trying.

I even speak that way IRL. Confuses the life out of younger colleagues. I shift from archaic, to formal modern, to netspeak, via profanity and back again, by way of St Custard's. ("An thou wert educated like wot I is, you'd effing know that, innit?") English is such a wonderful, rich language, why not use all of it? Even a bit of French and Latin while you're at it (acknowledging the excellent AgentProvocateur, with whose post above I thoroughly agree). We keep pinching words and phrases from other languages. It seems perfectly in keeping with our larcenous tendencies to pinch them from other centuries as well.

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Like 'gotten' and other things MN finds annoying, speech in Ireland is liberally peppered with 'tis'.

[Anniegetyourgun]

The excellent Bill Bryson points out that a lot of words and spellings we call Americanisms are in fact old Anglicisms. The language diverged a couple of hundred years ago and we kept some bits while they kept other bits.

[Chloe84]

Nah, I quite like it. I do get a bit annoyed by the following but just ignore it:

I seen her (instead of saw)
I text him (instead of texted)

[meditrina]

If making a point about linguistic styles over time or something else historical, then fine.

About anything else, not sure. Would depend on what was being said.

I'm not going to write off loads of posts/posters on a generalisation.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

A dd and I use such language a lot, along with pepperings of several other lingos, both of us being of a linguist-y persuasion.

Not to mention expressions out of period dramas, in particular P and P, to which we were addicted for ages. E.g. 'This is all EXTREMELY vexing! I am quite put out!' - in the immortal words of Lady Catherine.

We don't care if anyone thinks we are blithering idiots. And a sentence made up of miscellaneous bits and pieces can be very useful on occasion, if you would prefer nobody else within earshot to understand.

[booklooker]

nobody else within earshot

That's the key isn't it

[MitzyLeFrouf]

''This is all EXTREMELY vexing! I am quite put out!' - in the immortal words of Lady Catherine.'

Are the shades of Mumsnet to be thus polluted?

[Anniegetyourgun]

Yeah, not 'alf.

[AskinforaFriend]

GETTING we always say when any of our family are going off somewhere "take every opportunity of enjoying yourself"

[MatildaTheCat]

'Twas ever thus.

Those of us, as aforementioned, who gain small pleasures from our expression of language are reluctant to desist upon the protests of the less linguistically favoured.

I personally get the fucking rage when people write 'text' when they mean texted . Just saying.

[cecinestpasunepipe]

I've mentioned this on a previous thread, but my particular bugbear is " t'internet", or, even worse, "the t'internet"!

[TheHiphopopotamus]

I use 'tis and 'twas as in ''twas a bit of a fuck up' rather than 'Lo, 'twas a deer I spotted over yonder'.

But then I'm from a part of of the country where people still use 'thee' and 'thine' in everyday speech so it comes naturally.

[user1477282676]

There's a town in North Wales where the accent is slightly different to that of surrounding towns...and they still say "Thee" and "thou"

It's weird but I like it.

[user1471545174]

I like it but I speak like Annie above

[OurBlanche]

Crikey! As Annie and a User have said, I speak like that in real life, every day.

I too am a wordy nerk and such words seem completely normal to me!

I am much amused at the odd juxtaposition of OPs user name and her complaint about words

Then again, looking and reading aren't the same thing

[TheNaze73]

I think twat

[booklooker]

Well, you are all cunts in my book. (If you disagree with my op)

Apart from the dear who pointed out I should use 'archaic' rather than 'arcane'

[Anniegetyourgun]

'Spect she only looks at the pictures. Or maybe she looks like a book. Flat both sides and ruffled in the middle.

[DoomGloomAndKaboom]

I think you shouldn't use old english until you have mastered the modern version.

Yes, I mean YOU, people who can't spell 'lose.'

But like I always say, hey nonny nonny.

[corythatwas]

TABU
(thou art being unreasonable)