This term is pronounced with three syllables and long vowels and means understatement. It is often used with a negative: he is not a generous man - meaning he is very mean.
This idiom is common in Chaucer who says of the Clerk of Oxford ; "he nas nat [was not] right fat ", indicating that the man was extremely thin.
(Note that double or even triple negatives do not cancel each other out in late Middle English; they merely emphasize.)
Some useful hints about correct English and tips on literary analysis by Barbara Daniels (Doc Barbara) an ex-teacher with an Oxford M.A. in English Language and Literature and a London Ph. D
Single inverted commas
Although it is usual to enclose a word under discussion in single inverted commas, I have chosen instead to emphasise it in red to prevent confusion with apostrophes.
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These posts are always short and clear so that they can be read easily on a mobile if you follow by email (the red may not show, however!) This is completely free.
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