Re: Concocted early 16th Century English

Elliott Lash et al. scripserunt:
> > > > VOCAB
> > > > needs:  'of necessity'
"Perforce" is a near-synonym, little used but not yet archaic.........

"Needs" is certainly obsolete, a deliberate archaism, in 20th C. speech and
writing.  In the 19th C. it may have been merely "literary"-- I don't recall
it in Melville (50 years ago...), but do recall a Max Beerbohm cartoon,
lampooning the aesthetician Roger Fry.  A wispy Mr. Fry is admiring IIRC a
teacup, and the caption is "We needs must love the highest".
Pedantic oldsters like me might well use it in writing, or for humor in
speech.  I also use, in speech!!, the near-moribund expressions "loath
to..." and "as is my/his/your wont", both of which are subject to amusing
mis-spelling.

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