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Stephenlearner Posted 14 years ago
Essay & Composition Writing

A sentence from a novel

Hi,

Can you look at this sentence? It is from a novel based on Middle Ages setting.
"Make haste, lad!” XXX roared, looking up from the massive chain that he was fashioning on the anvil, his swarthy features twisted in anger. “You can work faster!”

Does lad in and of itself have derogative connotation?
What is the difference between swarthy and black?

Thanks very much!
  

Top answer

Lad is just an old word for a young boy. It has no negative connotations. " Swarthy could be lighter shades than black, whereas black is just black.

— Jeremy Brown

  • Lad is just an old word for a young boy.
  • It has no negative connotations.
  • " Swarthy could be lighter shades than black, whereas black is just black.
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4 Answers
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Lad is just an old word for a young boy. It has no negative connotations. He's basically saying, "Hurry up boy!"

Swarthy means 'of dark complexion." Swarthy could be lighter shades than black, whereas black is just black.
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The word "lad" is much like a term of endearment and is almost never derogatory. "Boy" would probably have been used by the smith if he didn't particularly like him.

The word "swarthy" carries with it the implication that the person has dark hair, dark eyes, skin that is not pale; and there is the further implication that the person is something of a physical presence, a "hunk," to put i
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