Glossary.
Selected senses for reading, following Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare-Lexicon (1902), which is in the public domain. Each note is a short sense, not the whole entry.
The full lexicon is at the Internet Archive. For dictionaries printed in the period, see the Lexicons of Early Modern English.
- thou
- You, speaking to one person. Often familiar, or said to a child or a subordinate, or in contempt. Also used in prayer.
- thee
- You, as the object. It belongs with thou.
- thy
- Your, for one person.
- thine
- Your, often before a vowel. Also yours.
- ye
- You. Often more than one person, and often the subject of the sentence.
- hath
- Has.
- doth
- Does.
- dost
- Do, when the subject is thou.
- didst
- Did, when the subject is thou.
- hast
- Have, when the subject is thou.
- shalt
- Shall, when the subject is thou.
- wouldst
- Would, when the subject is thou.
- couldst
- Could, when the subject is thou.
- shouldst
- Should, when the subject is thou.
- ere
- Before.
- wherefore
- Why. For what reason.
- prithee
- Please. A short form of I pray thee.
- methinks
- It seems to me.
- anon
- In a moment, or right away.
- presently
- Immediately. Here it does not mean in a little while.
- oft
- Often.
- whither
- To what place.
- whence
- From what place.
- hence
- From here. Sometimes, for this reason.
- hither
- To here.
- thither
- To there.
- thence
- From there.
- fain
- Gladly.
- forsooth
- In truth. Often said with irony.
- perchance
- Perhaps.
- belike
- Probably, or perhaps.
- sirrah
- A call to a man or boy of lower rank.
- gramercy
- Thank you.
- alack
- Alas.
- aught
- Anything.
- naught
- Nothing.
- humour
- Mood, or one of the four fluids once thought to govern the body.
- A boy or a servant. Also a rascal.
- wench
- A girl or a young woman. The tone can be fond or sharp.
- withal
- With it, or besides.
- 'tis
- It is.
- 'twas
- It was.
- o'er
- Over.
- e'en
- Even.
- ne'er
- Never.