D&D General Which D&D Words and Things are Post 1608?

[MNblockhead]

The term spyglass. But isn't the 1608 telescope pretty much what is called a spyglass?

A spy glass is a field-glass, a portable telescope if you will. I'm guessing--haven't looked it up--that it took some time for the technology to get to the point where telescopes could be made that could fit into a pocket.

 

[MNblockhead]

Undead - 1897

[EDITED]. You were correct. The quotes I cited were using undead to basically mean alive. Not both not-dead and not quite alive. Seems Stoker coined the term in its D&D use.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

[EDITED]. You were correct. The quotes I cited were using undead to basically mean alive. Not both not-dead and not quite alive. Seems Stoker coined the term in its D&D use.

Curious. I had always wondered where "undead" meaning "dead but mobile/responsive" came from.

 

[MNblockhead]

Initiative. (1793, as a noun, use as an adjective goes back to 1742). But I'm not sure using mechanical terms, rather than in-game terms is the point of this thread.

 

[MNblockhead]

Curious. I had always wondered where "undead" meaning "dead but mobile/responsive" came from.

Yeah, I would have thought it was earlier. But the oldest written reference the OED could find is Dracula.

1897 B. Stoker Dracula xxvii. 381 There remain one more victim in the Vampire fold; one more to swell the grim and grisly ranks of the Un-dead.
1897 B. Stoker Dracula xxvii. 382 This then was the Un-Dead home of the King-Vampire.

"undead, adj.". OED Online. September 2022. Oxford University Press. Home : Oxford English Dictionary (accessed December 03, 2022).

 

[MNblockhead]

Huh, this surprised me.

Polearm

C2.
polearm n. chiefly historical a weapon for use in close combat consisting of a (typically wooden) staff fitted with either one or more blades, an axe-head or hammer-head, or a combination of these. Polearms are sometimes also fitted with spikes, flukes, or hooks. Many were originally developed from agricultural or similar tools.
1897 Catal. Coll. Armour & Arms R. Zschille (Christie, Manson & Woods) 101 A Three-Bladed Pole-Arm, stamped with a deep armourer's mark—15th century.

"pole, n.1". OED Online. September 2022. Oxford University Press. Home : Oxford English Dictionary (accessed December 03, 2022).

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Huh, this surprised me.

Polearm

C2.
polearm n. chiefly historical a weapon for use in close combat consisting of a (typically wooden) staff fitted with either one or more blades, an axe-head or hammer-head, or a combination of these. Polearms are sometimes also fitted with spikes, flukes, or hooks. Many were originally developed from agricultural or similar tools.
1897 Catal. Coll. Armour & Arms R. Zschille (Christie, Manson & Woods) 101 A Three-Bladed Pole-Arm, stamped with a deep armourer's mark—15th century.

"pole, n.1". OED Online. September 2022. Oxford University Press. Home : Oxford English Dictionary (accessed December 03, 2022).

While that may be the first use of the absolute catch-all term "polearm," the idea of a "poleax" (originally "pollax") is significantly older, according to Etymonline, although it did not mean "an axe on a pole" per se, but rather a long-handled axe.

 

[Cadence]

Ones that just make it..
Class, as a category of related things makes the cut-off, but only goes to 1583.
Athletic 1585
Dexterity 1548
Constitution 1553

Ones that don't make it...
Acrobatics is 1850s (the related words are post 1800).
Intimidation 1658 (intimidate is < 20 years earlier)
Charisma (as leadership) 1930 (Charismatic is 1883)

 

[Cadence]

Initiative. (1793, as a noun, use as an adjective goes back to 1742). But I'm not sure using mechanical terms, rather than in-game terms is the point of this thread.

Looking for anything that would look out of place as being too modern and/or scientific - either words or thing.

I was counting words or things made up for fantasy literature. So studded leather might be ahistorical, but it's not exactly sci-fi. Thouls aren't historical, but they're kind of fantasy appropriate. Psionics are late, scientific, and sci-fi.

Others putting things in that don't meet my "rules" is great though!!

 

[GreyLord]

D20

D12 and D8?

But, yes, a D20 is very modern.