Archaic KJV Word
Conversation
Modern equivalent: conduct
What Was Lost
The idea that your entire life was a public 'conversation' with those around you -- every action was communication. When Peter wrote about holy conversation, he meant the totality of how a believer lived in the sight of others, not just what they said.
Closest Survivor in Modern English
deportment
Peak Usage (1611)
KJV 1 Peter 1:15 -- 'Be ye holy in all manner of conversation'
Died ~1750
The word narrowed from 'manner of life/public conduct' to 'verbal exchange between people,' making scripture passages about holy conversation sound like instructions about polite speech.
What Replaced It
“conduct”
Implies rule-following; conversation-as-behavior meant the whole public presentation of one's life
“behavior”
Clinical and observational; conversation implied community witness -- how others experienced your life
“lifestyle”
Modern and casual; conversation carried moral gravity and accountability