17th century vocabulary anyone?

Question

I'm writing a book, part of which takes place in the 1680's and would like to include authentic vocabulary. Most online searches are rather pathetic. Do you know any suggestions for a good place to look or reference? This will be in English, there are lots of French references, but neither I or the characters use French.

Answer 1

What you ask for is somewhat tricky. Several of the answers so far appear to assume that any piece of English writing of the 17th century will reflect the typical usage of the period. Would it were so simple! Here are a few specific considerations, esp. DANGERS, to keep in view

1) The King James Version of the Bible is NOT written in 17th century English. It was, in fact, the last piece in a series of Bible translations beginning with William Tyndale in 1525. The KJV remained conservative in its language (perhaps to gain easier acceptance from those who used earlier translations, esp. the very popular Geneva Bible), rather than trying to strictly follow the language of its own time.

Of course, this translation DID have some affect on language, expressions, etc. used in later literature.
(Example - the writings of John Bunyan often reflect KJV style. But as this is not deliberately carried through in every line of his works, much that is not quoting or alluding to Scripture would give a fair sampling of his own English style. And note that Bunyan writing *** part of the 'elite' as many others are. Thus he reflects something closer to 'ordinary speech.')
http://truthinheart.com/EarlyOberlinCD/CD/Bunyan/OpenInBrowser.html

2) Beware of the LITERARY nature of much of what you'll be looking at. That's why you don't simply imitate the style of Milton if you want to sound like a 17th century English person!

It is obvious enough that the poetry of the period is not the way people spoke. But it is likewise true that much of the prose is stylized as well. a slig This would esp. be the case for 'formal' prose used to instruct, make a careful argument, etc. Somewhat more promising would be people's PERSONAL writings -- that is diaries/journals and letters -- though even here we must keep in mind that some of the writers were writing with an eye to eventual publication and so undoubtedly used their 'best style' not necessarily their regular style. Further, ALL of them were among the more educated (who would thus not reflect the common language of the 'man on the street').

(In fact, our written language is OFTEN a 'different dialect' with different rules from our everyday speech. David Crysal discusses some of this in the introductory chapter of his recent book *The Stories of English*)

Diairies:
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftBank/1914/ed_main.html
http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/journal.asp?month=11&year=2005&task=2

3) Fiction writing might seem to be most useful, esp. when it includes actual DIALOG of the actors. But such forms as the modern English novel were just beginning to develop in this period (late 17th to early 18th century) so there is less of it than you might like, and the skill of representing various dialects would not be as developed.

Starting point - Daniel Dafoe, early 18th century, whose writing also often uses of reflects the style of a personal JOURNAL
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/d#a204
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/376/376-h/376-h.htm


4) Throughout the 17th century Englishmen were relocating to the American colonies. Hence the 17th century English writings of American writers reflect 17th century British dialects. Thus, alongside the work of British writers, you should consider such writings as those of the American Puritans of this period, e.g., Increase and Cotton Mather -
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASA_MATH.HTM
http://history.hanover.edu/texts/matherrp.html

Answer 2

Besides the 1611 King James version of the Bible, try the diaries of Samuel Pepys. "Samuel Pepys, FRS (23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) ... famous chiefly for his comprehensive diary. ....

The detailed private diary that he kept during 1660–1669 was published after his death and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a fascinating combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London."

Also try the plays -- This would be Restoration comedy which was "comedy of manners". Obviously, the dialog would be somewhat exaggerated but you'll get the idea.

Try William Wycherly -- "It is, however, on his two last comedies — The Country Wife and The Plain Dealer — that Wycherley's fame rests. The Country Wife, produced in 1672 or 1673 and published in 1675, is full of wit, ingenuity, high spirits and conventional humour."

Sir George Etherege "(1635?–c. May 10, 1692 [1]) The Comical Revenge or, Love in a Tub in 1664, She Would if She Could in 1668, and The Man of Mode or, Sir Fopling Flutter in 1676."

William Congreve is one of the most famous but he is a bit later - he was born in 1670 - but his Way of the World is a classic.

John Dryden: He led the way in Restoration comedy, his best known work being Marriage A-la-Mode (1672), as well as heroic tragedy and regular tragedy, in which his greatest success was All For Love (1678). ....
When the Great Plague closed the theatres in 1665 Dryden ... wrote Of Dramatick Poesie (1668)..."
(Personally, I never liked Dryden's work)

This website has some interesting info. Note -Characters in plays will have wittier language than the common man.
http://www.theatrehistory.com/british/restoration_drama_001.html

Answer 3

18th Century Vocabulary

Answer 4

word meanings change over time, as do their pronunciations.

The most drastic changes, however, come in spelling. There were no specific rules for spelling. Even in the Journals of Lewis and Clark, the word Buffalo is spelled in various ways.

I would look into the writings of people of the era.

I do have a dictionary of archaic terms, though, of English.

Answer 5

look in the libraries and ask for gentleman's magazines that were printed at st. john's gate in London England-i have them for treasure references from 1715 to 1785 they are very period in applied text it is a slower reading til u get the use of ff for S's and there are common errors to each there own style and locality in all field of stuffy upper class language i use a 1604 en tick dictionary to work on the writer to the field of his work compared to what could have been conveyed by the board band of writers in one publication, they were monthly magazines and were in bond years and leather covered and excellent references for the realm of all English manner was subject in a monthly up date on all wars between England and Spain, and a unique section each month called 100 hundred years ago~it would give excellent tails of what happened in 1600. mean would cover 1615~1685 twelve times in one yearly bound book, should be able to address this book in maybe the rare book section of a major town with a good library. many are loaded with rare etchings and drawing such as the 1765 i believe has the six fold complets map house by house of london, mine cover both admiral blake and admiral drake periods and all the members of all the crews and the detials are off the scales as far as each month has a mortallity head count in side the city of london as the births are a list as acount all the court desisions of the day and who has money is always royalty in the whos who of the kings favorites

Answer 6

the Universal Penman by Goerge Bickham has some interesting word constructions and expressions like Musick, Publick, or accompting. This is actually for the 18th century but you may also consider Edward Crooker.

Answer 7

Funnily enough, read the Bible. Not just any one but an original authorised King James version of 1611. Prithee, thou wilt find it chock full of all manner of strange speech, yea verily :-)

Answer 8

Google: Project Gutenberg and do research.