I'm currently reading a pre-publication copy of The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur by Lev Grossman. I have a soft spot for almost any form of the King Arthur story and this one is no exception. I've only read 13% so far and I'll talk more about the book later after I finish, but for now, I'm having fun learning some new vocabulary words.
I like to think I have a slightly better-than-average grasp of words, and that may be because I read slightly more than the average person. In 2016, the average number of books read per capita in the US was 12. I'm pretty sure many of you read more than that so maybe you feel the same way about vocabulary, but I'm not judging anyone's reading habits.
When I read a book, I often encounter one or two words that I'm not familiar with, look them up, and learn something. In The Bright Sword, there are many more than just one or two words. Here are a few of them so far. If you scroll down past the book cover, you can see what they mean.
Machicolations
Terce
Gambeson
Gonfalons
Gallimaufry
Flampet
Mi-parti cotehardie
Paludamentum
Lughnasadh
Almoner
Hippocras
Machicolations - openings in the floor between the corbels of a projecting gallery or parapet, through which molten lead, etc., might be cast upon an enemy beneath.
Terce - mainly in the Roman Catholic Church the third of the seven canonical hours of the divine office, originally fixed at the third hour of the day, about 9 a.m.
Gambeson - a quilted garment worn under mail.
Gonfalons - banners suspended from a crossbar, often with several streamers or tails.
Gallimaufry - a hodgepodge, confused medley, or jumble.
Flampet - pork and figs that have been boiled in ale, then baked in cheese, then encased in pastry.
Mi-parti cotehardie - a long-sleeved medieval garment that was usually thigh-length and belted for men and full-length for women and that was made to fit closely often by buttoning or lacing.
Paludamentum - a cloak worn by officials and military officers of ancient Rome, especially during wartime.
Lughnasadh - an ancient Celtic festival held on Aug 1. It is also celebrated by modern pagans and is also called Lammas.
Almoner - a person whose function or duty is the distribution of alms on behalf of an institution, a royal personage, or a monastery.
Hippocras - an old medicinal cordial made of wine mixed with spices.
So how did you do? No doubt, there are so many new-to-me words because of the period and setting of this book. We still display gonfalons of a sort; there are plenty of gallimaufries in government and politics, and enjoying a bit of hippocras sounds like it might be a good thing. We just don't use those words anymore, but that's kind of a shame!
