Words that surprisingly aren't used more often

[nq:1]It puzzles me that certain words are not more widely used in modern English. For example, 'fain' and 'wee'. Both ... AFAIK. So why do you suppose they are not used more (outside of Scotland and archaic literature, that is)? MJ[/nq]
What do you want "fain" to mean? The New Shorter Oxford has several meanings - I had to look it up as I did not recognise it straight off. I use "wee" all th

In article , Geoff Pearson (Email Removed) writes
[nq:2]It puzzles me that certain words are not more widely ... more (outside of Scotland and archaic literature, that is)? MJ[/nq]
[nq:1]What do you want "fain" to mean? The New Shorter Oxford has several meanings - I had to look it ... I live in Scotland. I use wee all the time and I don't live in Scotland[/nq]
and never have done.

[nq:2]It puzzles me that certain words are not more widely ... more (outside of Scotland and archaic literature, that is)? MJ[/nq]
[nq:1]What do you want "fain" to mean? The New Shorter Oxford has several meanings - I had to look it ... then I live in Scotland. I also use wee all the time but then I drink a lot of tea![/nq]

[nq:1]It puzzles me that certain words are not more widely used in modern English. For example, 'fain' and 'wee'.-- MJ: ... change, and don't regret the loss of Shakespeare's diction simply because this was what the playwright had to work with.[/nq]
For instance, I am not fond of chat lingo, LOL, or LMAO, but by the 22nd century cyber slang will probably become normative, and affect English a

In article (Email Removed), Harvey Van Sickle (Email Removed) writes
[nq:1]snip[/nq]
[nq:2]I use "wee" all the time but then I live in Scotland.[/nq]
[nq:1]Presumably you use it to mean "small" (as opposed to a substance which is wet..) [/nq]
When I was a wee wee tot They took me from my wee wee cot And put me on my wee wee pot To see if I would wee or not.

And

[nq:1] When I was a wee wee tot They took me from my wee wee cot And put me ... wee pot And put me in my wee wee cot And there I wee weed quite a lot! [/nq]
Ee lad, that were grand! Is there an author or is it one of Anon's excellent works?

[nq:1]In article , Geoff Pearson (Email Removed) writes[/nq]
[nq:2] What do you want "fain" to mean? The New ... "wee" all the time but then I live in Scotland.[/nq]
[nq:1]I use wee all the time and I don't live in Scotland, and never have done.[/nq]
That must leave you prostate with grief.

--

wrmst rgrds Robin Bignall

Quiet part of Hertfordshire England

[nq:1]It puzzles me that certain words are not more widely used in modern English. For example, 'fain' and 'wee'. Both ... them AFAIK. So why do you suppose they are not used more (outside of Scotland and archaic literature, that is)?[/nq]
I'm glad to say there are quite a few other small words available which make use of your suggestions unnecessary. "Fain" is in fact dodo-dead - maybe it be

[nq:1]It puzzles me that certain words are not more widely used in modern English. For example, 'fain' and 'wee'. Both ... AFAIK. So why do you suppose they are not used more (outside of Scotland and archaic literature, that is)? MJ[/nq]
Fowler's rule: prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched.

In article , Barry Etheridge (Email Removed) writes
[nq:2] When I was a wee wee tot They ... And there I wee weed quite a lot! [/nq]
[nq:1]Ee lad, that were grand! Is there an author or is it one of Anon's excellent works? Definitely A. Non I'm afraid. Or was it Jasper Carrot? But a nice addition to our family nursery rhymes now.[/nq]
As is also:-

The birds and bees and littl