Modern English was used from the late 15th century to the mid to late 17th century.
21
votes
1answer
987 views
How do you conjugate Early Modern English verbs (other than present tense)?
I was wondering how one might conjugate verbs in early modern English in various tenses. I am aware of the fact that for second person and third person singular specifically, the verb endings are -est ...
18
votes
3answers
3k views
Capitalisation of nouns in English in the 17th and 18th centuries
It seems to have been common practice in the 17th and 18th centuries in Britain to capitalise the first letters of nouns in English, e.g.
At which Time he prov'd himself the Noah's Dove, that ...
16
votes
7answers
12k views
What does “thy” mean?
I read a sentence containing the word thy, but I cannot find the meaning of that word.
Is it older English, or is it still used in contemporary English today?
14
votes
2answers
1k views
Was the “Ye Olde Shoppe” ever used or is it just an ancient-looking construct of modern times?
Surely, if I were the owner of a shop selling archery goods and wanted to portray my shop as some kind of old-fashioned, high-quality traditional outlet, I might be tempted to call it “Ye Olde Archery ...
13
votes
2answers
1k views
What were nightmares called before “nightmare” was used in that sense?
Apparently the word "nightmare" has only been used in the sense of "bad dream" since c. 1829. Before then the term referred to the agent causing the dreams—a mare < mera, mære 'goblin, ...
12
votes
2answers
6k views
How obsolete is the word “overmorrow”?
I stumbled over the word overmorrow and wanted to know whether it is in use.
So I used Googles Ngram Viewer and wondered why it has not found a single reference.
Was overmorrow only used one time in ...
10
votes
3answers
5k views
Difference between Thee and thou?
What is the difference between thee and thou and how are they used?
10
votes
2answers
484 views
“I must to England” in Hamlet: What does “must” mean without an infinitive?
What did "must" mean when used as a non-modal verb (sorry, I don't know the technical term) in Early Modern English? For example:
I must to England; you know that?
(Hamlet, Act III, Scene IV)
...
10
votes
4answers
895 views
How and why have some words changed to a complete opposite?
One example that comes to mind is terrific which originally denoted something quite terrorising while now it has positive connotations... How and why did these changes occur?
8
votes
1answer
570 views
Rhyming conventions of Early Modern English
I was reading the poem "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell when something struck me as odd. Let me quote two passages:
Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
Shouldst rubies find: I by the tide
...
8
votes
1answer
125 views
How was “ben't” used, and when did it cease to be used?
In Jane Austen's The Watsons, the maid of the titular family utters the following sentence:
"Please, ma'am, master wants to know why he ben't to have his dinner?"
I have never encountered ben't ...
8
votes
1answer
275 views
Capital Letters from 1700 [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Capitalisation of nouns in English (historically)
After reading a recipe from 1747, I noticed that all of the nouns are capitalized. Is that a normal thing for that era? ...
6
votes
1answer
730 views
Word contractions in Shakespeare's plays
In Shakespeare's plays it is common to find contracted words, such as "o'er", "e'en", "sulph'uous", "ta'en". Is it just a literary device or those words were actually pronounced (in day-to-day speech) ...
6
votes
3answers
626 views
Is it ever effective to use modern and archaic grammar together?
A manuscript I'm currently editing has brought up a new (to me) problem - There's a character who speaks in archaic forms ("thee" and "thou", essentially). I've noted to the writer that this is coming ...
5
votes
5answers
699 views
Differences between dialects
I'm Italian and I'm trying to improve my English, but I have some difficulty speaking with and understanding people of different countries.
For example when I study English in books it seems to be ...
5
votes
2answers
228 views
Recent grammar additions
A lot of questions have been dedicated to how evolution of English got many constructs of the old either fall out of use, merge, or evolve into different forms but still with 1:1 relation to original. ...
5
votes
2answers
468 views
Where is the root morpheme in Modern English abortion?
The question is not so easy as it seems. Let's analyze some derivatives: abortion, abortive, abortiveness, abortionist. The analysis of derivational suffixes (-ion, -ive, ive+ness etc.) helps to ...
4
votes
2answers
99 views
What did James V mean by “afferandly”?
In this letter from 1536, King James V of Scotland wrote in 1536:
Veilbelouit frend, we grete yow. Forsamekill as we ar of pourpas
to pas to Kelso, and to vesy owr Bordouris for ordoneng of ...
3
votes
4answers
698 views
Meaning of “owedst”
...Not poppy, nor mandragora,
Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world,
Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep
Which thou owedst yesterday.
— Shakespeare, Othello III.iii
I ...
3
votes
5answers
389 views
Archaic text suggestions
I'm interested in learning Archaic English. As a starting point, I guess simple texts that are easy to comprehend would be a good choice. I would appreciate any suggestions.
3
votes
2answers
538 views
Which was the first dictionary and how was it decided which words went into it?
I've heard the riddle: "If Websters' was the first dictionary where did he get all the words from?"
It has quite since intrigued me, honestly. Which was the first English language dictionary and how ...
3
votes
3answers
215 views
Meaning of Early Modern English “iuie”
I found this phrase in Featherstone's Dedication at the front of an English translation of the Commentary on John by John Calvin:
It is an old saying, (Right Honorable,) and no lesse true then ...
3
votes
2answers
78 views
Have the words 'horsemanshipp' & 'warr' been used so in writing, in the early 16th Century?
I was looking for origin of the word carousel, and I found the following,
One of the purposes of the Royalle Carouselle, as it was called in a
patent application of 1673, was to give "sufficient ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
When did we stop speaking Old English? [closed]
There is Old English, and there is the English we speak now. When did exactly did the British (or Americans) change from speaking Old English to speaking the current form of English?
2
votes
1answer
92 views
Where do we get “queen” from? [closed]
King comes from Old Norse konungr, and prince is from French principle, but I have found no definite etymology for queen as we know it. I have found assumptive connections such as to keenan and gna, ...
2
votes
5answers
758 views
Pronunciation of “zounds?”
I came across the sentence "Fortunately their are a variety of different offerings out there with zounds of features." Disregarding the misuse of "zounds," how would Elizabeth I have pronounced the ...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
What does “sayd” (etc.) mean in old book clipping? [closed]
Quotation from A history of the cries of London ancient (p24, 25).
Noisy parties of wits and Paul's men crossed to Bankside to see Romeo and Juliet, or Hamlet the Dane, or else 'The most excellent ...
2
votes
0answers
158 views
Shakespeare: “Asses are made to bear” [closed]
When Petruchio invites Katherine to sit on his lap, she replies, "Asses are made to bear, and so are you." (Taming of the Shrew Act II, Scene 1.)
The denotation is clear, donkeys (Equus africanus ...
1
vote
4answers
105 views
“To” versus “with” in early English
I've been reading John Donne's Song (Go And Catch A Falling Star) and my query is on the usage of to in the line "to two or three."
Yet she
Will be False,
ere I come, to two or three.
I ...
1
vote
2answers
219 views
What irregular verbs are there in Early Modern English?
Can anyone tell me, or direct me to a site where it would have a list of, irregular verbs in Early Modern English? I understand verbs such as "to be" or "to have", but how many more are there, and ...
1
vote
2answers
5k views
Does “'tis” means “this is” or “it is”?
I have found much trouble identifying the old word 'tis.
Does it mean "this is" or "it is?"
I have done some research and found that the dictionaries conflict.
One said 'tis :An old English word ...
1
vote
2answers
124 views
Future Subjunctive
I have a few issues to discuss linked to the Future Subjunctive.
1) Can "If I were you." mean the same as "If I were to be you." In other words, can "If I were you." have the reference to the future ...
1
vote
2answers
219 views
Where can I read old English text with new English explanations [closed]
I like old English like "Coole their heeles", "thee" ,"thy" ,"ye" etc.
Where can I find old English text but with explanations and meaning?
I would also like to read old text, can you list them ...
1
vote
0answers
126 views
Grammar corrections for song for Early Modern English play [closed]
I wrote a song for a play I'm writing where I utilize a degree of early modern english, it's not entirely in archaic prose as for many audiences that would be a turn off, as its a comedy and a ...
1
vote
0answers
325 views
Describe the detailed phonetic environment for the appearance/presence of /ɜ:/. [closed]
One recent vowel phoneme in English is /ɜ:/. It would seem that this sound only developed in a certain phonetic environment, or to phrase it differently: it only appeared under certain conditions.
0
votes
7answers
740 views
Full stop, double stop, period and colon
At different times I see "full stop" used online. Does this just mean a period, or is it something more or less? I would assume it refers to a period specifically at the end of a sentence, but does it ...
0
votes
1answer
185 views
Conjugation of wonder in early modern English [closed]
What I actually mean what's the conjugation of the verb wonder. For example:
I wonder, thou wonderest, etc..
including past, ing form, etc.. (it will actually help me with other verbs too)
-1
votes
0answers
121 views
Archaic english grammar [closed]
I am trying to "translate" this into Archaic English (Archaic meaning as in Shakespeare, maybe Bible) correctly. Please, if you spot any mistakes, correct me.
I own no knowledge about this topic and I ...
