Shakespearean Terms

ELIZABETHAN LANGUAGE TERMS
CONTEMPORARY Æ ELIZABETHAN

Listed below are some common Elizabethan terms you will come across while reading Shakespeare. Use them to help you become familiar with the language, as a reference while reading, and as a resource for writing in your journal.
Contemporary
Advice
Away
Beg
Boy (used to address a male of inferior rank)
By the Virgin Mary (a mild expletive meaning “indeed”)
Chase (romance, as in boy chases girl) Come here
Curse
Days
Depressed
Desire
Does
Enemy
Even; evening
Farewell
Go
Goodbye
Hello
Here
I think
If
Ignore that
Informed
Kill
Listen
Maybe

Elizabethan
Counsel
Aroint
Pray
Sirrah
Marry
Woo
Come hither
Plague
-morrow (to the morrow)
Heavy
Will
Doth
Foe
E’en
Adieu
Hie
Fare thee well; God save thee; I shall see thee anon
Good day; Good morrow; Well met
Hither
Methinks
An
Shun that
Privy
Dispatch
Hark; Hark now
Perchance

Contemporary
Misery
Never
News
No
Nothing
Often
Order
Pay attention to
Plan
Provided
Sad
Soon
Speaks
Thank you
There
To which
Truly
Wait a minute
Why
Wish
With
Yes
You
You are
You should
You would
Your

Elizabethan
Woe
Ne'r
Tidings
Nay
Nought
Oft
Decree
Mark
Resolve
Wrought
Heavy
Anon
Discourses
Grammercy
Thither
Whereto
Verily
Soft
Wherefore
Would
Withal
Aye
Thee; Thou
Thou art
Thou should'st
Thou would'st
Thy

To view more Elizabethan terms visit Haney’s Pub: Elizabethan Language
Lexicon (http://members.cox.net/hapnueby/lexicon.html).

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ELIZABETHAN LANGUAGE TERMS
ELIZABETHAN Æ CONTEMPORARY

Listed below are some common Elizabethan terms you will come across while reading Shakespeare. Use them to help you become familiar with the language, as a reference while reading, and as a resource for writing in your journal.
Elizabethan
Adieu
An
Anon
Aroint
Aye
Come hither
Counsel
Decree
Discourses
Dispatch
Doth
E’en
Fare thee