THE INFLUENCE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S WORKS ON MODERN ENGLISH

Valentyna Revutska

Kamianets-Podilskyi Ivan Ohiienko National University

Scientific Supervisor: Associate Professor Matkovska M. V.

THE INFLUENCE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S WORKS ON MODERN ENGLISH

Abstract. The article deals with an attempt to search and analyze the influence of William Shakespeare’s work on English word-stock. The author of the paper tries to figure out the active use of ‘williamisms’ at the present stage of their functioning in the English-speaking space. The peculiarities of their use in oral and written English have been disclosed.

Keywords: language word-stock, W. Shakespeare’s works, williamisms, occasionalisms, idioms, phraseological units.

The language, along with various changes in the society, undergoes changes. To some extent language is the reflection of the things that take place in the society. Any new creation or the subject that appears acquires its name, which in its turn enriches the list of vocabulary of the language. On the other hand, there are many sources of broadening of lexicon.

So, the English language owes its richness to the great playwright W. Shakespeare, who is the author of 1700 words and phrases [3]. For their creation the playwright converted nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, connected few words into one, which were never been used before, also added prefixes, suffixes to the words, used borrowings and created absolutely new words. W. Shakespeare dealt with the all aspects of language: grammar, punctuation, orthography, lexis. According to the British linguist D. Crystal, W. Shakespeare influenced the Early Modern English language, which differentiates from the Modern English language approximately by 5 %.

There are reasons, by which occasionalisms of W. Shakespeare entered the English language and firmly took place in it. In that way, W. Shakespeare dealt with the most various areas of the life. He almost did not use narrow terms, which were understood only by the intellectual elite. The playwright inclined to the usage of such words, which were understood by the majority of people. In those times, when W. Shakespeare lived, the theatre was the most popular place of entertainment and was accessible to the rich and mean people [1].

1. Crystal calls the words, created by W. Shakespeare with the help of the term ‘williamisms’, which is analogical term to Ukrainian the one known as ‘шекспіризм’. D. Crystal explains the notion of ‘williamisms’ as “word creation of Shakespeare” [7].

In comparison with the works of many literary scholars, lexis which was used by W. Shakespeare contains fewer words. But the peculiarity of its usage can be seen in the situation, when the playwright used the same words in the different context, and with various semantics. So, the Russian linguist M.M. Morozov appeals to the word ‘free’ and underlines such meanings, as independent, voluntary, ready to make something, frank, unrestrained, generous, healthy, happy, carefree, innocent, harmless, noble, elegant etc. In the times of W. Shakespeare, the language of the English literature was on the stage of its formation [1].

The other method which was often used by W. Shakespeare – was adding suffixes, endings and prefixes. So, with the help of the prefixes ‘un’, ‘out’ there were created such words as “uncomfortable”, “outbreak”, “outlaw” [1].

Since the day of the death of W. Shakespeare 450 years have passed, but in reality, the poet lives not only in his work, but also in the words and which afterwards became catchphrases and catchwords. Many words of the English language, which are used today in the conversational speech, first appeared in the works of W. Shakespeare. What can be surprising, amongst those words which are gloomy, gossip, eyeball1, advertising, amazement, bedroom, elbow, torture, secure and so forth [3]. In the New Oxford Dictionary there can be seen the articles which refer to W. Shakespeare. Those words were at first published in his works. Among those words, for example, “arch-villain”, “bedazzle”, “cheap”, “dauntless”, “embrace” (as a noun), “fashionable”, “go-between”, “honey-tongued”, “inauspicious”, “lustrous”, “nimble-footed”, “outbreak”, “pander”, “sanctimonious”, “time-honored”, “unearthly”, “vulnerable” and “well-bred” [5].

More than 100 idioms, which are used in the speech of the English language, were created by W. Shakespeare. There are sufficiently famous phrases as: “For goodness’ sake” – (Henry VIII), “Jealousy is the green-eyed monster” – (Othello), “Laughingstock” – (The Merry Wives of Windsor), “Live long day” – (Julius Caesar), “Love is blind” – (The Merchant of Venice), “Set my teeth on edge” – (Henry IV Part I), “Wear my heart upon my sleeve” – (Othello), “Wild-goose chase” – (Romeo and Juliet), “What the dickens!” – (The Merry Wives of Windsor) [4].

In the tragedy “Hamlet” there are about 60 ‘williamisms’. The winged words from this work are indicated as a rule, in the original form. But with the time separate components of the phrases began to be used either independently, or on their basis new phrases were created. For example, the Russian philologist A. V. Kunin mentions, that the part of the phrase “the time is out of joint” was used in the structure of the set phrase “to put somebody’s nose out of joint”. By analogy with the phrase “It out-Herods Herod”, which means “to be over diligent”, there entered in the usage “to out-Zola Zola” – “overcome Zola in the Naturalism” [1].

In the English language the interesting tendency of rephrasing of W. Shakespeare’s set phrases can be traced. For example, the famous phrase from the tragedy “Hamlet” “To be or not to be: that is the question …” is often changed and by analogy with many new phrases in various areas of usage. In that way, Ben Herrera, the Mexican blogger published the article on his site with the name “To diet or not to diet, that is the question” [2]. Another bright example of the usage of the rephrasing of the famous phrase from “Hamlet” is illustrated in one of the series of the famous cartoon “The Simpsons”, where the character Homer Simpson during his entrance to the bar asks himself: “Two beer or not two beer?”. Here is the example of the funny usage of the set phrase.

Among the books, dedicated to the influence of the W. Shakespeare on the English language, are such significant scientific works, as “Brush Up Your Shakespeare”, М. Macrone; “Coined by Shakespeare: Words and Meanings First Penned by the Bard”, S. Malless, J. Mc Quain и R.O. Blechman; “Think On My Words: Exploring Shakespeare’s Language” and “Shakespeare’s Words: A Glossary and Language Companion”, D. Crystal; “Shakespeare’s Insults: Educating Your Wit”, Wayne F. Hill, etc.

The British linguist M. Macron examines many set phrases of W. Shakespeare [6].

Table 1. “Set phrases created by W. Shakespeare”, adopted from M. Macron [6].

The scientist supposes that it frequently appears to be unexpected, that some of those set phrases were created by W. Shakespeare, i.e. – some of them lost their primary meaning. For example, such a phrase as “sweets to the sweet”, refers to the topic of love. But primarily this set phrase was used in “Hamlet”, with the help of which W. Shakespeare described the funeral flowers. Another phrase “in my heart of hearts” sounded in original as “in my heart of heart” in the tragedy “Hamlet” [6].

But there are no any evidences that the author of all those 1700 lexical units was W. Shakespeare. Undoubtedly, that exactly W. Shakespeare was the first, who recorded all those words on the paper. There are suppositions that the playwright heard and learnt the new words from his contemporaries and those lexical units were in the wide usage at that time [1]. There are also phrases which are generally accepted as ‘williamisms’. Though, M. Macron denies that fact and suggests that they were written before, that it was done by W. Shakespeare. Among those phrases the linguist underlines [6].

Table 2. ‘Williamisms’, adopted from M. Macron [6].

Thus, the research of the creative works of William Shakespeare helps to convince the fact that the works of the playwright have an influence on the English language. The indicator of the biggest achievement of W. Shakespeare lies in the fact, that his occasionalisms are characteristic not only for inflated-style of poetry, but they have come into usage everywhere, including conversational speech of the English language, what affirms accessibility of the works of W. Shakespeare to the all layers of the population.

References:

1. Морозов М.М. Язык и стиль Шекспира [Electronic resource] – Access mode. – URL: http://www.philology.ru/literature3/morozov-54a.htm#1 (date of access: 02.2019), free.
2. Herrera, Ben. To diet or not to diet, that is the question [Electronic resource] – Access mode. – URL: http://whatscookingmexico.com/2008/02/26/to- diet-or-not-to-diet-that-is-the-question/ (date of access: 02.2019), free.
3. Mabillard, Amanda. Words Shakespeare Invented. Shakespeare Online [Electronic resource] – Access mode. – URL: http://www.shakespeare- online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html (date of access: 02.2019), free.
4. Mcalpine, Fraser. 45 Everyday Phrases Coined By Shakespeare [Electronic resource] – Access mode. – URL: http:// http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/04/45-phrases-coined-shakespeare-450th-birthday (date of access: 02.2019), free.
5. Oxford Dictionaries Language matters [Electronic resource] – Access mode. – URL: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/ (date of access: 02.2019), free.
6. Vemon, Jennifer. Shakespeare’s Coined Words Now Common Currency [Electronic resource] – Access mode. – URL: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0419_040419_shakespeare. html (date of access: 02.2019), free.

• Crystal, David. “Shakespeare’s lexical creativity”; “In every sense” Electronic resource] – Access mode. – URL: http://www.davidcrystal.com/?fileid=-4275 (date of access: 25.02.2019), free.