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Literary notes about Inroad (AI summary)

The term "inroad" has long been employed in literature to evoke the image of a forceful advance or incursion, often with violent or disruptive implications. In historical and legendary narratives, it vividly captures the idea of an aggressive military attack—as seen in depictions of invasions or raids by heroic or barbaric forces [1], [2], [3], [4]. At times, however, the term is used more subtly, suggesting not only physical entry but also the metaphorical idea of progress or penetration into an established realm, whether it be a fortress, territory, or even cultural boundaries [5], [6]. The varied contexts—from the recounting of epic battles in ancient tales [1], [2] to inquisitions about the true impacts of such events on society [7] and explorations of distant lands [8]—demonstrate the word’s flexibility in connoting both the actual and the symbolic nature of these incursions. Even in descriptions of swift and ultimately futile escapes, the term underscores that the mark of true entry or influence remains evident [9].
  1. And Iorwerth made an inroad into Loegria, slaying the inhabitants, and burning houses, and carrying away prisoners.
    — from The Mabinogion
  2. Then King Eystein made another inroad into Throndhjem, and ravaged the land far and wide, and subdued it.
    — from Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson
  3. In November of this year the Cherokee made a sudden inroad upon the Georgia settlements, destroying everything in their way.
    — from Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney
  4. Inroad of Germans into Northern Gaul repulsed.
    — from Helps to Latin Translation at Sight by Edmund Luce
  5. During Silas's absence in the daytime the door had been locked, and there had been no marks of any inroad on his return by daylight.
    — from Silas Marner by George Eliot
  6. Upon this, we had made a considerable inroad.
    — from Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana
  7. Tell me, if you please, what has the inroad of the barbarians given us so far?
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  8. But it is not very easy to identify with certainty the inroad on India to which he alludes, or the person intended by Nogodar, nephew of Chaghatai.
    — from The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Marco Polo and da Pisa Rusticiano
  9. He sprang up instantly and fled; but the early dawn had revealed his inroad, and he was hotly pursued.
    — from Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney

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