John Jeremiah Sullivan

The greenness of Ireland is a false greenness, after all. Not that it isn't green - the place can still make you have to pull off and swallow one of your heart pills. It's that the greenness doesn't mean what it seems. It doesn't encode a pastoral past, much less a timeless vale where wee folk trip the demesne.

American Writer

Used to discuss historical estates, adds an old-fashioned tone to the language.

Historical Usage

Often appears in literature to describe medieval or feudal land holdings.

Literary Context

Specifies land a lord keeps for personal use, rather than land granted to others.

Not for Vassals

Used metaphorically to talk about control in modern contexts, not just physical land.

Modern Metaphor

Suggests an abstract form of ownership or control, greater than mere influence.

Abstraction Implied

Carries a strong connotation of authority, often used to assert dominance in a field.

Demesne