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Shakespeare’s Invented Words Project

The Close Calls

The Letter A.

 

This Page:

CLASS 1 WORDS, COMPOUND WORDS and PHRASES:
Words, Compound Words and Phrases
which first appeared in print in works other than Shakespeare’s,
but may have been first written down by Shakespeare.

 

 

     Most of Shakespeare's works are believed to have been written years before they were published; thus, it is likely that he employed most (if not all) of these terms in long-lost scripts well before the plays were officially printed.

     This in turn suggests the possibility that Shakespeare might have indeed written these words down before they appeared in the published works of other authors.

 

EXAMPLE: suppose word XYZ appears in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, which was not published until 1623. Word XYZ also appears in a 1608 book written by author Mr. M. It appears, then, that Mr. M should get credit for “coining” the word.

     However, Shakespeare is believed to have written Twelfth Night in 1601, so we can perhaps assume that word XYZ appeared in 1601 in Shakespeare’s play, and thus antedates its appearance in Mr. M’s book of 1608.

     Who should get credit? You decide.    

 

     We make no judgment on who should get “credit”, but we will suggest whether the evidence leans one way or another with regards to whether Shakespeare likely used the word first or not. We recognize this is an intellectual exercise more than anything else.

     Of course, you the reader or researcher may be satisfied simply knowing in which publication a word appeared in first.

     Your editor is intrigued enough by this idea to explore it further. In the table below, you will find enough detailed information to permit you to decide for yourself the degree to which you would like to credit Shakespeare with coining each or any of these words and phrases.

 

     [Note, the OED gives Shakespeare credit for the first appearance of many of the words in Table A9 – but not all. Table A9 indicates which words are attributed to Shakespeare, and which are not.]

     [Note that all guesses regarding the year(s) Shakespeare is believed to have written his works come from the website of the Royal Shakespeare company, whom we presume to be authoritative: see https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeares-plays/timeline].

 

 

1.       Table A10: Close Calls: Class 1 Words that were Published First in the Work of an Author Other than Shakespeare, But are Worthy of Further Analysis.

 

 

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Table A9: Class 1 Words – Close Calls.
Words that were Published First
in the Work of an Author Other than Shakespeare,
But are Worthy of Further Analysis.

 

OED Entry

Part of Speech
and Definition

Shakespeare's Entry

The Competition

Competitor's Citation
(given only if not in OED)

Who Used it First?
The Verdict

1

abc book

n., an alphabet primer.

Appeared in:  KJ.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1595-7.

Earliest known appearance: 1611.
Author: John Florio.
Title: Queen Anna's new world of words, or dictionarie of the Italian and English tongues.
IN OED.

Shakespeare likely first

2

acorned

adj,.
def.1: provided with, decorated with, or bearing acorns;
def.2: fed or filled with acorns.

Appeared in: Cym.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1610.
 S's use of this word under sense 2 is the earliest in the OED.

Earliest known appearance: 1610.
Author: John Guillim.
Title: A display of heraldrie.
Earliest citation in OED, listed under sense 1.

Inconclusive as to who used the word first, but Shakespeare was first to use the word as in def. 2.

3

admiringly

adv., in an admiring manner.

Appeared in: AWEW.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1603-4.

Earliest known appearance: 1606.
Author: E. Forset.
Title: Comparative Discourse Bodies Nat. & Politique.
IN OED.

Inconclusive.

4

after-enquiry

n., the time after an enquiry.

Appeared in: Cym.
First published: 1623.
Believed written in: 1610.
 S's use of this phrase is the earliest in the OED.

Earliest known appearance: 1604
Author: Robert Parson
Title: A revievv of ten publike disputations or conferences held vvithin the compasse of foure yeare.
NOT IN OED

secondly yow (ie. you) may consider another difference in this priuate determination, of ridley & his associates from that of Catholike Councells, for that Councells after enquiry and disputations made for the truth, do determyne by generall consent of the bishopps assembled, with assured assistance of the holy ghost.

Parson likely first.

5

after-love

n., something that comes after the love.

Appeared in: 2GV.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1590's.
 S's use of this phrase is the earliest in the OED.

Earliest known appearance: 1591
Author: Henry Smith
Title: A preparatiue to mariage The summe whereof was spoken at a contract, and inlarged after, etc.
NOT IN OED

Wedlocke is made of two loues, which i may call the Mariage compounded of two loues: first loue, and the after loue:

Probability says Smith was first, but cannot be said with 100% confidence.

6

agate stone

n., an ornamental stone.

Appeared in:  R&J.
First published: 1597.
Believed written:  1595-6. 

Earliest known appearance: 1594. Author: Richard Barnfield.
 Title: The affectionate shepheard.
IN OED.

Barnfield likely first, or a tie.

7

alarms and excursions

a stage direction in early drama, indicating the back and forth of battle depicted on-stage.

Appeared in: 1H4.
First published: 1598.
Believed written: 1596-7.
 S's use of this phrase is the earliest in the OED.

Earliest known appearance: 1594.
Author: Christopher Marlowe.
Title: The troublesome raigne and lamentable death of Edward the second, King of England, etc.
NOT IN OED

Alarums, excursions, a great fight.

Likely Marlowe first

8

all amort1

adj., dejected.

Appeared in: 1H6.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1592.

Earliest known appearance: 1592.
Author: Robert Greene.
Title: The third and last part of conny-catching.
IN OED.

Inconclusive.

9

all-dreaded

adj.

Appeared in: Cym.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1610.
 S's use of this phrase is the earliest in the OED.

Earliest known appearance: 1615
Author: Thomas Collins
Title: The teares of loue: or, Cupids progresse Together vvith the complaint of the sorrowfull shepheardesse, etc.
NOT IN OED

nothing's more dreadfull then all dreaded thunder.

Inconclusive.

10

all-ending

adj.

Appeared in: R3.
First published: 1597.
Believed written: 1593-4.
Earliest entry for this compound in the OED

Earliest known appearance: 1596.
Author: Christopher Middleton.
Title: The first part of the nature of a vvoman Fitly described in a Florentine historie.
NOT IN OED

the iust (ie. just) doome of all ending death.

Leaning Shakespeare first.

11

annexion2

n., that which is annexed.

Appeared in: Sonn.
First published: 1609.
Believed written: 1590's.

Earliest known appearance: 1594.
Author: Edward Aggas.
Title: The order of ceremonies obserued in the annointing and coronation of the most Christian King of France & Nauarre, Henry the IIII. etc.
NOT IN OED

howbeit in as much as of these thre[e] dukes and thre counties auncient peres lay, represented by these sixe, fiue of the payryes are annexed to the Crowne, and the Countie of Flaunders is out, the french kings hath since this annexion vouchsafed to represent the six peres and payries by so many princes and lords attendant about their parsons.

Inconclusive; but see footnote 2 below.

12

apperil

n., peril, risk.

Appeared in: TA.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1604-6.
 S's use of this word is the earliest in the OED.

Earliest known appearance: 1607.
Author: Thomas Middleton.
Title: Michaelmas terme.
Believed to have been performed
1604-6.
NOT IN OED

is there no law for a woman that will run vpon a man at her owne apperill?

Inconclusive.

13

April day

n.

Appeared in: 2GV.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1590's.
 

Earliest known appearance: 1596.
Author: C.M. (Christopher Middleton?).
Title: The first part of the nature of a vvoman Fitly described.
IN OED

Inconclusive.

14

Arabian bird

n., the phoenix.

Appeared in: A&C
First published: 1623.
Believed written in: 1606-7.

Earliest known appearance: 1596.
Author: Michael Drayton.
Title: Mortimeriados: The lamentable ciuell warres of Edward the second and the barrons.
IN OED.

Drayton was first.

15

arch-villain

n., chief villain.

Appeared in: MM.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1604.
 S's use of this word is the earliest in the OED.

Earliest known appearance: 1604.
Author: John Marston.
Title: The Malcontent.
NOT IN OED

Mal: "where an arch villaine I -" (this is an interrupted speech in a play)

Inconclusive.

16

ask (one) for3

used to request to see a person: "you should ask him for Alice", ie. "you should ask him if you can see Alice."

Appeared in: 2H4.
First published: 1600.
Believed written: 1597-8.
 S's use of this phrase is the earliest in the OED.

Earliest known appearance: 1598.
Author: Jeronimo Fernaìndez.
Title: The honour of chiualrie Set downe in the most famous historie of the magnanimious and heroike Prince Don Bellianis, etc.
NOT IN OED

tell me n[o]w, which is here the duke [A]lfiron? i am he (answered the duke) but wherefore aske you for him? i do inquire for him replied the knight) because i thought so braue a knight as hee,,,would haue maintained the field within the lists, agaynst all aduenturers, etc. (note: wherefore means "why".)

Inconclusive.

17

askant

prep., across, or diagonally across.

Appeared in: Ham.
First published: 1604.
Believed written: 1600.
First entry as a preposition.

Earliest known appearance: 1602.
Author: Sir John Harington.
Title: Nugae Antiquae.
This entry for askant is the earliest as an adverb.
IN OED.

Inconclusive as to who used the word first, but Shakespeare was first to use it as a preposition.

18

assassination

n., the planned murder of a person.

Appeared in:  Mac.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1606.

Earliest known appearance: 1610.
Author: Pierre and Thomas Pelletier.
Title: A lamentable discourse, vpon the paricide and bloudy assasination: committed on the person of Henry the fourth (of famous memorie) King of France.
IN OED.

Shakespeare likely first.

19

atomy4

n., def.2a., an emaciated living body, walking skeleton.

Appeared in: 2H4.
First published: 1600.
Believed written: 1597-8.
This is the first entry in def. 2a.

Earliest known appearance: 1597.
Author: Alexander Montgomerie.
Title: The cherrie and the slaye.
This is the earliest entry for sense 1, meaning "skeleton".
IN OED.

Inconclusive as to who used the word first, but Shakespeare was first to use it to mean "emaciated person".

20

auspicious,5 def. 2a

adj., def.2a: favourable, conducive of success (of things).

Appeared in: Tem.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1611.
OED entry #1 in def. 2a.

Earliest known appearance: 1593.
Author: George Peele.
Title: The honour of the garter Displaied in a poeme gratulatorie.
NOT IN OED.

to whom the earth, the sea, and elements auspicious are.

George Peele likely first; but see footnote 5 below.

21

auspicious,5 def. 2b

adj., def.2b: showing favour, propitious (of persons).

Appeared in: AWEW.
First published: 1623.
Believed written: 1603-4.
OED entry #1 in def. 2b.

Earliest known appearance: 1605.
Author: Michael Dreyton,
Thomas Heywood.
Title: The true chronicle history of King Leir, etc.
NOT IN OED

...and venus stand auspicious to my vowes…

Inconclusive; see footnote 5 below.

 

Footnotes.

1. all amort:

The expression was derived from the French phrase à la mort, meaning "to the death". We may note that the word amorte appeared without being preceded by all in a 1546 work by Arthur Kelton, A commendacyon of welshmen:  "Awaye they wente by one assent Euen as the Angell bade without comforte as men amorte."

2. annexion:

It is unclear as to which author - Shakespeare or Aggas - should be credited with being the first to use the word annextion; however, the senses used by the two authors is different: Shakespeare's meaning (sense 2) is "that which is annexed, an addition", while Aggas' 1594 meaning (sense 1) is "the act of annexing" (if I am reading the quote correctly).
     The earliest citation which uses annextion with sense 2 is from 1601; the author is Sir William Cornwallis, and the work is simply entitled Essayes. Here is the quote:
     "we giue, and rightly giue preheminence to age; wee haue found out a word to beautifie the wrinckles, and hoarinesse thereof, we call it venerable: why? meerely in respect of the Apparence? no, but in respect of the annexion; because wisdome commonly accompanies such a presence."
     As a result, annexion, as used in sense 2, first appears in print in Cornwallis' work, but if Shakespeare did indeed write his sonnets in the 1590's, as is generally believed, then he probably may be credited with being the first to use annexion with this sense.

3. ask (one) for:

There is a second use of this phrase included in sense 5C of ask, which is to inquire as to a person's health, e.g. "you should ask him for Alice", ie. you should ask him how Alice is doing."
     This phrase appears with this usage in a 1579 publication, A thousand notable things, of sundry sortes Wherof some are wonderfull, etc., by Thomas Lupton:
      "a certaine priest called iohannes morterius dyd aske him for a certaine brother of his, which was sicke."

4. atomy:

Atomy appears as two different words in two separate entries; our atomy is categorized as noun2; there is an older use of the word atomy, meaning a mote (like a dust mote), that originated at least as far back as 1584, and is identified as noun1.

5. auspicious:

The earliest extant appearance of auspicious appears to be in George Peele's 1593 work cited at #20. Interestingly, the OED does not cite Shakespeare's earliest confirmable use of our word, which occurred in his poem Lucrece, published in 1604.
     Here is the citation: "That his foule thoughts might cōpasse (ie. compass) his fair faire, / And they would stand auspicious to the howre."
     In this fragment, auspicious is clearly describing the protagonist's thoughts; the question is, would this usage be considered an example of sense 2a (describing something generally that is favouring or conducive to success), or 2b (applied to a person who shows favour or kindness)?
     If the Lucrece auspicious belongs to sense 2a, then the 2a decision is a very close call, as Shakepeare's and Peele's usage would have occurred within a year of each other, and would cause us to recategorize the decision regarding who used auspicous first as Inconclusive.
     But if the Lucrece auspicious belongs to sense 2b, then the 2a sense can be asserted more comfortably to belong to Peele. 
     No matter what, the 2b decision remains too close to call.
     And either way, the question as to who used the word auspicious first remains very close, with Peele's appearing first, in 1593, and Shakespeare's Lucrece being published in 1594.