A ElizabethanDrama.org A

Shakespeare’s Invented Words Project:

The Rejects

The Letter A.

This Page:

CLASS 1 WORDS, COMPOUND WORDS and PHRASES:
Words, Compound Words and Phrases
WRONGLY attributed
to William Shakespeare.

Including all words, compound words and phrases which until now
were believed to have made their first appearance in English letters in the works of William Shakespeare,

BUT
Which actually appeared in other published material
before they were printed in Shakespeare’s works.

The Tables include citations from earlier works by other authors proving their use of the words in question.

1. Table A6: Class 1 Words wrongly attributed to Shakespeare.

2. Table A7: Class 1 Compound Words wrongly attributed to Shakespeare.

3. Table A8: Class 1 Phrases wrongly attributed to Shakespeare.

4. Table A9: Additional Class 1 Words That Were Published First in the Work of an Author Other Than Shakespeare, but are worthy of further analysis.

________________________________________________

Table A6: Class 1 Words - REJECTS.
Words Which Shakespeare is Given Credit for Inventing,
but which Actually Appeared in Earlier Publications.

	OED Word Incorrectly Credited to S.	Part of Speech and Definition	Year Appearing in S and Work	Year of Earlier Appearance	Title of Earlier Citation	Author of Earlier Citation	Competitor's Citation

1	aitch¹	n., the letter H.
2	amazedly	adv: in a bewildered or stunned manner.	1600, MND	1575	A dialogue of witches etc.	Lambert Daneau and Thomas Twyne	and thus hee manifestly transporteth vnto creatures, the office and duetie of the maiestie and power of god, whereby men may more willingly forsake god, and amazedly cleaue vnto creatures, that is to say, become perfect idolaters.
3	ambuscado	n., ambush, ambuscade.	1597, RJ	1579	The historie of Guicciardin conteining the warres of Italie and other partes etc.	Francesco Guicciardini and Sir Geoffrey Fenton.	for, the florentyns...fearing indifferently the ambuscados* of the pope...forgat not to leauie (ie. leave) prouisions of warre equal to the greatnes of the perill that threatned.*
4	an-hungry	adj., hungry.	1623, Cor	1582	A booke of Christian prayers, collected out of the auncie[n]t writers etc.	Richard Day	i was an hungry, and ye gaue me meate.
5	anchovy	n., the small herring.	1598, 1H4	1582	The English Romayne lyfe Discouering: the liues of the Englishmen at Roome etc.	Anthony Munday	as sometime the spanish anchouies, and sometime stued (ie. stewed) prunes and raysons (ie. raisins) of the sun togeather, hauing such fine tarte sirope (ie. syrup) made to them, as i promise you a weake stomacke would very wel digest them.
6	Andrew²	n., naval slang for a ship	1596, MOV	1587	The first and second volumes of Chronicles.	Raphael Holinshed et al.	for reuenge whereof, andrew* the hollanders ships taken*
7	apostrophe³	n., the symbol ' used to indicate the omission of a letter or letters.	1598, LLL	1566	The supper of our Lord set foorth according to the truth of the Gospell and Catholike faith.	Nicholas Saunder	that is to say, yet the grecians write the first in non-latin alphabet,…the last they write leauing out y (ie. the) last letter of in non-latin alphabet, by an apostrophe, in pronountiation making one word of both.
8	applause	n., acclamation	1600, MOV	1548	Actes and monuments	John Foxe	and thus was ended thys moste glorious disputation of the most holy fathers, sacrificers, Doctours, and Maisters,...with triumphant applauses* and fauour of the whole uniuersitie*
9	arouse	vb., to stir from sleep or inactivity.	1623, 2H6	(1) 1522 (2) 1564	The life of faith in death, etc. The flower of fidelity relating exactly the various adventures of three foraign princes, etc.	Samuel Ward John Reynolds	how would it awaken and arouse vs to fore-see death and hell in their shapes. when not securely sleeping, but rather dolefully slumbering, being by his pace aroused from her pensive contemplations, she forthwith elevated her self from her seat of sorrow.
10	audaciously	adv. fearlessly, with confidence and courage.	1598, LLL	1561	A famous and godly history contaynyng the lyues a[nd] actes of three renowmed reformers of the Christia[n] Church	Philipp Melanchthon et al.	Ther [l]urke also euer[y] where licencious & insolent heades, who after they shal cease to feare luther's censure & seuere correction, wil not stycke audaciously to corrupt this doctrine of vs faythfully taught.

Footnotes.

1. aitch:	a later spelled-out version of the letter H; this word is rejected because it does not actually appear in Shakespeare's work. The OED credits Shakespeare for using this word in the 1600 edition of Much Ado About Nothing, when the quarto actually prints only "H", which as a simple letter had appeared in print earlier in the 16th century.
2. Andrew:	Andrew had of course previously been used as a proper name; the OED entry includes specialized uses of the name. Also, the Shakespeare citation for Andrew has brackets around it, indicating, in the OED's own words, the "quotation is relevant to the development of a sense but not directly illustrative of it." We include it here anyway.
3. apostrophe:	there are two distinct entries for apostrophe in the OED; the older word, or entry, (noun¹), is for apostrophe referring to a speaker who addresses a person not present or a concrete or abstract thing. Our apostrophe, referring to the symbol ' used to indicate an omission of letters in a word, is the newer entry (noun²).

________________________________________________

Table A7: Class 1 Compound Words - REJECTS.
Compound Words Which Shakespeare is Given Credit for Inventing,
but which Actually Appeared in Earlier Publications.

	OED Compound Credited to S.	Part of Speech and Definition	Year Appearing in S and Work	Year of Earlier Appearance	Title of Earlier Citation	Author of Earlier Citation	Competitor's Earlier Citation

1	abbey-wall	n., the wall of an abbey.	1597, RJ	1523	Here begynneth the first volum of sir Iohan Froyssart of the cronycles of Englande, Fraunce, ect.	Jean Froissart and Lord John Berners	but sir make great rames (ie. rams) of wood like pyles / and let vs ronne (ie. run) with them agaynst the abbey walles* / and we shall peerse it through in dyuers (ie. diverse) places.*
2	after-hours	n., the hours following any incident or act.	1599, RJ	1566	The ordour and doctrine of the generall faste appointed be the generall assemblie of the kirkes of Scotland etc.	John Knox and John Craig	the abstinence is commanded to be from Setterday at eight houres at nyght, till Sonday after the exercise at after none (ie. afternoon) that is after* houres.*
3	all-honoured	adj., honoured by all.	1623, AC	1584	A briefe conference betwixt mans frailtie and faith	Gervase Babington	but his little is more, whose heart is pure, than mountaines of goulde and all honored state, that is crept vnto by depe dissembling, and so will the ende prooue in them or theirs, if god be god.
4	amber-coloured	adj., the colour of amber	1598, LLL	1587	Daphnis and Chloe excellently describing the vveight of affection	Angel Day	...shee made a chapelet, and therewith crowned her amber* coloured tresses...*
5	apron-man	n., a mechanic.	1623, Cor	1593	A suruay of the pretended holy discipline	Richard Bancroft	he was not ignorant, how easy a matter it would proue, for him and his fellow ministers, to ouer-rule twelue simple men, all of them vnlearned, as being either apronmen, artizans, or marchantes.

________________________________________________

Table A8: Class 1 Phrases - REJECTS.
Phrases Which Shakespeare is Given Credit for Inventing,
but which Actually Appeared in Earlier Publications.

	OED Expression Credited to S.	OED Entry, Definition and Examples	Year Found in S and Work	Year of Earlier Appearance	Title of Earlier Citation	Author of Earlier Citation	Competitor's Earlier Citation

1	be long about (something)	about, def. 11b. Common phrase: e.g. "don't be long about it", "be quick about it"; can begin with any speed-related adjective, e.g. quick, slow, etc.	1623, Cor	1582	Sermons made by the most reuerende Father in God, Edwin, Archbishop of Yorke, primate of England and metropolitane.	Edwin Sandys	to bring men to repentance, is such a worke of weight, that god himselfe...tired with labouring so long* about it.*
2	advantageous to	advantageous, def. 1b. Providing benefit to a person or thing: e.g. "the treaty is advantageous to both parties."	1616, Tem	1591	The true history of the ciuill vvarres of France, etc.	Antony Colynet	a large playne (ie. plain) skirted with copses wt (ie. with) a little hill, and the ground raysed with ditches aduantagious* to the enemies.*
2	I am afeard	afeard, def. 4 Expressing regret or suspicion, applied parenthetically: e.g. "we are out of milk, I am afeard."	1623, AWEW	1576	The tyde taryeth no man A moste pleasant and merry commody.	George Wapull	now cole profite (ie. a person's name), in fayth, gramarcy, for thy song: much good do it the[e], but i am afeard* i tarry to[o] long.*
3	I am afraid	afraid, def. 3. Smilar usage as "I am afeard": "I am afraid Paris has fallen."	1623, TOS	1559	The complaynt of veritie, made by Iohn Bradford. An exhortacion of Mathewe Rogers, vnto his children, etc.	John Bradford, Matthew Rogers, etc.	but (alas) i am a very grieuous sinner, and i feele in my selfe very little repentance and faith, and therefore i am afraid* that i am vnworthy.*
4	at (a person's) age	age, def. P4. With reference to what is usual or appropriate for one's age: e.g. "a manner rude and wild is common at your age."	1604, Ham	1586	Fryer Iohn Frauncis of Nigeon in Fraunce .	Robert Crowley	i perceiue that i my selfe, was at your age a much more skilfull papist then you be.
5	with / without the aid of	aid, def. P2. With the help of a specified thing, e.g. "I cooked dinner with the aid of a recipe."	1623, Mac	1571	A geometrical practise, etc.	Leonard and Thomas Digges	i thought it not amisse as well for the rarenesse of the matter, as for the necessary vses thereof, to set forth this meane of searching waight by water, with ye aid of (ie. the aid of) Arithmetick.
6	go along	along, adv., def. 6. In company with another: "you two go along", "Bob went, and I went along".	1600, MND	1588	A profitable exposition of the Lords prayer, etc.	Gervase Babington	but we haue beside, the company in this crosse of such great and deere ones to the Lorde, that we should be euen glad we may go along with them and partake with them in no worse thing, than the lord thought good to lay vpon them
7	ever and anon	anon, def. 6b. Every now and then.	1598, LLL	1574	A regiment for the sea conteyning most profitable rules, mathematical experiences, and perfect knovvledge of nauigation, etc.	William Bourne	and thus must you doe euer* and anon, for the oftner you do obserue this custome, the better & perfiter (ie. perfecter) shal your course be.*
8	applaud it	applaud, def. 1. To applaud something	1604, Ham	1589	Menaphon Camillas alarum to slumbering Euphues.	Robert Green and Thomas Nash	i will thinke my ignorance indebted vnto you that applaud it
9	ascend (the (or) possessive pronoun) throne	ascend, def. 6. e.g. "ascend the throne", "ascend my throne".	1597, R2	1556	The history of Herodian.	Nicholas Smyth	...and hauing finyshed the diuine ceremonies, asceded* th' emperiall (ie. the imperial) throne…*
10	bring (a person) asleep	asleep, def. 2a. To cause to fall asleep.	1594, TA	1574	Sermons of Master Iohn Caluin, vpon the booke of Iob.	John Calvin, (Arthur Golding, trans.)	suche like things shall not be meanes to make men droke (ie. drunk) and to bring* them asleepe.*
11	at it	at, prep., def. 16b. Busy or hard at work at something, e.g. "I was at it again."	1609, TC	(1) 1565 (2) 1591	A replie against an ansvver (falslie intitled) in defence of the truth. The magistrates scripture.	John Rastell Henry Smith	Maye i not, because of your fancyes, rest in the end, when i am at it, but come back againe to the beginning, or myddle of the matter? euerie man hath a part, some longer, & some shorter, & while the actors are at it, sodainly (ie. suddenly) death steps vpon the stage like a haulke (ie. hawk).
12	avail (oneself) of, (or) avail of	avail, vb., def. 5a. To benefit or profit by something, e.g. "he avails himself of power".	1623, MM	1590	The seconde parte of the booke of Christian exercise.	Robert Parsons	no excuse can auaile* of the ignoraunce of god*

________________________________________________

Table A9: Additional Class 1 Words that were Published First
in the Work of an Author Other Than Shakespeare,
but which he may have Actually Written Down First,
and are worthy of further analysis
(see Table 10 in Separate File, entitled Close Calls).

abc book

acorned

admiringly

after-enquiry

after-love

agate stone

alarms and excursions

all amort

all-dreaded

all-ending

annexion

apperil

April day

Arabian bird

arch-villain

ask (a person) for

askant

assassination

atomy

auspicious, sense 2a

auspicious, sense 2b

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 published.

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

We make no judgment on this score, and 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; hence, all of these words can be found in a separate table, Table 10, entitled Close Calls. Here 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.