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Last nuances...

ELISION:

As in modern English, words often appear in a reduced form, with the omitted element shown by an apostrophe. Shakespeare's use of elision serves two mains purposes: to make violent acts more grotesque in reader's imagination and to allow space for a quickly developing of the plot. 

Although some unusual forms can make the reader hesitate, normally, the meaning of underlying word is obvious from the context. Even some of them present frequent patterns, like the contraction 'tis -from it and is. Some verbs contract with the preceding pronoun. 

In some Shakespeare's plays we can find a lot of elisions:

Romeo and Juliet: "I have remembered me, thou's hear our counsel." ('s -> shall)

Henry IV: "By'r lady" ('r -> our)

Henry VIII: "'Cause the musicians play me that sad note" ('cause -> because)

Macbeth: "In viewing o'er the rest" (o'er -> over)

YON WORDS:

The yon words relate to an object which is some distance away but visible. These types of words are very used in the Early Modern English. They can function as adverbs of place (yond and yonder, with the meaning 'over there' or 'in that place') or determiners (yon, with the meaning 'that one over there') 

Hamlet: "Yon high eastwars hill" (Determiner- "That hill over there") 

As you like it: "Yonder comes my master" (Adverb- "There comes my master")

The Tempest: "Say what thou seest yond" (Adverb- "Say what thou seest there")

SHAKESPEARE'S WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS:

Although it may seem impossible, Shakespeare is the creator of a great part of our vocabulary; expressions and words that we often use: approximately, 1700 words! (verbs, adjectives and adverbs included). 

It is hard to imagine that words, as "bedroom", "dawn", "gossip" or "critic" didn't exist before he used hem in his plays. 

Such a word inventor! 

Here we let you see a few words you will be surprised their creator was Shakespeare: 

-Hurry (Henry VI): “Lives, honors, lands, and all hurry to loss”.

-Lonely (Coriolanus): "Like to a lonely dragon in his fen"

-Generous (Hamlet): “Free me so far in your most generous thoughts"

-Green-eyed (The Merchant of Venice): "And shudd'ring fear, and green-eyed jealousy". 

-Anon (shorty, soon): "I shall find you anon" 


Also, he invented a lot of women's names, as Jessica (The Merchant of Venice), Miranda, Rosaline (Romeo and Juliet), Olivia, Celia...

A little bit of PHONOLOGY?

In the 17th a massive sound change affecting the long vowels of English (specifically: iː eː ɛː aː ɔː oː uː) named The Great Vowel Shift happened. The i: and u: vowels became diphthongs (bite sounded like beet) and the other ones increased in tongue height (the word meet in Modern English sounded like meat).

There were four important changes in the pronunciation of consonant sound during Early Modern English:

-Initial k- or g- before -n weren't pronounced (knight), as -w after -r (write).

-After nasal consonants, final -b and -g weren't pronounced (lamb).

-Also did medial -t in words such as listen. 

-Final -nd was reduced: laund -> lawn.

Did you know...?

Understanding the written text of the Early Modern English is a challenge. Why?

The handwriting in this period adopts a personal and curious touch. To anyone's taste, each letter could be written at least about 20 different ways, and even become equal to others. This ways, what nowadays is a simple "a", in Early Modern English turns into a "b", an "e", a "p"... Successively.

Right after, you can see pictures of two Shakespeare's manuscripts. Try to translate them... If you can.

If you thought the last one was difficult...

1, 2, 3... LEXIC!

During the Renaissance, between 10 and 12 millions new words are created besides those that are incorporated into the language as foreign words of languages like Latin, Greek, French and Spanish.

Regarding Latin words, there can be four changes:

-Words that maintain the same form: axis, appendix…

-Those that are finished in –us add –ous or –al

Externus à External

                The Taming of the Shrew: “Should well agree with our external parts?”

-Those that finish in –tas, replace this ending with –ty

Claritas à Clarity

-Those whose Latin ending is removed

Musica (ae) à Music

A Midsummer Night's Dream: “What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet love?”

As we already said, a large amount of words borrowed from Greek, French and Spanish were incorporated into the Early Modern English. Here you can find some examples:

-Greek: anonymous, catastrophe

Henry IV Part 2: “I'll tickle your catastrophe!”

-Italian: violin, balcony, design…

Hamlet: “With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design.” (purpose)

-French: bizarre, comrade…

King Lear: “To be a comrade with the wolf and owl”

-Spanish: advice, hurricane

All’s Well that Ends Well: “And understand what advice shall thrust upon thee; else thou diest in thine unthankfulness”

Also, words whose ending is –ate are incorporated into the language: abjudicate, abdicate…

A Midsummer Night's Dream: “Which by no means we may extenuate”

On the other hand, some words not useful are rejected. Some examples are effecting, uncounsellable, anacephalize… 

"Come not between the dragon 

  and his weath" 

 -William Shakespeare, King Lear