tarriance
Very Rare (Archaic/Literary)Literary, Archaic, Formal
Definition
Meaning
A period of staying, waiting, or delaying; an act of tarrying or lingering.
A short or temporary stay or residence; a state of delay; a pause in one's journey or activities.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily denotes a deliberate or reluctant delay, a pause of uncertain duration. Often used in older texts, poetry, or elevated prose. Now largely obsolete in everyday speech.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage, as the word is equally rare and literary in both varieties.
Connotations
Carries a poetic, somewhat old-fashioned or formal tone.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. Might be slightly more recognized in British English due to its presence in Shakespeare ('The Two Gentlemen of Verona') and older poetic works.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[subject] + made/prolonged/cut short + a tarriance + [prepositional phrase (e.g., in/at)]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To make no tarriance (to leave immediately)”
- “To cut short one's tarriance”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used in modern business contexts.
Academic
May appear in literary analysis, historical texts, or poetic studies.
Everyday
Virtually never used in contemporary everyday conversation.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He tarried there a week.
- Do not tarry, we must be off.
American English
- She tarried at the inn for two nights.
- We can't tarry any longer.
adverb
British English
- (From related verb 'tarry') Not used.
American English
- (From related verb 'tarry') Not used.
adjective
British English
- (From related verb 'tarry') The tarrying traveller missed his train.
American English
- (From related verb 'tarry') His tarrying habits drove her mad.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Sorry for my tarriance, I was talking to a friend.
- After a brief tarriance in the village, the explorers continued their journey.
- The king's unexpected tarriance at the border castle caused much speculation among the courtiers.
- The poet's work is characterised by a profound sense of melancholy and a tarriance on the fleeting nature of beauty.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'TARRY' (to delay) + '-ANCE' (a state or action). Your 'tarriance' is your state of tarrying.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS SPACE TO BE OCCUPIED / A JOURNEY IS A PATH (a pause on the path).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'терпимость' (tolerance). Ближе к 'промедление', 'задержка', 'кратковременное пребывание'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing with 'terrace' or 'tolerance'.
- Using in modern, informal contexts where it sounds unnatural.
- Mispronouncing the first syllable as /tɑːr/ (like 'car') instead of /tær/ or /tɛr/.
Practice
Quiz
'Tarriance' is best described as:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is extremely rare and considered archaic or literary. You will almost never hear it in modern conversation.
The verb is 'to tarry', which also means to delay or linger, and is similarly old-fashioned.
It can be neutral (a sojourn) or slightly negative (an unnecessary delay). Context defines its connotation.
Primarily in older English literature, poetry (e.g., Shakespeare, Spenser), or in deliberate, highly stylised modern writing aiming for an archaic tone.