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• revenant •

Pronunciation: re-vê-nênt • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. Someone returning after a long absence. 2. Someone returning from the dead.

Notes: Today's Good Word is remarkable in its rarity. How commonly do we say, "Welcome, stranger" or (down South) "I haven't seen you in a coon's age" to someone we haven't seen in a long time? Well, everyone we say such things to is a revenant—especially if we thought they were dead. This word is a lexical orphan, except it may be also be used as an adjective, as 'a revenant cousin'.

In Play: Rip Van Winkle, of course, is the most famous revenant, but then all ghosts are equally good revenants. The frequency of circumstances in which we meet revenants belies its rarity: "Family reunions are enjoyable for all the revenants you see." This word may be applied jokingly to someone who has missed work for several days: "Well, look who's decided to come to work: our old revenant, Charlie!"

Word History: We ran today's Good Word back in July 2015, but since then the motion picture 'The Revenant' has garnered 12 Academy Award nominations, so I thought it a good idea to run it again. In French revenant is the present participle of revenir "to return". Revenue, that which is returned, is the feminine past participle of the same verb. This verb comprises re- "back, again" + venir "to come". Venir, believe it or not, goes back to the same source as English come: Proto-Indo-European gwe(m)- "to go, come". Greek bainein "to walk" shares the same origin. We met this word in the Good Word history of acerbate. (Today we must thank Sue Gold of Westtown School and a former student for recommending this Good Word after seeing the movie early on.)

Is there any connection between this Good Word and revive? Although, I suspect not - the latter is closer to re-live, not to be resurrected. Or? Thanks.

Seems like I once read a trilogy called the Chronicles of Thomas Revenant. Thundering good adventure with the formula of sending a modern character into another era. Anyone else remember it?

No connection between revenant and revive. You're right, wurdperson, the French comes from a verb meaning "re-come" ("return") and the latter, "re-live".

Seems like I once read a trilogy called the Chronicles of Thomas Revenant. Thundering good adventure with the formula of sending a modern character into another era. Anyone else remember it?

I read those books too. Thorougly enjoyed them. Good
memory, thanks.

I've meant to read them myself; good reminder, thanks, I think I've found an inaugural purchase for my new kindle thingy. (I finally got tired of carting huge books around unnecessarily and then having them on shelves forever).

My bookshelves groan with the load of books. I have my study and two other rooms full of books. I love everything about books: sight, texture, scent and the thrill of holding one in my hands. No Kindle for me, thank you.

The second book in the series "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" was titled "Fatal Revenant". This series is a continuation of previous series. I am not familiar with these books. The reviews are mixed and the man, and perhaps the author, seem to be totally insane. I shall consider reading one but probably won't.

My bookshelves groan with the load of books. I have my study and two other rooms full of books. I love everything about books: sight, texture, scent and the thrill of holding one in my hands. No Kindle for me, thank you.

You probably have more than I do, but I'll bet I'm a close
second behind you. No kindle for me either. It may be the
way of the future, but I won't be here, and I'll take a good
book any day.

Luke and Philip, I suspect that we are kindred spirits. The residents of my floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in the living room/library, the lawyer's cases in the upstairs landing, the bookshelves and piles on the bedside tables are perhaps my wealth, very dear and beloved. No Kindle yet, though friends tell me that when eyesight starts becoming unreliable, the ability to adjust light and contrast on an electronic device is nice. Perhaps. And perhaps I shall just start recording myself reading all those favorites I wanted to re-read at some point, so that when the eyes fail, I can listen to myself read those old pleasures. If the ears don't fail too...

I suspect most habitues of this board are generally surrounded by books. We got a couple of rooms full and would have more except I'm also a habitue of the library. Tossed a lot of paperbacks I used to buy for vacations. Now I use the Kindle for that - added,the app to the iPad. The only hangup I have so far is that with both Vivian and my books on there - over 200 - I can't completely delete the ones I don't need any more.

The Covenant books are semi-fantasy, and you sorta havta be in the mood for that kind of stuff. Within that genre they are very good.

I have many, many books. I always felt I should hang on to them. However I have changed from having physical media for music and now play from streaming in the car, at work and at home - I have not bought or used a CD for a long time and don't miss the organising thereof (I still have many hundreds).

My wife considers maintaining an enormous library unnecessary and space is at a premium with children and life so I think, why not? I've loved so many books but it's the words, connection with the time and place and knowledge for me more than the medium. Still, I guess it can seem a big change, but I've always endeavoured to not be overly set in my ways.

Here in the hinterlands, it is obligatory that one be set in one's ways. However, I don't have an eight track player anymore.

Here in the hinterlands, it is obligatory that one be set in one's ways. However, I don't have an eight track player anymore.

Congratulations! I must admit that I still have a library of LPs and some cassette tapes that rarely are listened to, and do listen to and occasionally acquire CDs. We have access to two good radio stations in our area, so that we can get everything from jazz to social discourse, classical to folk music, hard news to inventive literary programming, however - and all it costs is an annual donation of goodwill dollars. No Sirius yet, though.

How commonly do we say, "Welcome, stranger" or (down South) "I haven't seen you in a coon's age" to someone we haven't seen in a long time? Well, everyone we say such things to is a revenant—especially if we thought they were dead.

I'm reminded of an encounter about a year or so ago with an old friend I hadn't seen in years -- in fact I would have sworn that I'd been told she had died (cumulative effects from old bad habits). I'm sure I must have been staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed, and I really had to make myself not say anything about what I was thinking at the moment. It's considered bad form, I'm sure, to tell someone that you thought they were dead...