Even as a middle-aged native American English speaker who reads a lot, I still

[RockRaven]

encounter words that I have never seen before (as far as I can remember).

Today's word, encountered in a detective novel from the 1930s, is "yclept" meaning "called" or "named"
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/yclept

Be honest, how many of you are saying "what, you've never seen that before?"

[MLAA]

1. After approximately 58 years of reading I've never come across yclept.

Great scrabble word!

[ailsagirl]

12. Nor have I, so I looked it up

"While most forms of the verb clepe are obsolete, yclept is still occasionally used as an adjective or verb for humorous or archaic effect; as in the set phrase aptly yclept."
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yclept

[dweller]

2. I did not know what it meant

But honestly I’ve seen it before , just didn’t remember when or why .
I might have read it and forgotten it quickly


✌🏻

[Ilikepurple]

3. Count me as someone whose doesn't remember seeing it.

I’m guessing it continues to exist for those of us who like seeing words we have never seen before.

[Ocelot II]

4. It's middle English, means "named."

[LearnedHand]

5. Isn't it actually a Middle English word? Found in Canterbury Tales?

[UTUSN]

6. Good point. Even with regular words now escaping me, google has been helping to delay the inevitable.

Searching synonyms for the word I'm blanking on.

[EverHopeful]

7. One thing I love about ebooks

is the press and hold feature which brings up a dictionary definition and often a Wikipedia entry for a word.

As a lifelong reader who, as a kid, would take my book outside and hide so I could keep reading when my Mom said I had to go out and play instead of staying in and reading all day, I'm still thrilled when I encounter new-to-me words.

Thanks for yclept. Never encountered that before.

[Figarosmom]

8. Nope

[malthaussen]

9. It's middle English, using it in 1930 was already an anachronism. :)

Not surprised you never ran across it before, if your tastes don't run in that direction.

-- Mal

[Different Drummer]

10. Collins Dictionary says it's in the lower 50 percent of words used in its listings.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/yclept

I had never heard the word until today. Thanks for your post, RockRaven!

[Harker]

11. I went to the barber. Yclept my hair, and was paid. n/t

[ProfessorGAC]

13. A First For Me

Made me interested enough to look up the etymology.
Interesting.
It's a great Scrabble word!

[electric_blue68]

14. Yclept, Uclpet, Weclept, Theyclept etc.

Couldn't resist.

I don't think I've ever seen it.