Entertainment / Literature Glossary

Anchorite: An eremite or hermit in the medieval period who requests permission from the local pastor to be sealed up in a small cell attached to the side of the church, where the anchorite would live o . . . View Full Definition

Ancillary Characters: (Latin ancillahelper or 'maid'): Less important characters who are not the primary protagonist or antagonist, but who highlight these characters or interact with them in such a way as to pro . . . View Full Definition

Anecdote: A short narrative account of an amusing, unusual, revealing, or interesting event. A good anecdote has a single, definite point, and the setting, dialogue, and characters are usually subordi . . . View Full Definition

Anglian: The dialects of Old English spoken in Mercia and Northumbria. Not to be confused with the word Anglican.

Anglican Church: The Protestant Church in England that originated when King Henry VIII broke his ties to the Vatican in Rome (the Catholic Church).

Anglo-Frisian: The sub-branch of West Germanic including English and Frisian.

Anglo-Norman: The dialect of Norman French that developed in England after William the First conquered England. Scholars abbreviate this as AN. See also Battle of Hastings.

Anglo-Saxon: (1) Historically, the term refers to a group of Teutonic tribes who invaded England in the fifth and sixth centuries following the departure of Roman legions in 410 CE. These tribes, the Ang . . . View Full Definition

Animal Communication: The exchange of information among animals, especially as contrasted with human language and meta-language (Algeo 312). Examples include pheremone trails left by ants, semaphore communication . . . View Full Definition

Animism: The belief that animals, plants, and objects have their own souls or spirits inhabiting them, as in modern Japanese religions like Shinto or in many older hunter-gatherer societies in Africa . . . View Full Definition

Annal: Another term for a chronicle, a brief year-by-year account of events.

Anthimeria: Artfully using a different part of speech to act as another in violation of the normal rules of grammar. This switch might involve treating a verb like a noun, or a noun like a verb, or an a . . . View Full Definition

Anthology: (from Grk. Anther+logos, 'flower-words') Literally implying a collection of flowers, the term anthology refers to a collection of poetry, drama, or verse. English majors may be familiar with . . . View Full Definition

Anti-Fraternal Satire: Medieval satire that points out (in humor or anger) the failings and hypocrisies of bad monks, friars, and nuns in particular and the secular clergy and church officers more generally. Examp . . . View Full Definition

Anti-Semitic Literature: Literature that vilifies Jews or encourages racist attitudes toward them. Much of the religious literature produced in medieval and Renaissance Europe unfortunately engaged in anti-Semitism . . . View Full Definition

Anticlimax: (also called bathos) a drop, often sudden and unexpected, from a dignified or important idea or situation to one that is trivial or humorous. Also a sudden descent from something sublime to . . . View Full Definition

Antifeminist Tradition: While some women writers like Christine de Pisan and Margery Kempe advocated that women should have stronger positions in the medieval church or medieval society more generally, many other w . . . View Full Definition

Antihero: A protagonist who is a non-hero or the antithesis of a traditional hero. While the traditional hero may be dashing, strong, brave, resourceful, or handsome, the antihero may be incompetent, . . . View Full Definition

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