A ElizabethanDrama.org A

Shakespeare’s Invented Words Project

Words Used in a New Part of Speech

The Letter A.

This Page:
CLASS 2 WORDS
Words Previously Used in One Part of Speech,
But First Used by Shakespeare
in a Different Part of Speech (e.g. a noun for a verb).

1. Table A11: list of Class 2 Words beginning with A.

2. Table A12: list of Class 2 Words beginning with A which are
WRONGLY attributed to Shakespeare for use in a new part of speech.

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Table A11: Class 2 Words.
Previously Existing Words which Shakespeare
was the First to Use in a Different Part of Speech.

OED Word Credited to S	Part of Speech Word Used as Previously	New Part of Speech Used by S and Definition	Year Published in S and Work	Citation from S	Frequency

abutting	vb	adj., adjacent, that abuts.	1623, H5	Whose high, vp-reared, and abutting* Fronts…*	4
advertising	n, vb	adj.,attending.	1623, MFM	I was then Aduertysing, and holy to your businesse.	4
apoplex	n	vb., to strike with apoplexy, benumbing.	1604, Ham	Sure that sence Is appoplext.	2
appertaining¹	vb	n., the fact of belonging to.	1597, Lov.Com.	His real habitude gave life and grace To appertainings* and to ornament.*	obs
aside	adv.	prep., past, beyond.	1597, RJ	The milde Prince...hath rushd aside* the law.*	n/a
askance	adv, adj	vb., to turn away one's eyes.	1594, Luc.	That from their own misdeeds askaunce* their eyes.*	2
attest	vb	n., evidence, testimony.	1609, TC	That doth inuert th' attest* of eyes and eares.*	4
attorney²	n	vb., to perform by attorney or proxy.	1623, WT	Their Encounters...hath been Royally attornyed* with enter-change of Gifts.*	?
avouch²	vb	n., guarantee, assurance.	1603, Ham	...without the sensible and true auouch* of my owne eyes.*	1

Footnotes

1. appertaining:	As of this date (January 2019), the OED has been carrying around a major error in its entry for appertaining (n.), and in another entry, shriek (vb.), since the entry for each of these words was first published in 1885 and 1914 respectively. Specifically, both of these words are cited as having appeared in something called *Lover's Complete; under appertaining, no author is provided; under shriek, the author is given as Michael Drayton; however, the correct title should be Lover's Complaint, a narrative poem written by William Shakespeare, published as a part of his Sonnets* in 1609!
2. attorney, avouch:	I will admit that the number of citations requiring review to determine whether these Class II words should be credited to Shakespeare or not is too oppressively large a task to undertake. One day the editors at the OED will review them all, but given the fact that (1) Shakespeare's is the only citation under the verb attorney, and (2) Shakespeare's is the only citation under avouch before the 19th century, I feel confident in giving credit to the Bard for these two words.

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Table A12: Class 2 Word Rejects.
Class 2 Words which are WRONGLY Attributed
to Shakespeare for First Use in a New Part of Speech.

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

1	admired	vb.	adj. considered praiseworthy or excellent.	1597, RJ	1586	The English myrror	George Whetstone	Theodosia the Empresse of constantinople with admired* prudence ruled the whole empire during her life.*
2	affecting¹	vb.	adj. 1. using affectation; 2. loving, affectionate.	1597, RJ (def.1)	1587	The true image of Christian love, etc.	John Ryckes et al	the seconde is the affecting* loue of our neighbours*
3	amazing	n., vb.	adj. confusing, stupefying.	1597, R2	1574	The three partes of commentaries containing the whole and perfect discourse of the ciuill warres of Fraunce, etc.	Jean de Serres, (Thomas Tymme trans.)	we will shew, howe the sodeine death of king fraunces the seconde happened, to the great amasing* sodeine alteration by the death of king fraunces:*
4	antiquary	n.	adj. ancient.	1609, TC	1567	A counterblast to M. Hornes vayne blaste against M. Fekenham	Thomas Stapleton	the vsuall keeping of easter daye is, a matter of small weight, and to your* greate antiquary bale…*
5	applauding	n., vb.	adj. loudly expressing approval.	1623, TA	1592	Greenes vision vvritten at the instant of his death	Robert Greene	then shall i praise him in applauding* himns.*
6	aslant	adv.	prep. across in a slanting direction.	1623, Ham	1582	An heptameron of ciuill discourses Containing: the Christmasse exercise of sundrie well courted gentlemen and gentlewomen, etc.	George Whetstone	and by the fountaines, which run aslant* the side of ye (ie. the) mountain*
7	assembled	vb.	adj., gathered into one place.	1623, 1H6	1565	The zodiake of life	Marcello Stellato (Barnabe Googe, trans.)	he well doth viewe hys great assembled* crowde.*
8	Athenian	n.	adj. of or pertaining to Athens.	1600, MND	1559	A woorke of Ioannes Ferrarius Montanus, touchynge the good orderynge of a common weale, etc.	Johannes Ferrarius, William Bavand	[E]picurus the athenian* philosopher verie wittelie saied (ie. wittily said), etc.*
9	attending	vb.	adj. waiting to do service.	1598, LLL	1567	Certaine tragicall discourses written out of Frenche and Latin	Matteo Bandello, Sir. Geoffrey Fenton	*attendinge* gentlewome[n] oughte to be skilful in houskeping.
10	awakening	vb.	n. an arising from sleep or inactivity.	1599, RJ	1584	A booke of Christian exercise appertaining to resolution, etc.	Edmund Bunny	whole discourses as have been used before, for thine awakening.

Footnotes

1. affecting:	There are two meanings for the adjective affecting in the OED: (1) using affectation; and (2) loving, affectionate. Shakespeare was the first, as far as I could determine, to use the adjective affecting under def. (1); however, as the quote above shows, he was not the first to use affecting as an adjective; the 1587 citation uses affecting under its meaning in def. (2).