Courtney Head

ENGL 603 01

HEL Research Paper

11/26/19

Shakespeare Morphology

The English Language no longer has inflectional endings, but it does have something

called anthimeria. David Crystal notes in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language,

anthimeria is when “one-word class with the function of another” and this something that

Shakespeare made great use of it (Crystal 63). In his article Verbing, Crystal asserts, "The verb

neologisms in the plays are some of Shakespeare’s most powerful linguistic creations” (Crystal

18). Shakespeare truly enjoyed turning nouns into verbs in his plays. He truly believed that

almost every noun could be turned into a verb. Due to Shakespeare’s joy in anthimeria many of

these words went through some serious semantic changes. There are several nouns that

Shakespeare turns into a verb in his works and because of that it has affected the history of

language and the way people view words today.

One of the words that Shakespeare started to change was the word “season”, and the

word originated from Old French. (“season n5”). The Oxford English Dictionary notes,

Shakespeare used the word as a noun to begin with in 1623 in his works Measure for Measure to

mean “the time of year when an animal is in heat, pairs, breeds, migrates, is killed for food or

hunted, etc.” (“season, n5”). In Romeo and Juliet, The Oxford English Dictionary states,

Shakespeare then used “season” as a verb to mean “to mix, intersperse, or imbue with something

that imparts relish; to adapt or accommodate to a particular taste.” (“season, vb”). With
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Shakespeare using the word in verb form it went through a small restricted semantic change and

the word did not strengthen or weaken in its form at all. With Shakespeare changing it from a

noun to verb, it affects the way people use the word today because both forms of the word are

used. If one use the word as a noun, it is in reference to a certain time of the year. Today when

people use the word season as a verb it is in reference to adding spice to something. Although

people don’t use Shakespeare definition's as often, people still use “season” as a verb and as a

noun. Shakespeare also had some words that don’t people use in our vocabulary today and have

slowly died out.

The next word that Shakespeare turn from a noun into a verb is “out-Herod”. The word

does not have much history and was only used for a short amount of time before it stopped being

used. The Oxford English Dictionary remarks that, Shakespeare is the first know person to use

the word “out-Herod” (“out-Herod,v”). The word comes from a proper name mixed with an

English element and in 1604, Shakespeare use the word as a verb in his works Hamlet. The

definition Shakespeare used in Hamlet was “to outdo (Herod) in cruelty, evil, extravagance, etc.”

(“out-herod, v”). The word in noun form takes on different spelling, “herod” and Shakespeare

never used the word in any of his works. (“herod, n.”) The origin of the noun “Herod” is that it

comes from proper names. Oxford English Dictionary states that, the first time the word “herod”

was in 1405 in Chaucer's Prioress’s Tale. The definition then becomes, “A person likened in

some way to Herod the Great or his son Herod Antipas, esp. In displaying cruelty, tyranny, and

wickedness” (“herod, n”). "Herod” as noun was also not a popular word and has slowly faded

from our vocabulary. When “herod” went from the noun form to the verb form, “out-Herod”, the

word went through a restriction and pejoration semantic change. Both forms of the word has

weakened over time and this word has almost completely died out of the English language. There
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are some words that Shakespeare changed from nouns to a verb that are still involved in our

vocabulary to this day.

“Channel” is a word that is still involved in our vocabulary today and something people

use often. Oxford English Dictionary remarks, “channel” as a verb definition is “to form

channels in; to wear or cut into channels; to furrow, groove, flute. Also: to run through down,

etc., in or as though channels”. (“channel, v”). “Channel” in verb form was formed within

English and Oxford English Dictionary remarks, it was first used in 1440 in De re Rustica by

Palladius, and then Shakespeare used it in 1598 in one of his greatest work Henry IV. (“channel,

v.”) Today “channel” is used more often as a noun then a verb. “Channel” as a noun, Oxford

English Dictionary states, means “A watercourse, and related senses.” also “The hollow bed of a

river, stream, or other body of running water; the course through which a river or stream flows”

(“channel, n.1”). This noun definition “channel” Oxford English Dictionary insist that

Shakespeare was never quoted using the noun definition but this one that is most common today.

(“channel, n.1”). The word “channel”, when it is switched from the noun form to verb form the

word goes through an extension semantic change and the verb form definition of word has

weakened. There were some nouns that today people would never think about changing into

verbs but that is exactly what Shakespeare did.

Today when we think of the word “uncle” we only think of it being used as a noun

however Shakespeare changed the word and turned into a verb. The origin of the word “uncle” is

formed within English. (“uncle, v”) Oxford English Dictionary states, Shakespeare used the verb

form “uncle” in Richard II (uncle, v”). Oxford English Dictionary explains, the definition for

“uncle” as a verb is “to address (a person) as ‘uncle’ (“uncle, v”). When using “uncle” as a verb

there is not much differences from the noun. The Oxford English Dictionary remarks, the noun
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definition of “uncle” is “a brother of one’s father or mother. Also: the husband or male partner of

one’s aunt” (“uncle, n”). Oxford English Dictionary insists, that Shakespeare did not use the

noun form of uncle in his works. (“uncle, n”). Today people often only view the word “uncle” as

a noun, not realizing that people often use the word “uncle” as a verb. When Shakespeare took

the noun form of “uncle” and change it into verb form the word went through a generalization

semantic change and the verb form of the word has weakened over time. They both follow the

same structure just used in different context, although many of us do not realize that because of

Shakespeare people use both definitions. Some of the nouns that Shakespeare turned into a verb

people now used as slang.

Today when people use the word “ghosted” it is use it more as slang, to refer to when

someone stops speaking to use out of nowhere. The Oxford English Dictionary insist that the

word “ghosted” originated from West Germanic and Old English. (“ghost, v.”). The Oxford

English Dictionary states that Shakespeare used “ghosted” as a verb in 1623 in Antony &

Cleopatra. (“ghost, v”) The definition for “ghosted” in verb form is “to haunt as apparition”

explains Oxford English Dictionary. (“ghost, v.a”) The definition of “ghost” as a noun is like the

verb, but it is more distinct then the verb. The spelling changes when using the word “ghosted”

as a noun, to “ghost”. The definition for the word “ghost” in noun form is “the soul or spirit, as

the principle of life; also ghost of life”, states The Oxford English Dictionary (ghost, n). The

Oxford English Dictionary insists Shakespeare never use the term “ghost” in his works. (“ghost,

n”) The word “ghosted” took on some semantic changes when changing from noun form to verb

form. When Shakespeare took the noun form of “ghosted” and changed into the verb form it

causes the word to go through a restriction semantic change and over time the verb form has

strengthened. People often use the word ghost today as more of a slang term, but also as a verb.
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Shakespeare has helped push towards that word being used more as a verb than a noun, today the

word “spirit” is popular than ghost. Many of the nouns that Shakespeare turned into verbs are

ones that people still use today but may associate with different meanings.

If one was to say the word “dog” today, many people would get excited because they

would think of an actual dog, however when used as Shakespeare’s verb form the word has a

different definition. The Oxford English Dictionary states that the definition of the verb form

“dog” comes from Old English and that Shakespeare used it in Richard II (“dog, v.1b”). The

definition for the verb form “dog” is “of some immaterial agent (in early use personified), as

misfortune, ill health, etc,: to beset continually” asserts The Oxford English Dictionary (“dog,

v.1b”). The noun version of “dog” is completely different from the verb form that Shakespeare

used. The noun version is what people associate with today. The Oxford English Dictionary

insists that the noun form of “do” is unknown and the definition is “a domesticated carnivorous

mammal, Canis familiaris (or C. lupus familiaris), which typically has a long snout, and acute

sense of smell, non-retractile claws, and a barking, howling, or whining voice, widely kept as a

pet of for hunting, herding livestock, guarding, or other utilitarian purposes” (“dog, n.1”). The

Oxford English Dictionary asserts that Shakespeare used the noun form of “dog” in one of his

comedies Twelfth Night. (“dog, n.1”) When Shakespeare shifted and used “dog” as a verb instead

of noun it went through a pejoration semantic change. The word in verb form has weakened

throughout time, whereas; the noun form has strengthened over time. Because of Shakespeare

people do often use “dog” as a verb, to describe doing bad to someone else, almost as the same

definition he used. Shakespeare also took some religious nouns and turned them into verbs,

although some people only use more as nouns still.

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Shakespeare took the noun “proverb” and turned into the verb “proverbed”, which The

Oxford English Dictionary states that the verb form “proverbed” comes from post-classical Latin

from both the 11th-12th century (“proverb, v.2”). The definition for the verb form of the word is

“to be provided with proverb; to be quoted a proverb as a reproach.” and The Oxford English

Dictionary notes, Shakespeare uses the verb form in one of his best-known works Romeo and

Juliet (“proverb, v.2”). The noun form of “proverb” follows the same suit as the verb form of the

word just with a clearer meaning. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that the origin of the

noun form is from Anglo-Norman and Middle French and the definition of the noun form is “a

short, traditional, and pithy saying; a concise sentence, typically metaphorical or alliterative in

form, stating a general truth or piece of advice; an adage or maxim” (“proverb, n”). The Oxford

English Dictionary insist that Shakespeare did not use the noun form in any of his works.

(“proverb, n”). After Shakespeare turn “proverb” into a verb the word went through small

extension semantic change and went through a weakening semantic change. Both definitions are

still very broad but the verb form is somewhat more specific. The word “proverb” today is most

known for its noun form and not so much of the verb form. Shakespeare was able to impact a lot

of nouns that many of us know today as being used as verbs as well, but “proverb” was not one

of them. Shakespeare truly impact the way many of use nouns and verbs today, because of

Shakespeare many nouns that may not have been consider verbs are today being used either as a

noun or verb.

Shakespeare made a huge impact on the English language, and his morphology of turning

nouns into verbs is just one of them. Some of the words are still in use today, and others have

started to die out if they haven’t already. Once Shakespeare turned many of the nouns into verbs

some of them took different meanings causing occasional serious semantic changes in some of
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the words. The way words changed semantically truly affected the way we today look at some of

these words.
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Works Cited

“channel, n.” Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 2017. OED Online. Oxford University

Press. 3 December 2019. https://www-oed-com.library.pittstate.edu/view/Entry/30491?

rskey=vNOa5x&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid

“channel, v.” Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 2017. OED Online. Oxford University

Press. 3 December 2019. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/30493?

rskey=1i2lzp&result=3&isAdvanced=false#eid

Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. 2nd ed. 1995. New York:

Cambridge UP, 2003. 63

Crystal, David. “Verbing.” Modern English Teacher, vol 6, no 1, 2000,

https://library.pittstate.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/85527461?

accountid=13211

Accessed 14 Nov. 2019. 18.

“dog, n.1” Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 2010. OED Online. Oxford University

Press. 4 December 2019. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/56405?

rskey=xmsGr2&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid

“dog, v.1b”. Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 2010. OED Online. Oxford University

Press. 4 December 2019. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/56407?

rskey=JQt396&result=3&isAdvanced=false#eid
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“ghost, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press. 4 December 2019.

https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/78064?

rskey=QY4mS5&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid

“ghost, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press. 4 December 2019.

https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/78065?redirectedFrom=ghosted#eid3152558

“herod, n.” Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 2014. OED Online. Oxford University

Press. 2 December 2019. https://www-oed-com.library.pittstate.edu/view/Entry/400383?

redirectedFrom=Herod#eid

“out-herod, v.” Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 2004. OED Online. Oxford

University Press. 2 December 2019. https://www-oed-

com.library.pittstate.edu/view/Entry/133683?redirectedFrom=out+herod#eid

“proverb, n.” Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 2007. OED Online. Oxford University

Press. 4 December 2019. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/153430?

rskey=nyBau5&result=2#eid

“proverb, v2.” Oxford English Additions Series. 2007. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 4

December 2019. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/153431?

redirectedFrom=proverbed#eid27995723

“season, n.” OED Online, Oxford University Press. 1 December 2019. https://www-oed-

com.library.pittstate.edu/view/Entry/174349?

rskey=whnUXG&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid
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“season, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2019. https://www-oed-

com.library.pittstate.edu/view/Entry/174350?

rskey=3PVNMU&result=2&isAdvanced=false#eid

“uncle, n.” Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 2017. OED Online. Oxford University

Press. 4 December 2019. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/210415?

rskey=SRa7Do&result=1#eid

“uncle, v.” Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 2017. OED Online. Oxford University

Press. 4 December 2019. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/210416?

rskey=rNSPDX&result=2&isAdvanced=false#eid