I understand wrought as a word with two meanings–as the archaic past tense and past participle of work and as an adjective in its own right. However, I can't quite understand its meaning in this sentence from a book.
Whether they were staunch supporters of Pan-Americanism or not, scholars tended to envision the nature of the U.S. hegemony in South America as something to be wrought in the terrain of culture. In this regard, their views sustained and accompanied the transition from Big Stick diplomacy to the Good Neighbor Policy.
Does it function as the part participle of work? What exactly does it mean here? Judging from the context, my guess is "brought about", but can't be sure which among work's myriad definitions this usage invokes.
Best Answer
The dictionary defines "wrought" as the, "archaic past and past participle of work." Nowadays it is used mostly as the past participle, to describe a particular kind of metalwork, e.g. "wrought iron decorative fencing"
Because it conveys the image of large, sweaty men pounding hot metal into shape with large hammers, "wrought" suggests significant effort and craftsmanship, where "work" just suggests, well, work.
Example:
In the example you provide: yes, you can substitute "work", but it would not have the same figurative meaning. That being said, the use of wrought is odd here, given the subject matter. Forged might have been more idiomatic, since we often talk figuratively about forging things like alliances, trade deals, treaties, etc. I can't say for certain since it's unclear what the author means by "the terrain of culture".