I received some great insights in my Early Modern English class today. Among these was a fresh take on the term "complement" as related to the language of Shakespeare and of today.
We were looking at the first scene of King Lear in class, and we discussed the corrupt, insincere dialogue between the characters. The word "complement" was used in this context because the word is derived from the old meaning of being "full," as in "full of it," too much flattery, etc. Basically, the nice things that people say to each other in the court scene are spoken in order to build each other up, to gain friendships, and to curry favor with those in higher positions. In this sense of "complement," niceness and politeness is given with self-promotion or self-protection in mind. Contrast this with the idea of "compliment." I define this as kind, altruistic comments sincerely given with a desire to express true emotions and thoughts to uplift someone else.
In the first scene of the play, King Lear's older daughters spoke in complement style, professing the amount of love they have to their father when what they really care about is the land they will receive from him. Today after class, I complimented my teacher, thanking her and telling her it was a really good class today.
Upon further reflection, I recalled a few times when compliments I gave to others were really in complement style, meaning I was more worried about impressing someone or gaining something than I was truly caring about the person. I am grateful for this fascinating insight about the difference between complement and compliment, at least in Early Modern English, which shows principles that are still applicable today.
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