Sunday, 1 May 2016

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...


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