Page 1 of 9
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 03
March 2019
Available online:https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 917
influence and contribution of shakespeare on english language
VANSHIKA
Former Assistant Professor, Faculty of English,
S.D. (PG) College, Panipat
ABSTRACT
Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest writers of the English language and has
contributed largely to the literature. Shakespeare has played a vital role in the transformation
of the theatre in Europe. His style of characterization, plot and the language has taken the
genre drama to a different level. His works in the field of drama, like Macbeth, King Lear,
and Hamlet are the most admired plays till date. His plays were always close to the human
nature and his characters are detailed perfectly to show the emotions and thereby connect to
the audience to create a significant impact. 'Romeo and Juliet' by Shakespeare has given way
to the romantic tragedy genre. Many noted novelists from Elizabeth period and the Victorian
period were largely influenced by the works of Shakespeare. His contribution to prose, drama
and poetry has largely influenced the American and European literature and also modernized
and standardized the English language to an extent. This paper throws light on the
contribution of literary Giant Shakespeare to English language and Literature. Warren King
clarifies, of all the 17,677 words Shakespeare used in his works, 1,700 words were invented
by Shakespeare himself. Shakespeare’s language and strict discipline gave liveliness and
intensity to his writing style.
Key Words: language, English literature, writing style, contributions and vocabulary.
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European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 03
March 2019
Available online:https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 918
INTRODUCTION
There is no doubt that William Shakespeare had a great influence not only in theater and films
and other poets and novelists, but also in the English language, with words that we use every
day. Many may not even know that it was him who invented or coined these words. Literally
there are thousands of words that Shakespeare invented that we still use today. Who do you
think invented the words manager, fashionable, eyeball, laughable, gloomy or lonely, among
others? William Shakespeare has knowledge of seven languages and usually made direct
quotes in other languages directly in the plays that he wrote. It is incredible that he had a
vocabulary of 24,000 words, the most for any writer, then and now.
STANDARDIZATION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The writings of Shakespeare actually influenced the English language, as his works
contributed to standardize English language rules and grammar in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The words and phrases that he wrote were embedded in the language especially in "A
Dictionary of the English Language" by Samuel Johnson. The introduction of new words as
well as phrases had greatly enriched the English language, which made it more expressive and
colorful. Some believe that Shakespeare was the first to use about 1,700 words – words that
be created by borrowing from other languages, changing verbs into adjectives or nouns and
vice versa, adding suffixes and prefixes and connecting other words as well as creating new
ones. He had several phrases that are still very much a part of today's language and
conversation such as full circle, a sorry sight, strange bedfellow and seen better days.
INVENTED WORDS
Let us explore some more of the common words the world's pre-eminent playwright created.
Gloomy was formerly a verb that Shakespeare turned into an adjective. He used this in Titus
Andronicus. In Merchant of Venice, he introduced the word laughable. Majestic was from the
word "majesty" that first used in the 1300s, while "majestical" was used initially around the
1570s. Shakespeare used the word majestic in The Tempest.
In the 1400s, the word "alone" was shortened to lone. From this word, he created the word
lonely which he used in the early 17th century tragedy, Coriolanus. He introduced the term
"radiance" in King Lear, which originated from "radiantem," the Latin word for beaming.
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European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 03
March 2019
Available online:https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 919
Hurry was a word that is found in Henry VI Part I while generous, which came from the Latin
word generosus or "of noble birth" was first used in Hamlet.
Honest, worthy, proper and useful are the terms associated with "frugi" the Latin word that
became frugal, which was used in a passage in Much Ado about Nothing. Critical was first
used in Othello. In the 1570s, the phrase "to court" means to woo. From this word
Shakespeare created the word courtship which he used in The Merchant of Venice. In Love's
Labour's Lost, he introduced the word zany, derived from the Latin term "zani" that came for
"Zanni," a derivative of the Italian name, Giovanni. It means idiosyncratic and amusingly
unconventional.
In his comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare used the word undress while rant was
first seen in Hamlet. It came from the Dutch term "randten" that means talking foolishly. Here
are some more words first used in his writings:
Eyeball, moonbeam (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Puking (As You Like It)
Obscene, new-fangled (Love’s Labour's Lost)
Cold-blooded , savagery (King John)
Hot blooded, epileptic (King Lear)
Addiction (Othello)
Arch-villain (Timon of Athens)
Assassination , unreal Macbeth
Bedazzled, pedant (The Taming of the Shrew)
Belongings (Measure for Measure)
Dishearten, swagger, dawn (Henry V)
Eventful, marketable (As You Like It)
Fashionable (Troilus and Cressida)
Inaudible (All's Well That Ends Well)
Ladybird, uncomfortable (Romeo and Juliet)
Manager, mimic (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Pageantry (Pericles)
