Are these words really common?

[mkenuk]

From yesterday's southerner 10-letter game: -

hereto (played by 95 from 265) - common
hereunto (played by 33 from 265) - common
thereon (played by 78 from 265) - common
hereon (played by 63 from 265) - rare!!

All good words and true, no doubt, and probably familiar to all well-read native speakers of English;
I'm just wondering why hereon is the 'odd one out'?

[Jacki]

Good question. I missed enthuse - aargh - hereunto came to me as the second last common word, but I must say I can't remember seeing it or saying it.

[birdy]

Truthfully, I would have considered all of these uncommon.  I would think of them mostly as legalese.

The only one of that type of word (and I know it doesn't fit the southerner game) that I would consider common would be heretofore.

[mkenuk]

Truthfully, I would have considered all of these uncommon.  I would think of them mostly as legalese.

The only one of that type of word (and I know it doesn't fit the southerner game) that I would consider common would be heretofore.

Legalese, certainly and possibly Victorian / Dickensian.
One similar word - not used in lthe southerner game -  which might be familiar to some - is thereto  as in  'thereto I do plight thee my troth' from the traditional wedding ritual.

[TRex]

All good words and true, no doubt, and probably familiar to all well-read native speakers of English;
I'm just wondering why hereon is the 'odd one out'?

Good question. And I agree about thereto. All should be familiar to well-read speakers of English, even non-native speakers. Unfortunately, IMO, the list of common words has 'dumbed down' the list the past few years (e.g. orate).

[Calilasseia]

Heh, I'm probably one of the few people remaining who uses words such as this in general conversation ...

[birdy]

One similar word - not used in lthe southerner game -  which might be familiar to some - is thereto  as in  'thereto I do plight thee my troth' from the traditional wedding ritual.

Okay, that one I would certainly agree would probably be familiar to many, and I may even have seen/heard it in other places, but not that common.  But hey, I'm not averse to trying to revive it!