Elizabethan English Glossary
Pronouns
mine my (before vowel, eg, mine eye)
my my (before consonant, eg, my lip)
formal or plural: familiar singular:
you thou (subjective, like I)
you thee (objective, like me)
your thy (before consonant, eg, thy lip)
thine (before vowel, eg, thine eye)
yours thine
Conjugations
You are Thou art She is
You can Thou canst She can
You could Thou couldst She could
You do Thou dost She doth
You go Thou goest She goeth
You have Thou hast She hath
You know Thou knowest She knoweth (know’st)
You say Thou sayest She sayeth
You will Thou wilt She will
You would Thou wouldst She would
Glossary
against in preparation for
alack oh dear!
alas too bad!
an, an if if
anon soon
attend listen
aught all, anything
ay, aye yes, always, ever
begot came from
beseech plead
brace pair
but only, except for
by and by soon
by nearby
commend me give my regards
cousin relative
coz cousin or relative
doth does, do
durst dared
e'er ever
envious vicious
my sweet sweetheart
swounds damn! "swoonds"
ta'en taken
tarry wait, stay
thee you (objective, like me)
thine your, yours
thither to there
thou you (subjective, like I)
thrice three times
thy your
tidings news
'tis, ‘t is it is
to go to
by my troth in truth
trow believe
tut nonsense!
twain two, together
'twixt betwixt, between
villain villain, or vile peasant
I warrant I promise, bet, believe
were would be
ere before
fain gladly
faith, in faith indeed
by my fay by my faith, indeed
fie shame on you! my god!
forsooth truly
go to leave!
hap event
happy lucky
hark listen! (Hark you.)
my heart my dear
hence away, from now
hie hurry
hither to here (come hither)
ho hey, eh
jack guy
knave jerk
late, of late lately
liege lord
lo look
loath unwilling
mark listen, remember
marry well (interjection)
methinks I think
mettle courage
mine my (before vowel: mine eye, my lip)
moved angry
naught nothing
nay no, or sure
ne'er never
nigh near
o'er over
oft often
ope open
prithee please
quoth said
sans without
saucy disrespectful
sblood damn!
sirrah boy, servant
slave scumbag
soft wait!
sooth truth
spake spoke
still always
what, ho hey
whence from where
wherefore why
withal with, with this
wither to where
within inside
without outside
wot know
would if, or wish
ye you (sometimes ‘the’)
yon, yond/er that, there
zounds damn! "zoonds"
Contractions
I’the, i’the in the
O’th’, o’th’ of the
Pronouns
mine my (before vowel, eg, mine eye)
my my (before consonant, eg, my lip)
formal or plural: familiar singular:
you thou (subjective, like I)
you thee (objective, like me)
your thy (before consonant, eg, thy lip)
thine (before vowel, eg, thine eye)
yours thine
Conjugations
You are Thou art She is
You can Thou canst She can
You could Thou couldst She could
You do Thou dost She doth
You go Thou goest She goeth
You have Thou hast She hath
You know Thou knowest She knoweth (know’st)
You say Thou sayest She sayeth
You will Thou wilt She will
You would Thou wouldst She would
Glossary
against in preparation for
alack oh dear!
alas too bad!
an, an if if
anon soon
attend listen
aught all, anything
ay, aye yes, always, ever
begot came from
beseech plead
brace pair
but only, except for
by and by soon
by nearby
commend me give my regards
cousin relative
coz cousin or relative
doth does, do
durst dared
e'er ever
envious vicious
my sweet sweetheart
swounds damn! "swoonds"
ta'en taken
tarry wait, stay
thee you (objective, like me)
thine your, yours
thither to there
thou you (subjective, like I)
thrice three times
thy your
tidings news
'tis, ‘t is it is
to go to
by my troth in truth
trow believe
tut nonsense!
twain two, together
'twixt betwixt, between
villain villain, or vile peasant
I warrant I promise, bet, believe
were would be
ere before
fain gladly
faith, in faith indeed
by my fay by my faith, indeed
fie shame on you! my god!
forsooth truly
go to leave!
hap event
happy lucky
hark listen! (Hark you.)
my heart my dear
hence away, from now
hie hurry
hither to here (come hither)
ho hey, eh
jack guy
knave jerk
late, of late lately
liege lord
lo look
loath unwilling
mark listen, remember
marry well (interjection)
methinks I think
mettle courage
mine my (before vowel: mine eye, my lip)
moved angry
naught nothing
nay no, or sure
ne'er never
nigh near
o'er over
oft often
ope open
prithee please
quoth said
sans without
saucy disrespectful
sblood damn!
sirrah boy, servant
slave scumbag
soft wait!
sooth truth
spake spoke
still always
what, ho hey
whence from where
wherefore why
withal with, with this
wither to where
within inside
without outside
wot know
would if, or wish
ye you (sometimes ‘the’)
yon, yond/er that, there
zounds damn! "zoonds"
Contractions
I’the, i’the in the
O’th’, o’th’ of the