Archaisms and historicisms
Archaisms and historicisms
Words of the past: очи (= глаза), аршин, городовой.
⚡Key points
Архаизм→an outdated word with a modern equivalent (очи = глаза)
Историзм→a word whose reality has vanished (аршин, городовой)
очи / чело / уста́→глаза / лоб / губы (poetic archaisms)
Historical colour→solemnity, poetry, irony
Two types of words from the past
An archaism (архаизм) is an outdated word that a modern synonym has replaced: the thing still exists. A historicism (историзм) names a vanished reality: the object itself no longer exists. Both lend a historical or solemn colour.
Archaisms: the word has aged
Archaisms → modern equivalent
| очи | глаза | eyes (poetic) |
| чело | лоб | forehead |
| уста́ | губы / рот | lips / mouth |
| длань | ладо́нь | palm |
| перст | па́лец | finger |
The archaism in poetry
1
Solemn effect
Её очи горя́т как звёзды. (Her eyes burn like stars.)
Высо́кое чело мыслителя. (The high brow of the thinker.)
Historicisms: the thing has vanished
Historicisms (vanished realities)
| аршин | old measure (~71 cm) | no equivalent |
| верста́ | old measure (~1.07 km) | no equivalent |
| городовой | tsarist police officer | vanished role |
| боярин | boyar (noble) | vanished class |
| ямщик | coachman (postilion) | vanished trade |
💡⚠️ Archaism ≠ historicism
An archaism has a modern equivalent: the thing exists, only the word has aged (очи = глаза). A historicism has no equivalent: it is the reality itself that has vanished (аршин, городовой).
очи горя́т — poetic archaism for глаза
мерить аршином — historicism: an old measure of length
Dialogue: words of the past
Учи́тельЧто зна́чит «очи»?
Учени́кЭ́то архаизм — устаре́вшее сло́во вместо «глаза».
Учи́тельА «аршин»?
Учени́кЭ́то историзм: стари́нная ме́ра длины, которой бо́льше нет.
Teacher: What does “очи” mean? — Student: It is an archaism — an outdated word for “глаза” (eyes). — Teacher: And “аршин”? — Student: It is a historicism: an old measure of length that no longer exists.