Shakespeare’s Crazy Word Ending and Verbs

Two present-tense verb-endings from Middle English are still to be found in the Early Modern period:

-est for the 2nd person singular following thou (as in thou goest);

and-th or -eth for the 3rd person singular (as in she goeth).

In Shakespearian English, the verbs which most commonly take the ending are hath (has), doth (does), and saith (says).

The most distinctive verbs, both in Shakespearian and in modern English, are be, have, do, and the set of auxiliary verbs known as the modals, such as can, may, would, and shall. The chief differences between then and now are shown below.

be

Item / Modern / Description / Example
art / are / 2nd person singular, present tense / Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful
beest, be’st / be / 2nd person singular, present tense [usually in a clause beginning with if]; also a dialect usage / If ever thou beest mine
be / are / 3rd person plural, present tense / Be my horses ready?
been / are / 3rd person plural, present tense [archaic] / when men been
wast / were / 2nd person singular, past tense / Thou wast never with me
wert / were / 2nd person singular, past tense / I would thou wert a man’s tailor

have

Item / Modern / Description / Example
ha’ / have
hast / have / 2nd person singular, present tense / remember whom thou hast aboard
hath / has / 3rd person singular, present tense / A kind heart he hath
hadst / had / 2nd person singular, past tense / where thou hadst this ring

do

Item / Modern / Description / Example
dost / do / 2nd person singular, present tense / Why dost thou smile so
doth / does / 3rd person singular, present tense / How doth thy husband?
didst / did / 2nd person singular, past tense / thou didst it excellent
didest / did / 2nd person singular, past tense [rare] / Thus didest thou

Modals

Item / Modern / Description / Example
canst / can / 2nd person singular / canst thou quake
’ce / shall / dialect use / I’ce try
’chill / will / dialect use / ’Chill not let go
’choud / should / dialect use / And ’choud ha’ bin zwaggered
mayst / may / 2nd person singular / Long mayst thou live
mought / might / [in the sense of ‘could’] / That mought not be distinguished
’s / shall / dialect or colloquial / thou’s hear our counsel
shalt / shall / 2nd person singular / thou shalt to London
shouldst / should / 2nd person singular / thou shouldst be honest
’st / will / dialect / you’st hear the belly’s answer
wilt / will / 2nd person singular / Wilt thou be gone?
wolt / will / [=wilt] dialect / wolt out?
woo / would / 2nd person singular / Woo’tweep?
wot / will / [=wilt] dialect / Thou wot, wot thou
wouldst / would / 2nd person singular / Wouldst thou aught with me?