boughten (bôt' n) adj. [Dialect] bought at a store and not homemade
In On the Banks of Plum Creek, little Laura Ingalls is fascinated by all the "boughten" items that went into building the family's new home. I was surprised to see this word in a work of printed literature, since I wasn't sure it was really proper English.
The Ingalls's new house includes boughten shingles, which "were thin and all the same size; they were far finer shingles than even Pa could hew with an ax," boughten doors, locks with keys and white China doorknobs, and boughten hinges that "did not rattle like wooden hinges or let the door drag like leather hinges." The wonder and excitement that Laura feels over these boughten items is a clear reminder that we are now in very different times.
I suppose I've heard the word "boughten" in use, although not very much. Perhaps it's not so much a dialect thing, however, but a sign of these different times. We really don't need to point out that something was purchased at a store (or online) when nearly everything we own has been obtained that way. Instead, we point out the novelty of a homemade or hand-crafted item.
I think this is a little sad. I like to make a lot of things myself, from the occasional homemade garment (for myself or my niece's doll) to fresh cheese, bread and even vinegar. (The fact that my other blog is a cooking journal may have given some of that away.) Of course, I have no idea how to make roofing shingles or door knobs, and if I take the time to think about it, I'm glad I don't have to. Perhaps, however, a little of Laura's wonder might be good for the soul. When was the last time you really contemplated your "boughten" door hinges?
This is somewhat tangential to "boughten," but we do have a lot to take for granted. When I read the description of Ma making Hominy (I think it's from Little House in the Big Woods) I am amazed every time. It's a recipe that takes three or four days, if memory serves, and involves several complicated steps. I don't think there is any food that I like enough to warrant that kind of effort. (I'd like to note that my computer did not underline boughten as misspelled, so apparently my software thinks it's a word;-)
ReplyDeleteI remember the hominy as well, and, even as a kid, I was blown away by how much work that was, especially since hominy is kind of boring to eat!
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