Saturday, 3 August 2013

Blackavised - Having a Dark Complexion

Sadhu, Man, Pilgrim
"Young Sadhu"
Photo by Shanka SD

BLACKAVISED

Adjective. Archaic (chiefly northern). Mid-18th century.
[from BLACK adjective + French vis face (perhaps originally black-à-vis or black o'vis) + ED.]

Dark-complexioned.

Blackavised is an unusual word in juxtaposing naked English and French so overtly. While it's fallen out of popular usage, it can be found in a number of classics and, in a similar manner to the word 'swarthy' which is used by several dictionaries in defining blackavised, it can describe someone's simmering, sun-kissed complexion, the rugged handsomeness and rough beauty of a person that is rarely indoors.
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9 comments:

  1. JinglesSaturday, 3 August 2013 at 08:26:00 BST

    That's a word that will be on my pages one day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eddie FSaturday, 3 August 2013 at 08:33:00 BST

      We honour these words with our pages, Jingles : o )

      Delete
  2. AnonymousSaturday, 3 August 2013 at 09:16:00 BST

    "Rugged handsomeness and rough beauty of a person that is rarely indoors." I am rarely indoors, as I clean windows, but I have all the blackavisedness of a particularly pallid elderly yoghurt.

    -clueless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eddie FSaturday, 3 August 2013 at 17:23:00 BST

      And I'm sure there's a word out there that describes such a complexion beautifully, C.

      Delete
  3. The T 1 thousandSaturday, 3 August 2013 at 22:53:00 BST

    I would love to have that kind of completion,
    but i do not..... i am the type of when the sun hits my body to looking like a well smacked (white) backside.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eddie FSunday, 4 August 2013 at 18:18:00 BST

      I've heard the well-smacked bottom look is going to be rear-ly big next season ...

      Delete
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    ReplyDelete
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