Wesley Center Online

Translating Wesley's Writings into Late 20th-Century American General English

WESLEY'S VOCABULARY

TODAY'S EQUIVALENT

bowels

center of emotion; often what we mean by "heart"

charity

love

conversation

(often means) manner of life

disinterested

impartial (e.g., "disinterested love for all")

ejaculation

exclamation 

end

(often means) purpose, goal (e.g., "to what end")

filial

pertaining to sonship (e.g., "filial love")

intercourse

interaction, relationship

meet

fit, proper

nice

overly concerned with what is socially proper

peculiar ("peculiar people")

particular, distinct

prevent

(often means) precede

prevenient

preceding (literally, "coming before")

primitive

early, original (e.g., "the primitive church")

prove

(often means) come to know by experience

retirement

seclusion, privacy

several

different, various (e.g., "at two several places")

singular

distinct; not conforming to the crowd

styled

called, known as

temper

attitude, temperament, disposition

to own

(often means) to acknowledge

vulgar

popular, common, colloquial

want

(often means) need or lack rather than desire (e.g., "go to those who want you most" means "those who need you most.")

List compiled by Dr. Howard A. Snyder of Asbury Theological Seminary