Recusant

[SOP]

Do you immediately know what the word means?

[contrabordun]

Why do you ask?

[SOP]

I'll explain later when a few more have responded.

So all you people who normally only read the threads, jump in and vote - you don't have to leave a message!

[dunstan]

it helps if you are from a recusant family

Dunstan.

[musicus]

Welcome to the forum, Dunstan!

I almost said 'a warm welcome', but that might have unfortunate connotations if yours is a recusant family...

Musicus
moderator

[dunstan]

Welcome to the forum, Dunstan!

I almost said 'a warm welcome', but that might have unfortunate connotations if yours is a recusant family...

Musicus
moderator

Thanks for the welcome. We never actually got warm, just paid a lot of fines. The old family home was sold at the start of the 20th century, but it was only about 10 years ago that the chapel was "closed" - until then it had been a site of weekly mass since before the reformation.

Of course, my great great great grandfather's installing an Angellus bell might be viewed as somewhat provocative ...

D.

[presbyter]

I am informed that in an an area of one midlands county, the only Catholic practice that was really frowned on was the use of a bagpiper who would lead funeral processions ....

..... mind you, the gaol not too far away was the place where one Saint was hanged, drawn and quartered.

What sad times.

[contrabordun]

Well, do we get to find out why you wanted to know?

[SOP]

OK Mr Patient.

I was on a tour of an historic 16th century hall being conducted by an enthusiastic young Catholic priest who has a good knowledge of the history of the building. Throughout the tour he mentioned 'recusant' a few times so the meaning was easily picked up but I got to wondering about the word itself, where it was from, what was the memory hook for me, etc.

After the tour I asked someone else if they knew the word and they didn't, therefore could not help with the root so we went across to our guide to ask. He could not immediately say where the word was from but was surprised we were asking about it.

Fine. However back at church a comment was made that two intelligent people had not known the word. Once I had found the word in the dictionary, found the root etc I then got to wondering why anyone was surprised it was not in my vocabulary - why should it be? I am not from a recusant family, I am not actively involved in conducting tours of old Catholic family houses so why should it be automatically assumed I would be familiar with the word?

Hence the poll - OK?

[Merseysider]

So what does it mean?

I know how to use it and it makes sense when I hear it in a sentence but couldn't really tell you what it means.

[SOP]

Canonico sent this:

recusant

\Re*cu"sant\, n. 1. One who is obstinate in refusal; one standing out stubbornly against general practice or opinion.

The last rebellious recusants among the European family of nations. --De Quincey.

2. (Eng. Hist.) A person who refuses to acknowledge the supremacy of the king in matters of religion; as, a Roman Catholic recusant, who acknowledges the supremacy of the pope. --Brande & C.

3. One who refuses communion with the Church of England; a nonconformist.

All that are recusants of holy rites. --Holyday.


[Try Merriam-Webster Unabridged.]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.


recusant

\Re*cu"sant\ (-zat; 277), a.[L. recusans, -antis, p. pr. of recure to refuse, to oject to; pref. re- re + causa a cause, pretext: cf. F. r['e]cusant. See Cause, and cf. Ruse.] Obstinate in refusal; specifically, in English history, refusing to acknowledge the supremacy of the king in the church, or to conform to the established rites of the church; as, a recusant lord.

It stated him to have placed his son in the household of the Countess of Derby, a recusant papist. --Sir W. Scott.

So now you know!!