rank and splendour.

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

And curious it is that as she advanced in life this young lady's ancestors increased in rank and splendour.

rank and splendour = eminence and prosperity

I know a few synonyms of “splendour” as brightness, brilliance, ceremony, dazzle, display, glory, grandeur, lustre, magnificence, majestety, pomp, radiance, renown, resplendence, richness, show, solemnity, but I have a preference for “prosperity” in the present case.

Thanks for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

[Gillnetter]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

And curious it is that as she advanced in life this young lady's ancestors increased in rank and splendour.

rank and splendour = eminence and prosperity

I know a few synonyms of “splendour” as brightness, brilliance, ceremony, dazzle, display, glory, grandeur, lustre, magnificence, majestety, pomp, radiance, renown, resplendence, richness, show, solemnity, but I have a preference for “prosperity” in the present case.

Thanks for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

Prosperity seems to be a distant meaning for splendour. I usually associate splendour more with grandeur or brillance. Prosperity is more concerned with material wealth. There can be splendour without wealth - consider the Grand Canyon of Arizona, for example. From any vista there is splendor to be seen in the canyon.

[Barb_D]

I love the original sentence, though.

In a society where "who you people are" (who your ancestors are) is important in determining your own worthiness, when she was humble and not well-regarded, no one cared who her ancestors were. A she became more important, the story about who her ancestors were changed, so that eventually they were said to be important enough so that it was okay to think highly of her.