10 Medieval Phrases We Still Use Today
Ever wonder how much of our everyday language is rooted in the past? Many of the phrases we casually toss around have surprising origins that date back to the Middle Ages. In this list, we’ll uncover 10 medieval phrases that are still alive and well today, proving that some expressions truly stand the test of time.
1. No Man’s Land
Many might think this phrase dates back to the First World War, but its origins are actually from the 11th century. In the Domesday Book there is a place in England that is referred to as ‘Nomansland‘. Perhaps it was an abandoned settlement. Then the phrase can be seen again in the 14th century – it was used by Londoners to refer to a spot just north of the city walls where executions were held.
2. All that glitters is not gold
This phrase, meaning that appearances can be deceiving, has a rich history. Its earliest known usage comes from the 12th century, where French theologian Alain de Lille wrote, “Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold.” Geoffrey Chaucer later echoed the sentiment in his 14th-century work The House of Fame, with the line “Hyt is not al golde that glareth.”
3. Stark Raving Mad
This expression, used to describe someone who is completely and uncontrollably insane, has its roots in medieval England. The word “stark” comes from an Old English word meaning stiff or strong, was commonly used in the Middle Ages to intensify descriptions. The term ‘Stark Mad’ emerges by the 14th century. Meanwhile, the word “raving” originates from the Latin rabidus, meaning “to be mad” or “to rave.” It was also used as an adjective to emphasise a noun, so it would eventually become incorporated into the phrase.
4. More Irish than the Irish themselves
This expression dates back to medieval Ireland and was used to describe Norman settlers who embraced Irish customs, language, and traditions more enthusiastically than the native Irish. These Normans, who arrived in Ireland in the 12th century, integrated so deeply into Irish life that it worried the English authorities, prompting laws like the Statutes of Kilkenny in 1366 to try to maintain English identity. It’s a phrase that highlights how invaders can sometimes adopt the culture they encounter so thoroughly that they outdo the locals themselves.
5. Blood Is Thicker Than Water
The phrase is often interpreted to mean that family bonds are stronger than other relationships, but its origins suggest a different meaning. A 13th-century story includes the line: “ouch hoer ich sagen, das sippe blůt von wazzere niht verdirbet,” which translates to, “I also hear it said that kin-blood is not spoiled by water.” It has been suggested that this implies family ties are more important than religious affiliations, with ‘water’ symbolizing baptism.
6. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
This phrase, meaning to avoid stirring up trouble or interfering in a situation that is calm, has roots in medieval England. It appears in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, where he writes, “It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake.” There is even an earlier French version of this expression, which translates as “wake not the sleeping dog”.
7. Bed of Roses
One of the most popular pieces of medieval literature is Le Roman de la Rose – in one section, a character recounts a dream of touring a garden and finding a beautiful bed of roses by the Fountain of Love. The phrase, which later came to represent an easy or pleasant life, owes much to the rich imagery and associations with love and desire found in this iconic text.
8. Tom, Dick and Harry
This phrase is used to describe ordinary or generic people, often implying “anyone and everyone.” Its origin dates back to medieval Italy, where the term in Latin originally was “Titius et Gaius et Sempronius”. This phrase would get changed in other languages too, becoming in Italian “Tizio, Caio e Sempronio” and in French “Pierre, Paul ou Jacques”.
9. One Bad Apple Spoils The Whole Barrel
This phrase, meaning that one negative influence can ruin the whole, originates from the literal observation that one rotten apple can spoil others in a container. Geoffrey Chaucer hinted at this idea in his Canterbury Tales, particularly in The Cook’s Tale, where he wrote about how bad companions can corrupt good ones. Here is how he writes it:
Uppon a proverbe that seith this same worde:
“Better ys rotten appulle out of an hurde
Than for to let hem rote alle the remenaunte.”
And ryght so it fareth by a ryotes servaunte.
10. In My Mind’s Eye
The phrase, meaning to envision something in one’s imagination, goes back to the late 12th century when Joachim of Flora wrote in Expositio in Apocalipsim (Exposition of the Book of Revelation) this line: “I suddenly perceived in my mind’s eye something of the fullness of this book and of the entire harmony of the Old and New Testaments.”
Chaucer also made use of the phrase. In the The Man of Law’s Tale, he writes: “It were with thilke eyen of his mynde, With whiche men seen, after that they been blynde.”
Source ~ medievalists . Net
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