Shakespearean (Early Modern English) Terms/Vocab

Alack or Alas

an expression of sadness/regret (“oh man”, “darn”, “aw shucks'“)

Anon

immediately; at once

Art

are

Aye

yes

Dost/Doth

do/does

Hast/Hath

have/has

‘Tis/’Twas

it is/it was

Thou/Thee

you

Thy

your

Thine

yours (opposite of mine)

Ye

you all (plural)

Wherefore

why

E’er/Ne’er

ever/never

Ere

before

Fair

lovely, beautiful (“Who’s the fairest of them all?”)

Foul

wicked, immoral

Hark/Harken

listen

Hence

away from here

Thence

from there

Whence

from what place

Hither

here; to this place

Thither

there

Whither

where

Yonder

over there

Kinsman

relative (kinsmen=relatives)

Nay

no

Naught

nothing

Prithee

please (originally “I pray thee”)

Sirrah

how one addresses a servant Ex. Sirrah, bring my shoes

Sooth

truth

Woe

grief, trouble, sadness

Thane

(n.) title of nobleman/landowner in Scotland

Issue

child

Modern Vocab - heath

(n.) unused land covered with grass and small bushes

Modern vocab - equivocator

(n.) someone who speaks ambiguously, without answering one way or another, often in order to hide truth or avoid commitment

Modern vocab - lechery

(n.) excessive sexual desire; lustfulness

Modern vocab - avarice

(n.) extreme greed