• quarrk [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    7·
    1 day ago

    This word “beknighted” is weird to me. Are they talking about making someone a knight, or do they mean benighted? And why not just use ignorant? Benighted is a weird, archaic word, and people should be shamed for using it

    Someone please un-nighten me if I’m missing some special jargon

    • orlando [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
      10·
      1 day ago

      Benighted is a weird, archaic word, and people should be shamed for using it

      let’s not get ahead of ourselves, unless a word is discriminatory or some sort of right wing shibboleth i don’t think it deserves an expiry date

      • quarrk [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
        7·
        1 day ago

        I was being mostly sarcastic about that, but I also get annoyed when people (especially liberals) use obscure words to sound smart. I think this is why Chris Hayes used it (actually, the incorrect beknighted) instead of a more obvious one

    • wolfinthewoods [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
      2·
      20 hours ago

      I’m a word nerd so I love etymology, and legit benighted is a cool ass word actually, from etymyonline:

      benighted(adj.)

      1570s, “overtaken by darkness,” past-participle adjective from obsolete verb benight (q.v.). Little used in the literal sense, usually it means “in intellectual or moral darkness” (1630s).