By Brian Boone

It’s Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air most everywhere, even at Uncle John’s. There are lots of ways to say “I love you” or talk about the many nuances of romance and passion, throughout history and around the world. Can you figure out the obscure, archaic, and little-known but lovely love words we’re talking about in the quiz below? (Answers are at the end

1. The 14th century English word mitting is comparable to what modern word or phrase?

a) Spooning.

b) Holding hands.

c) Feelings of unrequited love.

d) “Darling!”

2. The Norwegian word forelsket refers specifically to which common stage of love?

a) It describes those early stages of couple-hood when the romance is new and exciting.

b) It describes the moment when you know someone is “the one” and you want to propose.

c) It literally translates to “fart comfort,” or when a couple is so in love they’re that easy-going around each other.

d) It pinpoints the build-up to saying “I love you for the first time”

3. There are six words in the Ancient Greek language to describe different types of love. Which one refers to a playful flirtation?

a) Eros.

b) Philia.

c) Ludus.

d) Pragma.

4. The 12th century word swain means what kind of guy?

a) A tireless suitor whose affections are unwanted and returned.

b) A boyfriend.

c) A second husband.

d) A lover to whom a woman is betrothed, but he’s away at war or at sea.

5. Which of the following very similar words isn’t a term from the 1400s and 1500s that means the same thing as “a kiss”?

a) Buss.

b) Bass.

c) Cuss.

d) Cass.

6. Late 13^th-century English author Geoffrey Chaucer introduced which now archaic love term in “The Miller’s Tale,” a story in his landmark anthology The Canterbury Tales?

a) Honeye.

b) Cynamone.

c) Molassassy.

d) Sugarbeete.

7. The Italian word innamorare, which means to fall in love, inspired what now disused word that means the same thing as “muse”?

a) Innamormuse.

b) Enamore.

c) Inamorata.

d) Enormona.

8. If in the year 1900 or so you told your sweetheart that they were pulchritudinous, it means you think they’re what?

a) Physically attractive.

b) Too physically attractive for you.

c) Worthy of marriage.

d) Cheating on you. 

Answers:

1. d)

2. a) 

3. c) Ludus. The other five types of love, per Ancient Greek are eros (carnal passion), philia (profound friendship), pragma (mature, partnership love), agape (love for humanity), and philautia (self-love).

4. b) Swain comes from the word swein, or servant, because a loyal lover is a servant of romance.  

5. d)

6. b) And yes, Chaucer got it from “cinnamon.”

7. c)

8. a)