Vocabulary in The Purloined Letter

Translated from French, the words mean "so baleful a plan, if unworthy of Atreus, is worthy of Thyestes." The phrase is taken from Atree et Thyeste, a play by French poet Prosper Joylot Crébillon (1674–1762). The play is based on a Greek myth in which Atreus exacts a horrible revenge upon Thyestes, his brother. In writing the phrase in the fake letter he left for Minister D—, Dupin knew that he would understand the allusion and recall that he had once wronged Dupin; Dupin finds satisfaction in Minister D—’s realizing that it was Dupin who had found the purloined letter and engineered his downfall.

“Vis inertiae” means “force of inertia,” a term and concept attributed to mathematician and physicist, Sir Isaac Newton. It concerns the property of matter: When matter is at rest, it tends to remain at rest, and when in motion, it continues in the same straight line or direction unless another force acts upon it. Dupin’s allusion to Newton’s work is another example of his unconventional approach to crime solving.

In Latin, “ambitus” and “religio” respectively mean “walking” and “collecting,” not “ambition” and “religion.” While the phrase “hominess honesti” does mean “honest men,” it comes from Cicero, who railed against corruption, and the phrase was used by him sarcastically. Poe is having Dupin comment on the deliberate use of words to convey other, sometimes incorrect or opposite meanings based on little more than sounds or appearances.

Differential calculus is a subset of calculus concerned with determining the rate of change of a quantity, whereas integral calculus finds the quantity where the rate of change is known. The narrator’s mentioning calculus, a type of higher mathematics, gives Dupin an opportunity in the following paragraphs to criticize mathematical reasoning as erroneous and useless in many cases.

The Latin phrase “non distributio medii” refers to a type of logical fallacy in which the middle section of an argument is illogically applied to the conclusion. For example, all paleontologists hunt for fossils, and Jimmy hunts for fossils; therefore, Jimmy is a paleontologist. Dupin is explaining a flaw in the Prefect’s reasoning about the Minister that has made it impossible for the Prefect to find the stolen letter.

Regarding a line of reasoning, “spurious” means that something is seemingly sound but not actually valid, and “profundity” refers to deep insight or a great depth of knowledge or thought. Dupin believes his reasoning and insight are superior to those of several celebrated European writers and thinkers of the 16th and 17th centuries: François de La Rochefoucauld, Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, and Tommaso Campanella. “La Bougive” is a printing error; Poe wrote “La Bruyère,” referring to Jean de la Bruyère, but the printer misread his handwriting.

“Procrustean” means being marked by a disregard for individual differences or special circumstances. Dupin is observing that Monsieur G— uses the same investigative techniques in every case.

“Prodigious” means enormous or immense. Offering such a huge reward indicates how desperate the queen is to regain possession of the purloined (stolen) letter.

The discussion of poetry continues; “doggerel” is poetry that is poorly written and often intended to amuse.

Used here as an adjective, the French phrase “au fait” means “being familiar with.” The narrator’s comment serves a practical purpose; it interrupts Monsieur G—’s long explanation as he continues to provide the story’s antecedent action.

A lynx is a wild animal, a large solitary cat known for being a stealthy hunter with eyesight so strong that it can see the smallest of prey at 250 feet. Comparing Minister D—to a lynx indicates how he was able to read the address on the letter; also, it casts him as a stealthy predator, with the queen as his prey.

The thief’s last name is withheld for the same reasons Monsieur G—’s last name is not provided. In context, a minister is someone who holds a high political office in the government or is a member of the royal court.

“Exalted” means occupying a high or powerful position. The “most exalted” station or position in France at the time would have been that of the ruling monarch. The identity of the owner of the stolen document is being revealed slowly, which builds suspense.

As the word is used here, “cant” refers to the language or way of speaking used by members of a particular group or profession. The word has negative connotations that disparage or belittle such language or speech. The narrator ridicules Monsieur G— for his wordy response, which lacks specifics in answering the question.

“Inferred” is a form of “to infer,” which means to deduce or to draw a conclusion from evidence and reason. The Prefect does not know for a fact that the thief still has the document, but it is a reasonable assumption, given the circumstances.

“Purloined” means “stolen” or “taken,” especially in a sneaky way. The negative connotations of the word suggest that whoever took the document is not only a thief, but a devious one.

Choosing not to give this character a last name suggests that he is a real person whose identity is being protected, which adds more authenticity to the short story. In Paris, the Prefect of Police is the officer who oversees all police departments in the city.

Translated from French, “au troisieme” means “at the third”; in context, it indicates that Dupin’s library is located on the third floor of his building. “Rue” means “street” in French, and Faubourg St. Germain is a historic and very exclusive district in Paris. Creating an address for Dupin adds an air of authenticity to his fictional character.

A meerschaum is a type of smoking pipe made from sepiolite, a mineral also known as meerschaum. Smoking a pipe is one of Dupin’s characteristics that is shared with the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who is modeled after Dupin.