Literary notes about Acquaint (AI summary)
In literature, "acquaint" is often employed as a formal act of informing someone, whether it be a character or the reader, thereby providing context or unveiling details essential to the narrative. The term carries a tone of deliberate communication—used to introduce upcoming events, disclose personal affairs, or signal significant historical or emotional revelations. It appears in a variety of contexts, from diplomatic missives in historical accounts [1], [2] to private conversations between friends and family [3], [4], as well as serving as a narrative bridge that ensures the audience is fully aware of preceding events or forthcoming developments [5], [6]. This versatility enriches both character interactions and the overall structure of the narrative.
- Cortes sent six of the Indians before us to acquaint the caziques of Sempoalla that we were approaching, and to beg permission to visit them.
— from The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2) by Bernal Díaz del Castillo - This is to acquaint you, that I intend to send the true believers into Syria 44 to take it out of the hands of the infidels.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Wife, go you to her ere you go to bed, Acquaint her here of my son Paris’ love, And bid her, mark you me, on Wednesday next,
— from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare - I wish, however, since I do not dare put Madame Duval upon her guard, that he had the delicacy not to acquaint me with his intention.
— from Evelina, Or, the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World by Fanny Burney - I must therefore first turn my eyes upon myself to acquaint myself with the instrument I desire to use, and to discover how far it is reliable.
— from Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau - By heaven, I will acquaint his Majesty Of those gross taunts that oft I have endur'd.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
