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To help you better understand Shakespeare’s works we’ve put together the below Shakespeare dictionary, listing Shakespeare’s words, along with a description and example of the word used in context in a Shakespeare play.

In many ways, Shakespeare is the founder of the modern English that we use. It’s generally accepted that he invented or brought into popular usage thousands of words and phrases, and wrote some of litereature’s most memorable lines. However, Shakespeare wrote almost 400 years ago in Early Modern English, and a number of words that were common in his day have since fallen out of usage. The dictionary below lists the words Shakespeare used that are not in common usage today, or may have a different meaning.

[glossary]

If there’s a word you need to understand that’s not listed, please let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Источник

Below, you’ll find a handy list of some of the most common words used by Shakespeare translated into modern English.

ABHOR — To reject, disdain
ABSOLUTE — Without flaw, perfect
ADDICTION — Tendency, proneness
BALK — To hesitate, chop; to dispute
BRAVE — Handsome
CHARACTER — Letter, word
COIL — Distress, trouble
COUCH — To go to sleep
CUNNING — Clever, sharp
DELATION — Accusation
DESERVING — Merit, reward
DRAW — To bring near, call to
EGAL — Equal
EMBOSS — To track with the intent to kill
EXPEDIENCE — Quickness
FANCY — To desire
FEAR — To scare, frighten
FRONT — To oppose, affront, object
GAST — Scared, aghast
GRAVE — To inter, bury
HEAVY — Sad, painful, mournful
HONEST — Pure
INHERIT — Given; to accept or believe
JUDICIOUS — Fair, equitable
KNAP — To hit, strike
KNAVE — A young boy, a servant
LAND — Yard
LAPSED — Shocked, overcome
MAD — Crazy, wild
MATE — To confuse; to match
NOTE — Bill, list; to take note of
O’ER-RAUHOT, O’ER WROUGHT — Overcome
OUGHT — Privy to, promised
PAINFUL — Difficult, hard to do
PALL — To wrap up
PARTICOAT — To cover in colorful fabric
PERPEND — To think of, consider
QUAINT — Beautiful, ornate
QUAKE — To shake, tremble
QUICKEN — To bring to life, bring to one’s senses
RAPTURE — A fit, ecstasy
RAVIN — Likely to destroy; hunger
RESPECT — Forethought, consideration
RETIRE — To go to bed, to retreat
SHRIFT — To admit
SIMULAR — Counterfeit
STILL — Always, forever
SUBSCRIPTION — Acquiescence, obedience
TAKE — To overtake; to enthrall
TAX — Blame, censure
TESTY — Worrisome
TRIGON — A triangle
UNDERGO — To take on
UNPREGNANT — Idiotic, inane
VILE — Disgusting, hateful
VINDICTIVE — Vengeful
WALL-EYED — Wide-eyed, angry, surprised
WANT — To lack
WHEREFORE — Why
YARE — Prepared, ready
YOUNG — Recent
ZANY — Idiotic, clownish

Sample Shakespearean Phrases

That was fun, right? In some senses, it’s almost like a different language. But, in truth, we say a lot of things today that Shakespeare himself coined. Some of the most notable phrases include:

All that glitters isn’t gold. (from Macbeth)
Break the ice (from The Taming of the Shrew)
A brave new world (from The Tempest)
In my heart of hearts (from Hamlet)
Jealousy is a green-eyed monster (from Othello)
The world is my oyster (from The Merry Wives of Windsor)

When you have a moment, take a look at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. They list even more words and phrases that, despite their inception over 400 years ago, we still speak today.

Shakespeare’s Pronouns

Elizabethan English used a set of pronouns than we’re used to. The first person — I, me, my, and mine — remains basically the same.

The second-person singular (you, your, yours), however, is translated like so:

«Thou» for «you» (nominative, as in «Thou hast risen.»)
«Thee» for «you» (objective, as in «I give this to thee.»)
«Thy» for «your» (genitive, as in «Thy dagger floats before thee.»)
«Thine» for «yours» (possessive, as in «What’s mine is thine.»)

Shakespearean English Is Modern English

Because of the oddities and complexities inherent in the language of Shakespeare, sometimes his works seem incomprehensible. However, you may be surprised to know that William Shakespeare’s English is technically modern English!

That’s right, much of the language spoken by William Shakespeare (known as Elizabethan English) is still in use today, and is distinct from Middle English (the language of Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote The Canterbury Tales) and Early English (as found inBeowulf).

This does not mean, however, that Shakespeare’s English uses the exact same words and phrases that we use but formed the basis of today’s English. In fact, some of his phrases are very different from anything you’ve ever heard.

Source: Shakespeare Translator

Источник

abandon

enfeoff (v.),forswear (v), past forms forsworn, forswore,give away (v.),give over (v.),leave (v.),leave off (v.),relinquish (v.),renege (v.),set apart (v.),shake off (v.),swear out (v.)

absolute

ample (adj.),arrant (adj.),direct (adj.),great way,mere (adj.),positive (adj.),proper (adj.),received (adj.),strict (adj.),undoubted (adj.),very (adj.)

accompany

assist (v.),associate (v.),attend (v.),bear (v.), past forms bore, borne,bring (v.),company (v.),consort (v.),fetch (v.),go (v.),rank (v.),stand with (v.),troop with (v.),wait on / upon (v.)

accomplish

chare (v.),compass (v.),comply (v.),consummate (v.),effect (v.),enact (v.),overtake (v.),rid (v.),seal (v.),touch (v.),turn off (v.)

accomplished

aged (adj.),artificial (adj.),complete, compleat (adj.),exact (adj.),happy (adj.),made up, made-up (adj.),parted (adj.),potent (adj.),practised (adj.),qualified (adj.)

accomplishment

achievement (n.),art (n.),bringing-forth (n.),compliment, complement (n.),emulation (n.),excellency (n.),execution (n.),feat (n.),gift (n.),having (n.),piece (n.),preparation (n.),quality (n.),virtue (n.)

accord

agree (v.),cohere (v.),congree (v.),congrue (v.),consent (n.),consonancy (n.),consonancy (n.),key (n.),shape (v.),sortance (n.),stand (v.),sympathy (n.)

account

audit (n.),chronicle (n.),cital (n.),count (n.),count (v.),delivery (n.),denotement (n.),fame (n.),give (v.),note (n.),process (n.),reason (n.),recountment (n.),rehearsal (n.),relation (n.),render (n.),report (n.),score (n.),story (n.),tenure (n.)

accusation

accuse (n.),appeal (n.),attainder (n.),attaint (n.),charge (n.),crime (n.),dilation (n.),impeach (n.),impeachment (n.),imposition (n.),law (n.),objection (n.),tax (n.)

accuse

appeal (v.),appeal (v.),arraign (v.),burden, burthen (v.),challenge (v.),detect (v.),exclaim on / upon (v.),impeach (v.),indict (v.),peach (v.)

acknowledge

acknow on (v.),agnize (v.),allow (v.),allow (v.),cite (v.),confess (v.),elect (v.),grant (v.),justify (v.),know (v.),remember (v.),take in hand,yield (v.)

act

action (n.),display (v.),do (v.),exploit (n.),jest (v.),manner (n.),minister (v.),present (v.),touch (n.),turn (n.),work (v.), past form wrought

action

act (n.),act (n.),act (n.),acture (n.),business (n.),deed (n.),doing (n.),execution (n.),feat (n.),feat (n.),function (n.),issue (n.),occasion (n.),operance (n.),part (n.),proceeding (n.),service (n.),step (n.),touch (n.),turn (n.),work (n.),working (n.)

activity to be followed, set an

set (v.)

address

assail (v.),bespeak (v.), past forms bespake, bespoke,board (v.),encounter (n.),envoy (n.),greet (v.),greeting (n.),l’envoy (n.),salute (v.),speak (v.),superscript (n.),superscription (n.)

adorn

beauty (v.),brave (v.),brooch (v.),deck (v.),deck up (v.),face (v.),flourish (v.),gild (v.), past forms gilt, gilded,guard (v.),invest (v.),paint (v.),prank (v.),stick (v.),trick up (v.)

advance

allege (v.),approach (n.),come up (v.),former (adj.),forward (v.),head (n.),make forth (v.),pass (v.),prefer (v.),raise (v.),set on (v.),sway on (v.)

advantage

addition (n.),avail (n.),behalf (n.), especially: in behalf (of),behoof (n.),behove (n.),benefit (n.),boot (n.),commodity (n.),convenience (n.),conveniency (n.),effect (n.),eminence (n.),forehand, fore-hand (n.),good (n.),goodness (n.),ground (n.),odd (n.),odds (n. plural),privilege (n.),privilege (n.),prize (n.),purchase (n.),start (n.),stead (n.),thrift (n.),use (n.),vantage (n.)

affect

attaint (v.),infect (v.),move (v.),salute (v.),strike (v.),taint (v.),take upon (v.),touch (v.),touch (v.),work (v.), past form wrought

Africa

Afric (n.),Argier (n.),Barbary (n.),Barbary cock-pigeon,blackamoor (n.),Carthage (n.),Cophetua (n.),Ethiopian (n.),Pentapolis (n.),Prester John,Tripolis (n.),Tunis (n.),Zenelophon (n.)

agent [person]

attorney (n.),broker, broker-between (n.),executor (n.),factor (n.),instrument (n.),man (n.),minister (n.),motive (n.),procurator (n.),secondary (n.),speculation (n.)

agitation

alarm, alarum, ‘larm, ‘larum (n.),commotion (n.),confusion (n.),distraction (n.),frenzy (n.),motion (n.),stir (n.),taking (n.),vexation (n.),will (n.)

agree

accord (v.),adhere (v.),appoint (v.),close (v.),cohere (v.),compound (v.),condescend (v.),congrue (v.),consent (v.),consign to (v.),go even,hit (v.),jump (v.),make (v.),make up (v.),seal (v.),stand (v.),sympathize (v.),yield (v.)

agreement

accord (n.),accord (n.),coherence (n.),compact (n.),composition (n.),condition (n.),consent (n.),constancy (n.),indenture (n.),match (n.),obligation (n.),order (n.),paction (n.),sortance (n.),sympathy (n.),taking up (n.),understand (v.),yielding (n.)

agreement to transfer land possession

fine (n.)

aid

accommodate (v.),adjunct (n.),advantage (v.),aidance (n.),avail (n.),contribution (n.),furtherance (n.),hand (n.),relief (n.),relieve (v.),speed (n.),succour (n.),succour (v.),vantage (v.)

aim

bend (v.),butt (n.),drift (n.),end (n.),hit (v.),intent (n.),level (v.),mark (n.),mark (n.),mete (v.),point (n.),purpose (n.),scope (n.),study (n.),working (n.)

alarm

alarm, alarum, ‘larm, ‘larum (n.),amaze (v.),amazement (n.),gast (v.),’larum (n.),scarre (n.),start (v.),surprise (n.)

allow

admit (v.),afford (v.),beteem, beteene (v.),brook (v.),endure (v.),entertain (v.),give (v.),serve (v.),suffer (v.),use (v.),vouchsafe (v.)

anger

blood (n.),chafe (v.),chafing (n.),choler (n.),despite (v.),enchafe (v.),heat (n.),Herod (n.),impatience (n.),incensement (n.),mood (n.),spirit (n.),stomach (n.)

angry

bent (adj.),choleric (adj.),cross (adj.),curst (adj.),discontenting (adj.),eager (adj.),enchafed (adj.),fretful (adj.),heated (adj.),hot (adj.),impatient (adj.),ireful (adj.),louring (adj.),mad (adj.),moody (adj.),out (adv.),sharp (adj.),up (adj.)

animals, hole prepared for hunted

pit (n.)

anticipate

await for (v.),forethink (v.),go before (v.),hope (v.),look (v.),look for (v.),mistrust (v.),prevent (v.),prevent (v.),tarry (v.),think (v.)

appearance

aspect (n.),aspect (n.),assemblance (n.),beseeming (n.),brow (n.),complexion (n.),countenance (n.),eye (n.),face (n.),fashion (n.),favour (n.),favour (n.),hue (n.),image (n.),impression (n.),instance (n.),likeness (n.),outside (n.),personage (n.),picture (n.),presence (n.),seeing (n.),seeming (n.),semblance (n.),shape (n.),shape (n.),show (n.),showing (n.)

appearance, outward

case (n.),colour (n.),complexion (n.),extern (n.),feature (n.),form (n.),making (n.),person (n.),seeming (adv.),sight (n.),sign (n.),visage (n.)

approach

accost (v.),board (v.),coast (v.),come in (v.),come upon (v.),encounter (n.),encounter (v.),grow (v.),labour for (v.),make (v.),repair (n.),resort (n.),salute (v.),take (v.),undertake (v.)

appropriate

appertaining (adj.),arrest (v.),becomed (adj.),choice (adj.),convenient (adj.),due (adj.),engross (v.),fair (adj.),fit (adj.),german, germane (adj.),good (adj.),handsome (adj.),happy (adj.),judicious (adj.),prescript (adj.),property (v.),very (adj.)

approval

allowance (n.),approof (n.),cap (n.),commendation (n.),countenance (n.),grant (n.),pardon (n.),subscription (n.),suffrage (n.),voice (n.),vouch (n.)

archery

aim, cry,aim, give one,Apollo (n.),butt (n.),carry (v.),cleave the pin,clout (n.),draw (v.),forehand, fore-hand (adj.),level (n.),loose (n.),loose (v.),Parthian (adj.),pin (n.),unbent (adj.),upshoot (n.),white (n.)

armour protecting the chest and left shoulder

grand guard

arouse

accite (v.),alarum (v.),awake (v.),bestir (v.),call up (v.),cite (v.),move (v.),tarre (v.),tickle up (v.),uprouse (v.),wake (v.)

arrange

appoint (v.),appoint (v.),cast (v.),decree (v.),digest, disgest (v.),do (v.),fashion (v.),frame (v.),intend (v.),lay (v.),make (v.),make up (v.),order (v.),pack (v.),place (v.),put on (v.),range (v.),seem (v.),set (v.),sort (v.),sort out (v.),stand (v.),trim up, trim (v.),work (v.), past form wrought,work to (v.)

arrest, circulate with warrants for

lay (v.)

arrogant

big (adj.),broad (adj.),contumelious (adj.),haught (adj.),high-minded (adj.),immodest (adj.),insolent (adj.),jolly (adj.),misproud (adj.),orgulous (adj.),overweening (adj.),stout (adj.),surly (adj.),swelling (adj.)

Asia

Arabia (n.),Ephesus (n.),Hyrcan, Hyrcania (n.),Parthian (adj.),Philippi (n.),Phrygia (n.),Prester John,Sardis (n.),Tarsus (n.),Tartar (n.)

assault

affront (n.),alarm, alarum, ‘larm, ‘larum (n.),assail (v.),assay (n.),attempt (n.),battery (n.),encounter (n.),extent (n.),onset (n.),push (n.),stroke (n.)

assign

allot (v.),appoint (v.),appoint (v.),ascribe (v.),assure (v.),bequeath (v.),devise (v.),direct (v.),rate (v.),refer (v.),style (v.)

associate

accomplice (n.),acquaintance (n.),assistance (n.),companion (n.),company (n.),compartner (n.),compeer (n.),competitor (n.),complice (n.),consort (n.),converse (v.),corrival, co-rival (n.),fellow (n.),join (v.),kiss (v.),mate (n.),mell (v.),partaker (n.),partner (v.),pew-fellow (n.),quality (n.),rival (n.),sort (v.),yoke (v.)

astrology

Aries (n.),aspect (n.),birth (n.),disaster (v.),dog-days (n.),dragon’s tail,house (n.),nativity (n.),planetary (adj.),predominant (adj.),predominate (v.),retrograde (adj.),wandering (adj.),zodiac (n.)

astronomy

axletree, axle-tree (n.),burning zone,centre (n.),collateral (adj.),conjunction (n.),constellation,liberal arts,Mars (n.),orb (n.),Saturn (n.),sphere (n.),sphere (n.),spherical (adj.),star (n.),Venus (n.)

attack

affront (n.),alarm, alarum, ‘larm, ‘larum (n.),approach (n.),assail (v.),assault (n.),assay (n.),assay (n.),attempt (n.),attempt (v.),charge (v.),dint (n.),encounter (v.),extent (n.),fit (n.),hawk at (v.),hurt (n.),offend (v.),onset (n.),push (n.),rush (n.),stroke (n.),surprise (v.)

attend

assist (v.),consort (v.),follow (v.),keep (v.),look unto (v.),man (v.),see (v.),stand with (v.),tend (v.),tend (v.),wait on / upon (v.),wait on / upon (v.),wait on / upon (v.)

attendant

conduct (n.),consorted (adj.),dependant (n.),fellow (n.),follower (n.),maid (n.),man (n.),sequent (n.),servant (n.),squire (n.),varlet (n.)

attention, pay

attend (v.),dwell on / upon,eye (v.),hearken (v.),list (v.),listen (v.),mark (v.),mind (v.),note (v.),respect (v.),tend (v.),wait on / upon (v.)

attire

abiliment (n.),accouter, accoutre (v.),accoutrements, accoustrements (n.),address (v.),array (n.),array (v.),deck up (v.),gear (n.),habiliment, abiliment (n.),ornament (n.),tire (v.),trim (v.)

authority

author (n.),command (n.),commandment, commandement (n.),commission (n.),commission (n.),countenance (n.),edict (n.),gravity (n.),greatness (n.),potency (n.),power (n.),predominance (n.),virtue (n.)

avoid

eschew (v.),evitate (v.),forbear (v.),make from (v.),outrun (v.),pass (v.),save (v.),scape, ‘scape (v.),shew (v.),shun (v.),skip (v.),spare (v.),spare (v.)

Источник

What terrifies students are not Shakespeare plays or sonnets, it is the bizarre Shakespeare words and phrases that threatens them. This article is the end of all your sufferings.

Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words.

Rumi

You use Shakespeare vocabulary in your day to day life than anything else. You don’t think so? Ok, then you are not “blindly in love” with Shakespeare. I am doing a “baseless” argument.

It is not just you who struggled in understanding Shakespeare usage of words and phrases. Almost everyone who reads him undergoes the same traumatic experience. The Shakespearephobia increases when they realize that its not a new language. Its simply “English”. Even a good performer struggles with bizarre Shakespeare vocabulary.

Understanding Shakespeare’s words and phrases and adjusting to his vocabulary is not like learning a new language. It is like reading a strong accent and in a few hours, you will adjust to the new dialect accordingly.

Let me ask you a question! What do you think is the meaning of “methinks”? If you got it right, then yes! within a few hours of reading Shakespeare, you will be comfortable in understanding Shakespeare.

Even if you do not understand every word, but you will get the meaning from the context or visual action of the actor if you are watching the performance.

This article is divided into 3 parts.

Tips to learn Shakespeare Vocabulary fast.
Meaning & Definition of frequently used words and phrases by Shakespeare.
New words invented by Shakespeare.

1: Learn Shakespeare Vocabulary fast

I am going to share three magical tips given by my teacher when I was in University. It helped me a lot to understand Shakespeare Vocabulary fast.

Start with listening or watching rather than reading. In our times, there was no luxury of Youtube or audiobooks, so we had to go to the theatre to watch the plays. It was not so frequent and we had to wait. If I were you, I would definitely start by grabbing an audiobook and listen to any play by Shakespeare, the next step would involve watching the movie on Youtube or any other streaming services and finally reading the text. Doing this will not only make you understand the Play better but will also help you to understand common Shakespeare words and phrases.
Read the lines, the way it is meant to be read. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air – Witch (Macbeth)”. Take a role while reading, and read the script like the original character would have read. Practising this will ensure that you understand what is being said and catch any deeper or hidden meaning if any. You will step in the shoes of the character and feel, how the character would feel in the situation.
Be like a child while watching performances on Shakespeare Play or movie, notice facial expressions, gestures, body language to draw the meaning from the context. A child learns a language or new dialect very fast because of their ability to observe and notice different emotions depicted through body language.

2: How Shakespeare Words are different

dost thee want to talketh like Shakespeare?

If you are fascinated to see the difference between English we use today and English used in Shakespeare Plays, then this is the place to read.

Thee and Thou means “you” Thy and Thine means “yours”

Many people believe that Shakespeare used thee and thou instead of “you” and thy and thine instead of “yours”. But you can find dialogues where Shakespeare used “you” and “thee” in the same speech. So, thee and thy were not the replacement for you and your.

Thee, thou, thy and thine were a more casual, friendly or intimate way of talking, while you and your were a more polite & formal way of talking. So, if a friend, brother or a colleague is referred, the former is used and on formal occasions later is used.

“Art” & “Ay”

Just like thee, thou, thy and thine, “art” is an intimate expression of saying “are”. So if you encounter a sentence “Thou art”, it means “You are”.

“Ay” means “Yes”, So “Ay, My Master” will mean “Yes, My Master”. Just like thee, thou, thy and thine, both “Art and Ay” are very commonly used expressions in Shakespeare Plays.

“Would” means “Wish”

Shakespeare used both “Would” and “Wish”. But on many occasions, you will find the usage of the word “would” instead of “wish”. “I would I were” for instance, which simply means “I wish I were“. So, next time you see the usage of the word “would”, you know what it means.

Frequently used Shakespeare words

You are going to encounter the words given below very often in Shakespeare Plays. Knowing what these words mean will make your life easy.

dost = do
doth =does
'ere = before
hast = have
'tis = it is
'twas =it was
wast = were
whence = from where
wherefore = why
hence = from here
oft =often
yea =even
aught = anything
yon, yonder =that one there
marry =(a mild swear word)
nay =no
hie =hurry

Other common Shakespeare Vocabulary

Some other commonly used Words in Shakespeare Plays and what actually he meant:

Word	Meaning
Abhor	Reject
Absolute	Perfect
Addiction	Tendency
Adieu	Goodbye
Alas	Unfortunately
Brave	Handsome
Couch	To go to sleep
Sirrah	Sir
Give Me Leave To	Allow me to
Vile	Hateful
Wherefore	Why

Words ending with “-eth” & “-est”

On many occasions, you will notice that a common English word ends with -eth or -est in Shakespeare works. For instance “Speaketh“, “Sayeth“, “thinketh” etc for Speak, Say, Think respectively. There were similar words ending with -est like “Speakest“, “Sayest”, “Thinkest“. These were the common grammatical expressions. Check the table below:

Verb paradigm in King James English for “think“

Singular	Plural
(I) think	(We) think
(Thou) thinkest	(You) think
(He) thinketh	(They) think

These old English Suffixes are used just like modern English Suffix “-s or -es”.

 He thinks.
Thou thinkest.He shall go. (no -s suffix on go)
Thou shalt go.

Soon after Shakespeare’s time “thee/thou/thy” fell out of use, naturally – Est was dropped. -Eth was replaced by English -s or -es.

Absence of Don’t, Do and Did

Words we commonly use today like “don’t” “do” and “did” were unfamiliar to people in Shakespeare’s time. This is one of the reasons why Shakespearean English appears difficult at first glance. The sentence formation without using “don’t, do and did” appear weird to beginners.

Below are some common English sentences and its Shakespearean translation:

“Don’t be afraid” will become “Be not afeard”.
“Don’t follow me” will become “Follow me not”.
“What did he look like?” will become ” what looked he like? “.
” Did he stay long? ” will become “stayed he long? “.

Combining such sentence formation with unfamiliar expressions of thee, thou, thy, thine and old grammatical rule of -eth/ -est is bound to confuse beginners.

3: Words & Phrases invented by Shakespeare

Shakespeare not just invented words for invention shake, he played with them. Most of the Shakespeare words and phrases are so expressive that it is just impossible to not use those it in a particular situation or context. If I get a good result after having lots of distractions, it just becomes imperative to say “All’s well that ends well“.

If you will research on the number of words invented by Shakespeare, the exact number that you will get is “1700”. Do not get misled by the numbers. It is true that Shakespeare is identified as the first time user of many words. But it is also true that many of those words were known to people in Elizabethan society. Otherwise, the audience in Elizabethan theatre would never have understood many words in the play and would have missed the entire plot.

Shakespeare was the first person who used those words in a written format. Just because Shakespeare was first documented user of many words, it is conveniently attributed to him. But that does not mean he did not create any word. He definitely created many words which are colloquially used today. Below is the list of 60 words, which is most certainly invented by Shakespeare himself.

Shakespeare Words

Shakespeare invented words by adding prefixes and suffixes to existing words, conjoining two words, changing verbs into adjectives and noun into verbs. And he did it in a most creative way. No one before Shakespeare has ever played so much with words. It is needless to say that Shakespeare genius is unparalleled.

One common question people will have is that, if reading Shakespeare is considered difficult today, how the contemporaries understood him clearly?

The answer to this is simple, the words invented by Shakespeare were based upon already existing words. Take the word “bedroom” for instance. It is the combination of two words “bed” and “room” and his creativity is in not saying it a “sleeproom”.

Shakespeare also invented completely new words as the vocabulary of English Language was growing in the Elizabethan era and the society was aware of this. This is how the Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary puts it:

The vocabulary of English expanded greatly during the early modern period. Writers were well aware of this and argued about it. Some were in favour of loanwords to express new concepts, especially from Latin. Others advocated the use of existing English words, or new compounds of them, for this purpose. Others advocated the revival of obsolete words and the adoption of regional dialect.

Edmund Weiner

Shakespeare Vocabulary is believed to be more than 50000 words in which he used 31000+ words in works. Have a look at some of the words created and used by this literary genius in alphabetic order.

addiction	aerial	admirable
batty	baseless	bedroom
compact	cheap	control
dalmatian	dauntless	dawn
embrace	employer	employment
fanged	farmhouse	fitful
gallantry	generous	glow
homely	howl	hurly
import	informal	investment
ladybird	lament	leaky
manager	mimic	monumental
neglect	neverending	noiseless
obscene	ode	olympian
pageantry	paternal	pedant
radiance	reclusive	reliance
satisfying	savage	successful
traditional	tranquil	tortive
unclaimed	uneducated	unreal
varied	vasty	vulnerable
watchdog	well-bred	wittolly

You may also refer to this mammoth list of 422 words invented by Shakespeare.

Shakespeare Phrases

Shakespeare coined several phrases that have become part of our day to day conversations. These Shakespeare Phrases are so popular that it has been translated into many different languages and used as popular proverbs.

His wit and genius as a playwright are evident in his use of phrases, which are so appropriate to the context. Here is the list of 60 popular Shakespeare phrases in alphabetic order.

All our yesterdays (Macbeth)
All that glitters is not gold (The Merchant of Venice)
All’s well that ends well (title)
Bear a charmed life (Macbeth)
Be-all and the end-all (Macbeth)
Brevity is the soul of wit (Hamlet)
Devil incarnate (Titus Andronicus)
Good riddance (Troilus and Cressida)
It was Greek to me (Julius Caesar)
In my mind’s eye (Hamlet)
Kill with kindness (Taming of the Shrew)
Laughing stock (The Merry Wives of Windsor)
Love is blind (Merchant of Venice)
Melted into thin air (The Tempest)
There’s a method to my madness (Hamlet)
Make a virtue of necessity (The Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Milk of human kindness (Macbeth)
Much Ado About Nothing (title)
Naked truth (Love’s Labours Lost)
Neither a borrower nor a lender be (Hamlet)
Neither rhyme nor reason (As You Like It)
Not slept one wink (Cymbeline)
One fell swoop (Macbeth)
Time is out of joint (Hamlet)
Out of the jaws of death (Twelfth Night)
Own flesh and blood (Hamlet)
Star-crossed lovers (Romeo and Juliet)
Parting is such sweet sorrow (Romeo and Juliet)
What’s past is prologue (The Tempest)
What a piece of work is man (Hamlet)
Pitched battle (Taming of the Shrew)
A plague on both your houses (Romeo and Juliet)
Play fast and loose (King John)
Pomp and circumstance (Othello)
A poor thing, but mine own (As You Like It)
Primrose path (Hamlet)
Quality of mercy is not strained (The Merchant of Venice)
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day (Sonnets)
Sick at heart (Hamlet)
Snail paced (Troilus and Cressida)
Something in the wind (The Comedy of Errors)
Something wicked this way comes (Macbeth)
A sorry sight (Macbeth)
Spotless reputation (Richard II)
Stony hearted (I Henry IV)
The world’s my oyster (Merry Wives of Windsor)
To thine own self be true (Hamlet)
Too much of a good thing (As You Like It)
Tower of strength (Richard III)
Towering passion (Hamlet)
Truth will out (The Merchant of Venice)
Violent delights have violent ends (Romeo and Juliet)
Wear my heart upon my sleeve (Othello)
What’s done is done (Macbeth)
What’s in a name? (Romeo and Juliet)
Wild-goose chase (Romeo and Juliet)
Wish is father to that thought (2 Henry IV)
Witching time of night (Hamlet)
Working-day world (As You Like It)
Yeoman’s service (Hamlet)

You may also refer to this huge list of proverbs coined by Shakespeare.

Conclusion

Today, in this comprehensive article you have learnt how to quickly adjust yourself to Shakespearean English. I have given three different methods by which you can improve your understanding of Shakespearean English really fast.

You also noticed the major difference between Shakespeare vocabulary and modern English vocabulary. This will eventually help you to read and understand commonly used terms in Shakespeare Plays and Sonnets. Making your study of Shakespeare more thorough and deep.

Sixty Words and Phrases invented by Shakespeare were shown so that you get an idea of how Shakespeare used to invent new words. It will make you understand the meaning of new words as and when you encounter it.

If this article is able to help you, do share it with your friends and classmates to help them easily read Shakespeare. Help me to make this article better by sending your feedback in the comment section and letting me know about the mistakes and improvement scopes. Have I missed to mention your favourite Shakespeare Phrase, do let me know.

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The works of Shakespeare greatly influenced the evolution of the English language. So much so that an entire period of the English language was often referred to as Shakespearean English! Did you know Shakespeare invented around 1700 words? Most of these are still used in English today!

Because this article is about him, it would be rude not to include a picture of Shakespeare, right?

Fig. 1 — William Shakespeare is one of the world’s most famous authors. His works are still widely read and studied across the world.

History of Shakespearean English

The history of Shakespearean English dates back to the 1500s. The type of English spoken and written by Shakespeare was called Early Modern English. Because of Shakespeare’s fame and influence at the time, it also came to be known as Shakespearean English.

Early Modern English was used from the 1500s to the 1700s. It came after Middle English and before Modern English (the type of English we are familiar with today). The transition from Middle English to Early Modern English brought many changes. Not only did vocabulary and pronunciations change, but also the language became more standardized — meaning it followed stricter grammatical rules and was easier to read, write, learn and speak. There was also a more extensive and impressive vocabulary. The continuing standardization of English around this time is widely attributed to the creation of the printing press in the early 1400s, which required an agreed-upon language for printing.

However, one element that was not the most standardized was spelling. Although the spelling had improved from Middle English, it was still quite irregular. This meant that a single word could be spelled in multiple ways, as there was not always one agreed form.

Some examples of some Early Modern English words are:

Early Modern English	Modern English
Proceedeth	Proceed
Redempcyon	Redemption
Euer	Ever
Sette	Set
Byleue	Believe

Here are some fun facts about Shakespeare!

1. Shakespeare was baptized on April 26th, 1564. His birth date is unknown, but his birthday is traditionally celebrated on April 23rd, 1564. He died on April 23rd, 1616, at the age of 52.

2. Shakespeare was from Stratford-Upon-Avon (the West Midland region of England).

3. Shakespeare was writing from around 1590 up until 1613. He wrote around 38 plays and over 150 poems!

4. Shakespeare’s plays were very popular; he was regarded as the greatest writer of the 16th century.

5. Shakespeare contributed around 1,700 words to the English language!

Shakespearean English vs. Modern English

So how does Shakespearean English differ from the Modern English we are familiar with today?

As previously mentioned, Shakespearean English spelling was not as standardized as Modern English, so words were spelled in a way that may seem unnatural to us! Many words were spelled in multiple ways. For example:

The name «Shakespeare» itself was spelled in different ways:

Shakespeare (the most common form)
Shakespear
Shakspeare
Shakespere
Shakspere
Shackspeare

Another feature of Shakespearean English that is not really used now is the use of contractions when a word ends in «ed.» For example:

Trimm’d = trimmed

Misplac’d = misplaced

Discgrac’d = disgraced

Miscall’d = miscalled

Another difference was the use of what we now consider archaic (old-fashioned) vocabulary. Many of the words used in Early Modern English are either no longer used in Modern English or have different spellings. Some examples of Shakespearean English vocabulary are:

Shakespearean English	Modern meaning
Doth	Does
Thou	You (referring to the subject of a verb)
Thee	You (referring to the object of a verb)
Thy	Your
Thine	Yours
Shalt	Shall
Wert	Were
Wilt	Will
Oft	Often
Art	Are

The other main difference between Shakespearean and Modern English is the syntax, particularly the word order. Modern English typically follows the order of subject > verb > object, whereas the Shakespearean English word order was less fixed, and the verb was often at the end of the sentence. For example:

Take the following line:

«So fair and foul a day I have not seen.»

Here, the verb «seen» is at the end of the sentence. In Modern English, it would make more sense to write it as:

«I have not seen such a fair and foul day.»

Shakespearean English Words

It would be impossible to list all 1700 words invented by Shakespeare, but check out some of them below! As you read through, think about how many of these words you still use today.

Amazement
Assassination
Bloody
Bump
Countless
Critical
Dishearten
Dwindle
Eventful
Exposure
Fashionable
Frugal
Generous
Gloomy
Hurry
Hostile
Impartial
Invitation
Laughable
Lonely
Majestic
Monumental
Neglect
Obscene
Pious
Premeditated
Reliance
Restraint
Savage
Suspicious
Tranquil
Unaware
Uncomfortable
Vulnerable
Yelping

Shakespearean English Phrases

Below are some Shakespearean English phrases, along with their meanings and the names of the plays they appeared in:

Shakespearean English phrase	Meaning	Appeared in…
«All that glisters is not gold.»(All that glitters is not gold)	Not everything is as good as it seems.	The Merchant of Venice
«Break the ice»	Doing something to relieve tension when people first meet.	The Taming of the Shrew
«Naked truth.»	The complete truth.	Love’s Labour’s Lost
«I will wear my heart upon my sleeves.»	I will express my emotions openly.	Othello
«We have seen better days.»	We are in a bad way.	As You Like It

Fig. 2 — One of Shakespeare’s most well-known phrases from Hamlet is «To be, or not to be, that is the question.»

English Shakespearean Sonnet Definition

Shakespeare wrote many sonnets in his lifetime. In fact, he wrote 154, all of which were published posthumously (after death) in 1609. If you aren’t sure what a sonnet is, here is a definition:

A sonnet is a poem consisting of fourteen lines. It can use different rhyming patterns and typically has ten syllables per line.

The particular style of sonnet that Shakespeare used consists of:

Three quatrains (three stanzas with four lines each)
A final couplet (a stanza with two lines)

The rhyming pattern is:

abab

cdcd

efef

gg.

In other words, this means that every other line rhymes, and the final two lines rhyme. This type of sonnet is called the English sonnet. Because it was often used by Shakespeare, it came to be known as the Shakespearean sonnet (although others had used the form before him!)

Here is an example of a Shakespearean sonnet:

Sonnet 80 — William Shakespeare (published 1609)

O, how I faint when I of you do write,

Knowing a better spirit doth use your name,

And in the praise thereof spends all his might

To make me tongue-tied speaking of your fame.

But since your worth, wide as the ocean is,

The humble as the proudest sail doth bear,

My saucy bark inferior far to his

On your broad main doth wilfully appear.

Your shallowest help will hold me up afloat

Whilst he upon your soundless deep doth ride;

Or being wrecked, I am a worthless boat,

He of tall building and of goodly pride.

Then if he thrive and I be cast away,

The worst was this: my love was my decay.

Let’s take a look at a few of the Shakespearean English words used in the original sonnet and the modern translations:

Spirit = in this case, spirit refers to a rival poet
Doth = does
Saucy bark = refers to a shameless and disrespectful boat

Another recognizable feature of Shakespearean English is the word order. Shakespeare writes, «But since your worth, wide as the ocean is,» placing the verb at the end of the sentence. In Modern English, the word order is typically subject > verb > object, so it would instead be written more like «but since your worth is as wide as the ocean.»

If this whole sonnet was written in Modern English, it would read more like this:

Oh, I feel faint when I write about you,

Knowing that a better poet uses your name,

And in singing your praises, he uses all his energy

To make me tongue-tied when speaking of your fame.

But since your worth is as wide as the ocean,

And the humblest and proudest boats sail on it,

My shameless little boat, far inferior to his,

Insists on sailing on your vast open sea.

Your slightest assistance will keep me afloat,

While he sails out to the deepest parts.

But, if I am wrecked, it’s because I’m a worthless boat,

While he is built tall and proud.

Then if he thrives and I am cast ashore,

The worst part of it was this: my love for you was the cause of my decay.

Shakespearean English — Key takeaways

The type of English spoken and written by Shakespeare was called Early Modern English (nicknamed Shakespearean English).
Early Modern English was used from the 1500s to the 1700s.
Differences between Shakespearean English and Modern English include spelling, word order, and archaic vocabulary.
Shakespeare invented around 1700 words, most of which are still used in English today.
The style of sonnet used by Shakespeare consisted of three quatrains and a final couplet. The rhyming pattern is: abab, cdcd, efef, gg.

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