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Learn what those weird words and phrases mean here! I've tried to explain anything I thought wasn't clear for a modern audience, but if you think I've missed anything, please let me know.
For use only with the text version of Emma found on this site. These notes are copyright © Austen for Beginners 2008 and may not be reproduced without permission.
governess
Female teacher who lived in the house and taught the children - girls mainly, but also small boys. Older boys either went to school or had a tutor (male teacher). Governesses were in the awkward position of being a refined kind of servant - they were paid a salary and not part of the family but were definitely superior to the rest of the household.
bride-people
Wedding guests who are the family or friends of the bride.
valetudinarian
Anxious and fanciful about one's own health. From Chambers English Dictionary.
put the horses to
Harness the horses to the carriage.
backgammon
Board game.
joining their hands
Meaning that Mr Elton is the local priest and therefore was the one to preside at the service to marry Miss Taylor and Mr Weston.
gentility
A gentleman did not have to work for a living; he either inherited his money or acquired it through income from the land he owned. For the Westons to rise to gentility implies that they gradually bought the land they farmed or acquired some money in some other way in order to buy an estate.
independence
An independence was literally enough money to be independent; i.e. Mr Weston inherited sufficient money that when invested wisely it provided him with a high enough income that he did not have to work for a living.
militia
Army reservists.
embodied
Here meaning 'put together as a body' - in other words, Mr Weston joined up when the militia of his county was first formed.
competence
Enough money to allow him to live as he chose.
portionless
With no portion (dowry); in other words, Miss Taylor had no money of her own to add to Mr Weston's fortune when she married him.
dissentient
Dissenting or disagreeing.
apothecary
A medical man; didn't have a university degree (in which case would be known as a physician); probably in modern terms would be like a pharmacist who visited patients and prescribed medicine for them.
vicar
Priest in charge of the local parish (similar to rector).
quadrille
Card game. Also the name of a dance, but in this context, definitely the card game.
in a very small way
To live unpretentiously and without any luxury, probably on a small income.
twenty young couple
Mrs Goddard's pupils walked two-by-two to church, so there were forty of them in total.
tea-visit
Not afternoon tea, but a visit made after dinner in the evening to drink tea and play cards.
fancy-work
Embroidery, tapestry or other handcrafted ornaments.
prosings
Talk, chat.
natural daughter
Illegitimate daughter.
parlour-boarder
Harriet's family, whoever they were, now paid for her to live with Mrs Goddard at the school, but as a paying guest rather than as a pupil.
parlour
Sitting room where guests were received.
upper maid
A maid whose duties were principally 'above' the stairs. In other words, she served the family in their own rooms and in the parlour, rather than in the kitchen, and there was at least one other maid who was beneath her.
Alderneys
Breed of cow, originally from Alderney, one of the Channel Islands. More information
Welch cow
Welch is the old spelling of Welsh, so this refers to a cow which came from Wales.
Elegant Extracts
A two-volume book of interesting information, published in 1797. Described as follows: "Elegant Extracts or, Useful and entertaining Passages in Prose, Selected for the Improvement of Young Persons: being similar in Design to Elegant Extracts in Poetry. In 2 volumes. Four parts. Book 1: Moral and Religious; Book 2; Classical and Historical; Books 3: Orations Characters and Letters; Book 4: Narratives Dialogues etc."
Vicar of Wakefield
Novel by Oliver Goldsmith published in 1766.
Romance of the Forest
Novel by Ann Radcliffe, published in 1791. Jane Austen used some of the details from it for Northanger Abbey, which in turn was a satirical commentary on the fashion then current for Gothic novels, such as Radcliffe's Mysteries of Udolpho.
Children of the Abbey
Novel by Regina Maria Roche, published in 1796.
yeomanry
The part of the population which made up the class of yeoman farmers. These farmers owned their own land on which to farm (i.e. they were not tenants of the local large landowner) but they were not equivalent in social status to the Woodhouses or any of the other gentry (gentlemen) or aristocracy (titled people). In modern terms, the Martins were middle class, and the Woodhouses were upper class.
stock
Animals, cattle and so on.
indoors man
A male servant employed indoors, such as a footman or butler. Most menservants were employed outdoors, in the stables, on the land or in the garden. To have an 'indoor' manservant was a mark of being a gentleman.
taking a boy
Employing a 'boy' (or young man) as an indoor servant.
put her out of conceit
Meaning 'make her dissatisfied'.
linen-draper
Shopkeeper who sells household linen.
Bond-street
Bond Street, main shopping street in London where Mr Elton found a picture framer.
greatcoat
Outdoor coat.
quarto
Volume, book.
hot-pressed paper
Smooth, glossy paper that was made by being pressed between hot metal plates. The very best writing paper available at the time.
Garrick's
David Garrick, English actor and playwright who lived in the eighteenth century.
pollards
Trees which had been 'pollarded'; this means to cut off the branches at a height of about 2 or 3 metres from the ground, in order to keep the wood out of reach of livestock and also to prolong the life of a tree. More information at the Royal Forestry Society website
shilling
Before decimal coinage was introduced in the UK in 1971, the pound was divided into 20 shillings, each shilling consisting of 12 pence. So when Emma says that if Miss Bates had a shilling she would give away sixpence of it, she is saying that she would give half of the shilling away.
stomacher
A decorative panel worn over the chest and stomach. Very old-fashioned at the time of this novel.
footstep
Stone step at the entrance to the garden.
half-boot
Boot reaching to just above the ankle.
Stilton cheese
English blue cheese from the midlands. Stilton cheese official site
north Wiltshire
Type of cheese, very sought after then and now rarely found.
pales
Fence.
Surry
Old spelling of Surrey, the county in which Hartfield is situated.
South End
Now known as Southend - seaside town in Essex, east of London.
bailiff
In charge of the financial aspects of running an estate. On smaller estates the landowner would largely run the estate himself and employ a bailiff to assist on the money side, such as collecting rents and so on. On a large estate there might be a steward employed to run the estate, with a bailiff possibly employed in addition.
old prejudice
This refers to the anti-Scottish prejudice which was common in England in the eighteenth century. Scotland and England had been joined together as a single nation only since 1707, and there was still some suspicion and distrust between the English and the Scots by the time Emma was written.
philippics
Damning speeches.
Cromer
Seaside town in Norfolk, northeast of London.
&c
Old-fashioned way of writing 'etc'.
sweep
Curved drive in front of the house.
hair was curled
Ladies' hair, particularly if long,was tied up in curling papers or rags for the night, so that it would form fashionable ringlets by morning.
trade
To have connections in trade was looked down upon by the highest circles in society, as it implied that one's family had to work for a living. Emma is being rather snobbish here.
eclat
In this context, means some kind of emotional outburst.
aimable
French, meaning 'kindly'.
coxcomb
A fool or fop; implying someone who appears ridiculous but has no idea of it.
drawing-room floor
The drawing room in a town house was generally found not on the entrance floor but on the one above.
beaufet
The buffet table or sideboard.
Master of Ceremonies ball
Formal balls were held regularly in Bath at the Assembly Rooms, presided over by the Master of Ceremonies.
huswife
Book of needles and pins for sewing.
crosses
Once a sheet of paper was full, to save using any more sheets the paper was turned at right angles and written across the original lines.
consumption
Tuberculosis.
instrument
Here meaning a piano.
porker
A pig.
spencer
Very short (above the waist) long-sleeved jacket.
woollen-draper
Shopkeeper selling wools and woollen fabrics.
haberdasher's
Shopkeeper selling trimmings, buttons, needles, pins - everything needed for sewing, knitting, embroidery and so on.
10,000 l
Ten thousand pounds.
rencontre
French, meaning 'meeting'.
espalier apple-trees
Apple trees grown against a wall, the branches trained horizontally.
wainscot
Wooden panelling.
post-horses
Horses kept for hiring out to customers, suitable for drawing post-chaises or other carriages.
half-gentlemen
Men who were not gentlemen as such but who were respectable and above the peasant class. Tradesmen, perhaps, or yeoman farmers.
proper families
Upper class families who would be considered suitable for Emma and her circle to socialise with.
confusion of rank
Generally families of different social levels did not socialise together, and Emma and her set would disapprove of anyone 'beneath' them socially being invited to a gathering such as a dance or ball. It sounds snobbish to our modern ears but was a perfectly normal attitude at this time.
Men's Beavers
Type of gloves made with beaver, a fabric made of felted wool and fur and also used to make hats and overcoats.
York Tan
Soft leather, pale brown, originally made in York.
amor patriae
Latin, literally meaning 'love of native land'. Frank is referring to his loyalty in patronising the most important shop in his native village of Highbury.
chaise
Carriage.
genteel
To have good manners and to be presentable in polite society. The Coles have clearly made their fortune through some sort of trade or business, so they are 'new' money rather than the socially preferable 'old' money.
town
Meaning London.
keeping dinner-company
To invite friends and neighbours to dinner.
piquet
Card game.
square pianoforte
A square piano had its strings laid out horizontally in the same way as a grand piano, but was not as large. It was replaced later in the nineteenth century by the upright piano, which has its strings mounted vertically and is the most commonly seen piano in modern times.
Broadwood's
Famous English piano maker. More information.
spinet
Small keyboard instrument similar to a harpsichord, old-fashioned at this period and being replaced by the piano.
vulgar
The opposite of genteel.
figured
Figured muslin was patterned, either printed or embroidered.
two first dances
Dances at a ball or assembly were organised in pairs, so each couple would dance two dances together, before changing partners.
paper
Wallpaper.
visits in form
'In form' here means 'according to convention' - it would have been polite for all those of note in the village to pay a call on the new bride.
barouche-landau
A landau was a carriage with a roof that opened in the middle to form two hoods when the weather was fine. The barouche-landau was an updated and fashionable version of this which could hold four people plus the driver and one other on the box at the front.
Knightley
For Mrs Elton to call a gentleman by his surname only, without the prefix of 'Mr' or whatever his title might be, implies that she is either related to him or knows him extremely well, otherwise it would be considered very bad manners. Even Emma, who is related to him by the marriage of her sister to his brother, would not presume to do this.
caro sposo
Italian for 'dear husband'.
gaiters
Leather coverings worn over breeches when riding.
two drawing-rooms
A single drawing room would be insufficient for the most elegant of parties, since a separate card-room might be needed if the main room was used for dancing. A 'supper-room' (as distinct from a dining room, used for dinner) might also be required. However, Mrs Elton is here applying the customs of town society and is being a little too harsh for the majority of country houses.
rout-cakes
Sweet cakes provided at evening parties, or routs.
ice
Ice was an expensive luxury and was only obtainable in the country by grand houses with their own ice-house (underground building insulated with earth and straw, where ice could be stored).
separate candles
Beeswax candles were expensive and only the grandest parties would have one candle per card table - otherwise card players would make do with the general light from candles in sconces (candle holders) on the wall or in a central chandelier.
unbroken packs
Packs of cards that had not yet had their seal or binding opened. Gambling was a perfectly acceptable activity, but when there were high stakes (as happened in high society) it was more correct to provide new packs of cards that could not have been tampered with, to insure against cheating.
bottom of the table
It was conventional for the lady of the house (Emma in this case) to sit at the head of the table and the gentleman of the house to sit at the bottom (i.e. the other end).
wax-candles
Beeswax candles were expensive, and in most houses the minor rooms such as the schoolroom would use the cheaper tallow candles instead.
four horses
A carriage pulled by four horses would move faster than one pulled by two, but still could not cover the distance between Maple Grove and London (about 125 miles) in one day. Mrs Elton presumably means that the gentlemen concerned took a pair of horses, changed horses half-way, rested them in London, used the same pair back to the half-way point, then changed back to their original pair for the homeward leg of their journey.
her own sheets
Sheets found at an inn might be damp, dirty or infested with unmentionable things such as fleas. The best inns could be depended upon, but even so, fastidious ladies who had the money to do so might well bring their own sheets with them and have them put on the beds.
Hymen's saffron robe
Hymen is the god of marriage, and traditionally was supposed to wear a saffron-coloured robe. Here, Mrs Elton is showing off her education by using a classical allusion to refer to her wedding day.
privy councillors
Private advisors.
puppyism
The behaviour of immature young men who ought to know better.
tippet
Stole (midway between a shawl and a scarf) made of fur.
backgammon
Board game.
greensward
Old English word meaning patch of green - in other words, a grass verge.
Tunbridge-ware
Wooden box made near Tunbridge in Kent. Might be bought ready-decorated, or plain for a lady to paint herself.
court-plaister
Type of non-adhesive bandage.
"Myself creating what I saw"
Quote from Cowper's poem The Task - click here for an excerpt from the poem.
setting up his carriage
Mr Perry is planning to buy a carriage and horses - an expensive thing to do.
Pembroke
Smaller drop-leaf table used for small family meals.
Box Hill
Local beauty spot. Click here for details.
pigeon-pies and cold lamb
Considered suitable picnic food.
al-fresco
Outdoors, in the fresh air.
hautboy
Type of strawberry, now known more commonly as the musk strawberry. In French it is hautbois, in German moschuserdbeere.
Chili
Another type of strawberry, originally from Chile.
white wood
The wood strawberry is another type of strawberry, with white flowers.
spruce-beer
Type of beer brewed using spruce leaves.
Swisserland
Switzerland.
Madeira
Fortified wine similar to port, made on the island of Madeira. Very popular as a dessert wine.
cold collation
Collection of cold meats and salads.
Chaperon
The only married lady in a party of single ladies and gentlemen and therefore acting as a guardian against any immoral behaviour.
acrostic
Crossword puzzle.
ostler
Groom in charge of the horses at an inn - an important job at a posting-inn (i.e. one that hires out horses for travelling post).
Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) wrote the poem "When Lovely Woman Stoops":
When lovely woman
stoops to
folly, And
finds
too late that men betray, - What charm can soothe
her
melancholy, What
art can wash her guilt away? The only art her guilt
to cover, To
hide her
shame from every eye, To give repentance to
her lover, And
wring his
bosom, is - to die.
departure of the funeral for Yorkshire
The funeral was to be held at the Churchill's home in Yorkshire, and Mrs Churchill's body must therefore be transported there. This would be a slow process, and although Mr Churchill and Frank would follow in due course to attend the funeral service, they had time to pay a visit to Windsor first.
arrowroot
Plant with large roots that when ground produce a white powder. The arrowroot powder is very starchy and when boiled swells into a jelly. Flavouring can be added to produce an easily digestible food for invalids, and it is probably this form that Emma sent to Jane Fairfax.
rack
Instrument of torture dating from medieval times.
26th ult.
The 26th of the month just past - the event is of course the death of Mrs Churchill.
poem
The poem Mrs Elton is quoting is The Hare and Many Friends by John Gay:
Since
ev'ry beast
alive can tellThat I
sincerely
wish you well,I may,
without
offence, pretendTo take
the freedom
of a friend;Love calls
me hence;
a fav'rite cowExpects me
near yon
barley mow;And when a
lady's in
the case,You
know, all other things give place.
overseers
Parish overseers of such things as apprenticeships, marriage licences and other parish business that at the time were outside civil law in England.
churchwardens
Officers of the parish, elected by the church congregation, and responsible for parish matters that were outside the jurisdiction of the priest but related to the church.
receipt
Recipe.
Adelaide and Theodore
Quote from Adelaide and Theodore; or letters on education: containing all the principles relative to three different plans of education; to that of Princes, and those of young persons of both sexes, by Comtesse Stéphanie Félicité de Genlis, published in 1784.
caps
Baby bonnets or hats.
Astley's
Astley's Amphitheatre, a popular place of entertainment in London. It originally opened at Westminster Bridge Road in the 1770s, later moving to Lambeth and was basically a circus-type entertainment.
give you joy
Meaning "congratulate you".
new set
Jewellery dismantled and put together in a new arrangement.
gentility
A tradesman was 'respectable' - but not 'genteel'. In other words, respectability implied that a person was neither poverty-stricken nor criminal, but did not move in such social circles that would make him or her an appropriate person to be considered a friend to people like Emma. She might be well-known to all the tradesmen in the village, but she wouldn't invite them to dinner. A 'genteel' person (i.e. belonging to a gentleman's family) would be considered a suitable friend and would be called upon at their home, even if they were actually less wealthy than the trademan next door. The Bates ladies are a good example of this in Highbury - they probably have a lower income than the local shopkeepers, but they are of a genteel family, so are included in Emma's social circle. Harriet is known to be illegitimate; but the fact that her father was a tradesman, rather than a gentleman, lowers her social standing considerably.
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