differences - Archaic vs Historical in dictionaries


At Oxford Dictionaries Online the word alderman is marked as "chiefly historical", whereas ere is marked as "literary or archaic".


I've looked around on the ODO site, but I can't find a guide to explain the difference. To me they both mean "old and not really used any more".


How does archaic differ from historical in word definitions?



Answer



An archaic word is one that is no longer in everyday use but sometimes used to impart an old-fashioned flavour, while a historical word is one used to describe a thing of the past. On the other hand, a literary word is one that is connected to literature. As can be seen, these three mean slightly different things.


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