Latinisms in Shakespeare, Metathesis, & Latin Words and Phrases in English Concepts from Lessons XXIII-XXV

Shakespeare and his Word Use

Life of Shakespeare Lived Most likely attended the King’s New School, Stratford-upon-AvonKing’s New School Tudor curriculum limited to Latin, Greek, math Shakespeare used a state-mandated Latin grammar, Lily’s A Short Introduction of Grammar (1540)

Life of Shakespeare Shakespeare makes reference to both the Lily grammar and his Latin teacher, Thomas Jenkins, in Merry Wives of Windsor: Sir Thomas Evans: What is 'lapis', William? William Page: A stone. Evans: And what is 'a stone', William? William: A pebble. Evans: No, it is 'lapis'... William: 'Lapis'. Evans: That is a good William. What is he, William, that does lend articles? William: Articles are borrowed of the pronoun, and be thus declined, Singulariter, nominativo, hic, haec, hoc... Evans: What is your genitive case plural, William ? William: Genitive case? Evans: Ay. William: Genitive,- horum, harum, horum. (Act 4, Scene 1)

Life of Shakespeare Member of The King’s Men, which owned its own theater, the Globe TheaterGlobe Theater Wrote 36 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 narrative poems Drew on Latin sources: Julius Caesar, Titus Andronicus, Coriolanus, Antony & Cleopatra Influenced by the works of Plautus (d. 184 BC ), e.g., Comedy of ErrorsInfluenced by the works of Plautus

Shakespeare’s Use of Latin Classes at the King’s New School were conducted exclusively in Latin. Given this background, Shakespeare naturally used Latinate words with deference to their original meanings. Thou, sapient sir, sit here. —Lear to the Fool, King Lear (Act II, Scene 6)

Shakespeare’s Latinate Vocabulary Vocabulary My powers are crescent. That they have overborne their continents. The fortitude of the place is best known to you. Whose white investments figure innocence. …and of the truth herein this present object made probation. As knots…infect the sound pine and divert his grain tortive and errant from his course of growth.

Shakespeare’s Latinate Vocabulary Vocabulary Abate the edge of traitors…that would reduce these bloody days again. Cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks. The presence of the king disanimates his enemies. What to this was sequent Thou know’st already. Tying her duty, beauty, wit and fortunes in an extravagant and wheeling stranger of here and every where. Exercise I Lesson 24 (pp )

Metathesis (Lesson XXIV) Definition. Transposition of two sounds in a word (as in the development of crud from curd or the pronunciation \'pur-tE\ for pretty). English examples: ask [aks], spaghetti [basketti], foliage [foilage], mischeivous [mischevious], breakfast [breakstif], Sly [Sylvester] Distinct from Spoonerism: Let me sew you to your sheet, our queer old dean.

Metathesis in Word Histories

Latin Words and Phrases in English (Lesson XXV) Some words and phrases have entered Latin while retaining their original forms. ad hoc, per se, per diem, de facto, vice versaSome of these words are found in fixed phrases, e.g., ad hoc, per se, per diem, de facto, vice versa. Some of these words are nouns which carry Latin singular and plural inflections.

Noun Sense The proper plural form of many Latin nouns is a subject of controversy. Do the following nouns even have a plural form? datadata (Her data was interesting.) mediamedia(The media gives only one side.) Lesson 25, II (p. 138)

Noun Sense Sometimes the ‘proper’ form seems silly: –alumna –index –focus –stadium –genus –octopus –appendix sic, qua, pro, viaSometimes the word looks like an abbreviation but isn’t: sic, qua, pro, via

Latin Phrases Sometimes the abbreviation of a phrase is more familiar that the phrase itself. What do the following abbreviations mean? –e.g. –i.e. –cf. –A.D. –AM –NB –et al. –etc. –ca.

Latin Phrases What do the following phrases mean? –in camera –habeas corpus –de facto –ad hominem –ex officio –ex post facto –per capita –per diem –per se

Latin Phrases What do the following phrases mean? –persona non grata –sine qua non –quid pro quo –prima facie –a fortiori –status quo –reductio ad absurdum –ad hoc –pro tem

Latin Abbreviations in Medicine Medical jargon contains many Latin (and other) abbreviationsabbreviations

New Bases No New Suffixes since Lesson XXI! Lesson XXIII: –CORD –FLECT, FLEX –MAN(U) –PORT –STRU, STRUCT –TERMIN –VINC, VICT

New Bases Lesson XXIV: AUDAUD CARNCARN NUNCI (NOUNCE)NUNCI (NOUNCE) PRESSPRESS PROPRIPROPRI SAT(IS)SAT(IS) No new forms in Lesson XXV!

Test II Test II will take place on Tuesday, April 8. Test II will cover all Latin forms and concepts introduced since Test I: –The Latin prefixes, bases and suffixes in Lessons –The concepts introduced in lecture from February 18th to April 3rd.

Test II The format of Test II will be the same as that of Test I:The format of Test II will be the same as that of Test I: –It will be worth 30 points total. –Part I will consist of 6 short-answer questions, worth 2 points each. –Part II will consist of 6 word-analysis questions, worth 3 points each. –In each part you will choose 6 out of 10 questions to answer.

Concept Review Semantic relations Semantic relations –Ambiguity –Vagueness –Polysemy Word relations Word relations –Antonymy (graded vs. nongraded) –Homonymy The role of metaphor in polysemy The role of metaphor in polysemy

Concept Review Categories and semantic change Categories and semantic change –Narrowing –Broadening The change from concrete to abstract The change from concrete to abstract –Metaphor –Metonymy Functional (grammatical category) change Functional (grammatical category) change Hyperbole Hyperbole Euphemism Euphemism

Concept Review The loss of a word’s frame of reference The loss of a word’s frame of reference Shakespeare’s use of Latin Shakespeare’s use of Latin Metathesis Metathesis Back formation Back formation Folk etymology Folk etymology The use of Latin words and expressions in English The use of Latin words and expressions in English Usage criticism Usage criticism