do you think they are archaic?
is it OK to use them?
2007-02-10 04:34:36 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
They are all very old -fashioned and should not be used unless you are after some special effect, but there is one exception.
You will still occasionally see or hear the term 'hither and yon', meaning 'all over the place', as in "He looked hither and yon for his car keys".
That's not really common, but it does show up now and then, so at least in that context, 'hither' is still alive.
2007-02-10 11:05:48 · answer #1 · answered by dollhaus 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you used them formally you would sound very pompous. Sometimes people will use such terms in a jocular way with friends who understand the spirit in which they are saying them. If you did use them, you would find yourself using the old verb forms to go with them: "Whither goest thou", "whence cometh he?" etc. and it would be quite clear that you were being amusing rather than pompous.
2007-02-10 04:49:49 · answer #2 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
yeah...they're archaic. No one really uses them. You can use them if you want, they're not improper- you might just sound a little weird.
2007-02-10 04:42:16 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
it's perfectly acceptable to use words such as these, as long as you're addressing someone who understands these words clearly, for example someone with whom you share your thoughts about chaucer or shakespeare.
2007-02-10 14:48:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
I have never herd of any of those words.
2007-02-10 05:22:39 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋