Anent

HPl was a wordsmith and loved to pull exotic words from thin air. The medium in which he published was that of horror and fantasy pulps. This is not to say the readership was illiterate - in fact the teenagers and factory workers who read Weird Tales fiction wanted to feel uplifted. *

Still, the use of "anent" is extraordinary. I found it twice in Charles Dexter Ward's text.

"...he and Smith were summoned to give testimony annet details..."

"...he had black suspicions of his own annet Joseph Curwen..."

It means "concerning".

If you find it elsewhere, please post a note.


Later, Chrispy will quote from some letters to the editor to show just how well read and erudite some readers were.