The meaning and pronounciation of words is constantly evolving. This is obvious to anyone who collects and reads old books as I do. I never understood the real importance of this until recently. A fellow civil rights activist asked me to look up a word in some of my old dictionaries. It seems that the meaning of some words in New Hampshire law had changed over the years. Liberals were mistakenly interpreting the law to say something very different from what the original makers of the law had intended.
Correct intepretation of laws written in the past is only possible if you know the definitions of the words as the writers understood them.
This section of edsanders.com will, over time, attempt to bring to light the past and present definitions of words to help people understand exactly what was meant when laws, history, fiction, non-fiction, reference books and even childrens' stories were written.
For now I'll just put words here, as it expands I'll break it up alphabetically as a dictionary does.
I am also going to include words and their definitions that are no longer in common use. This will help you when you are reading some of the older stories on my web site.
Here are the dictionaries I am drawing from, more will be added:
cheroot:
1902: (Pron: she-root') n. a kind of cigar.
Cherish:
1988: to treasure, a cheriched possession || (esp. in the marriage vow) to take loving care of || to keep alive (an emotion, illusion, etc.)
1962: Webster's Student Dictionary.
1940: to hold dear. To treat with tenderness and affection; to take care of; to foster; to hold as dear; to indulge and encourage in the mind; to harbour; to cling to.
1908: to hold or esteem dear; to treat with tenderness; protect and aid; encourage; harbor in the mind.
1902: 1. To treat with tenderness and affection; to nurture with care; to protect and aid. We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. 1 Thess, ii. 7.
2. To hold dear; to embrace with interest; to indulge; to encourage; to foster; to promote; as to cherish religious principle. to cherish virtue and humanity. Burke
Syn. To nourish; foster; nurse; nurture; entertain; encourage; comfort; protect; support. See Nurture.
1892: To treat with tenderness; to indulge; to support.
1878: to treat with tenderness; to nourish.
Chili:
1902: the dried pod of the capsicum.
Support:
1940: v. t. [Fr. supporter, to support, bear, endure &c, from Latin, supporto to convey -- sub, under, and porto to carry (as in export, import, report &c.). Port, to carry] To bear, uphold, prop up, to keep from falling or sinking; to endure without being overcome; to bear; to undergo; to uphold by aid or encouragement; to further, second, aid, assist; to keep from sinking, failing or declining (to support the courage); to represent in acting on the stage to act (to support a part); to be able to supply funds for or the means of continuing; to be able to carry on or continue; to maintain with the means of living; to provide for; to keep up by nutriment; to sustain (to support life, to support combustion); to make good or substantiate (a statement or accusation); to second, as a proposal or motion at a public meeting. --
n. The act of supporting; that which upholds or keeps from falling; a base, a prop, foundation of any kind; sustenance or what maintains life; maintanance, livelihood; the one who furnishes another's livlihood; the act of assisting, maintaining; vindicating, &c.; to aid; help; succor; assist.
1892: v. t. To prop; to sustain; to endure; to substantiate; to help; to back; to succor; to favor; to nourish; to defend; to stay; to forward. -- n. A supporting; a stay; a prop; assistance; favor; encouragement; patronage; aid; help; nutriment; sustenance; food.
1878: n. A prop; maintenance. -- v. To prop; to sustain; to uphold; to favor; to maintain.