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Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary
A COMPLETE DICTIONARY OF ALL THE ENGLISH WORDS, PHRASES AND CONSTRUCTIONS IN THE WORKS OF THE POET VOLUME I
By Alexander Schmidt Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 1971 Dover Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-13075-0
CHAPTER 1
A.
A, the first letter of the alphabet: LLL V, 1, 50. 58. Tw. II, 5, 118 sq.
A, a note in music: Shr. III, 1, 74.
A or An, indef. art., the two forms differing as at present. An for a: an hair, Tp. I, 2, 30. an happy end, John III, 2, 10. an hasty-witted body, Shr. V, 2, 40. an Hebrew, Gent. II, 5, 57. an heretic, Wiv. IV, 4, 9. Wint. II 3, 114. John III, I, 175. H8 III, 2, 102. an hospital, LLL V, 2, 881. an host, H6B III, 1, 342. Ant. II, 5, 87 an hostess, Troil. III, 3, 253. an household, H4B IV, 1, 95. an hundred, LLL IV, 2, 63. R2 IV, 16. H6B IV, 8, 59. H6C II, 5, 81. H8 V, 1, 172. Cor. IV, 5, 114. Caes. II, 2, 77. IV, 3, 175. Hml. II, 2, 383 (Qq. a hundred). Lr. I, 1, 135. an hypocrite, Meas V, 41. H4B II, 2, 64. Per. I, 1, 122. an eunuch, Tw. I, 2, 56. H6B IV, 2, 175. Cor. III, 2, 114. Tit. II, 3, 128. Ant. II, 5, 5. III, 7, 15. an humour, H5 II, 1, 58. an union, Mids. III, 2, 210 (Ff a union). an universal, Troil. I, 3, 121. Caes. I, 1, 49. an urinal, Gent II, 1, 41. an usurer, II, 1, 196. an usurper, H6B I, 3, 188; cf. Oth. I, 3, 346. Before one generally a; f i. Wiv. III, 3, 122. Meas. III, 1, 71. Err. III, 2, 91. IV, 2, 23. Cor. III, 1, 105. Mcb. IV, 3, 101; cf. Such-a-one. Twice such an one: Mcb. IV, 3, 66. Ant. I, 2, 118. An before w: have an wish, Per. IV, 4, 2. Of the original indiscriminate use of an before consonants as well as vowels a trace is left in the pun of Mrs Quickly: An fool's head, Wiv. I, 4, 134.
Superfluous repetition of the ind. art. before adjectives: a blasting and a scandalous breath, Meas. V, 122. a present and a dangerous courtesy, IV, 2, 171. Alady, Err. V, 134. a dulcet and a heavenly sound, Shr. Ind. 1, 51. a common and an outward man, Alls III, 1, 11. a maiden and an innocent hand, John IV, 2, 252. a mighty and a fearful head, H4A III, 2, 167. a slobbery and a dirty farm, H5 III, 5, 13. a peaceful and a sweet retire, IV, 3, 86. a puissant and a mighty power, H6B IV, 9, 25. a weighty and a serious brow, H8 Prol. 2. a dismal and a fatal end, Mcb. III, 5, 21. a nipping and an eager air, Hml. I, 4, 2. a tyrannous and a damned light, II, 2, 482 (F1 and damned),a malignant and a turbaned Turk Oth. V, 2, 352. No less before adjectives placed after their substantives: a proper stripling and an amorous, Shr. I, 2, 144. a goodly portly man and a corpulent, H4A II, 4, 464. a goodly dwelling and a rich, H4B V, 3, 6. an honest gentleman, and a courteous, and a kind, Rom. II, 5, 56. a very valiant Briton and a good, Cymb IV, 2, 369.
As before hundred and thousand (q. v.) the art. is, though seldom, found before other numerals: never a one of you, Tim. V, 1, 96. not a one of them, Mcb. III, 4, 131. a 'leven, Merch. II, 2, 171 (Q1eleven) a fourteen, H4B III, 2, 53. Similarly before many, q. v.
Its use after as, how, so and such is in general conformable to the now prevailing rule (f. i. so fair a house, Tp. I, 2, 458. as good a thing, V, 169. how high a pitch, R2 I, 1, 109), and the passage in H6B IV, 9, 17: continue still in this so good a mind, cannot be called an exception; but there are a few instances of its omission: in so profound abysm, Sonn. 112, 9. as good deed, H4A II, 1, 33 (Ff as good a deed),with as big heart, Cor. III, 2, 128. It seems to have strayed from its place in the following expressions: so rare a wondered father, Tp. IV, 123 ( so rarely wondered a father, i. e. a father endowed with such a rare power of working miracles), so fair an offered chain, Err. III, 2, 186. so new a fashioned robe, John IV, 2, 27. cf. such a coloured periwig, Gent. IV, 4, 196; the phrases so rare a wonder, such a colour etc. being treated as simple words, from which adjectives in ed might be derived.
Similarly placed between comparatives and their substantives: with more tame a tongue, Meas. II, 2, 46; especially when preceded by no: no better a musician, Merch. V, 106. no worse a name, As I, 3, 126. with no greater a run, Shr. IV, 1, 16. upon no better a ground, Cor. II, 2, 13. no worse a place, Oth. I, 1, 11. no worse a husband, Ant., II, 2, 131.
According to custom, the poet says: once a day, a thousand pound a year (f. i Tp. I, 2, 490. Meas. I, 2, 50. II, 1, 127. IV, 2, 158. Err. IV, 1, 21), but also: once in a month, Tp. I, 2, 262. one day in a week, LLL I, 1, 39.
The art. omitted after ever and never (f. i. Tp. III, 2, 30. Wiv. III, 5, 94. Err. II, 2, 117. Merch. II, 1, 41), even before the object: who never yields us kind answer, Tp. I, 2, 309. never to speak to lady, Merch. II, 1, 41. I never gave you kingdom, Lr. III, 2, 17; cf. H4A II, 4, 287. H6A III, 2, 134. III, 4, 19. H6C I, 1, 217. Oth. IV, 1, 111 (Qq a woman). V, 2, 61. Cymb. IV, 4, 39 etc. Keeping, however, its place, when never is but emphatically used for not: never a woman in Windsor knows more of Anne's mind, Wiv. I, 4, 135. cf. Meas. IV, 2, 5. Ado II, 1, 336. Merch. II, 2, 166. As III, 3, 107. Shr. I, 1, 240. I, 2, 80. H4A I, 2, 109. II, 1, 19. 31. H4B II, 2, 62. R3 III, 4, 53. H8 Prol. 22. Hml. I, 5, 123. Even in: there's ne'er a one of you, Tim. V, 1, 96.
Its omission in the predicate of rare occurrence: if you be maid or no, Tp. I, 2, 427. which would be great impeachment to his age, Gent. I, 3, 15. I will return perfect courtier, Alls I, 1, 221. as I am true knight, Tw. II, 3, 54. he is knight, III, 4, 257. I am dog at a catch, II, 3, 64. I am courtier cap-a-pe, Wint. IV, 4, 761. turn true man, H4A II, 2, 24. I must be good angel to thee, III, 3, 199. as thou art prince, 166. Marcius is chief enemy to the people, Cor. I, 1, 7. I'll turn craver, Per. II, 1, 92. to be beadle, 97. cf. H6A V 4, 170. Lr. I, 2, 79.
Often omitted in comparative sentences, and whenever the respective noun expresses the whole class: stone at rain relenteth, Ven. 200. as falcon to the lure away she flies, 1027. wilt thou be glass wherein it shall discern authority for sin? Lucr. 619. loathsome canker lives in sweetest bud, Sonn. 35, 4. 22, 12. 55, 4. 85, 6. 7. Meas. II, 1, 269. Mids. I, 1, 184. III, 2, 101. V, 401. As II, 7, 52. 146. 148. IV, 3, 33. Alls IV, 3, 369. Tw. I, 3, 66. III, 1, 131. H6B I, 4, 78. III, 2, 63. H8I, 1, 158. III, 2, 132. Troil.I, 1, 59. II, 3, 204. III, 2, 200. Tit. II, 3, 302. IV, 2, 172. Caes. V, 2, 5. Hml. I, 3, 76. Lr. II, 4, 270. V, 3, 10. Ant. I, 1, 17. But also in a particular sense: with coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers, Mids. IV, 1, 57. by new act of parliament, H6C II, 2, 91. in posture that acts my words, Cymb. III, 3, 95. In an apposition: doff this habit, shame to your estate, Shr. III, 2, 102. Inserted, on the other hand, contrary to the common use: would he not, a naughty man, let it sleep? Troil. IV, 2, 34.
Used for one: he shall not have a Scot of them, H4A I, 3, 214. these foils have all a length, Hml. V, 2, 276. Oftenest in prepositional phrases: at a birth, Oth. II, 3, 212. at a blow, H6C V, 1, 50. at a burden, Err. V, 343. Wint. IV, 4, 267. at an instant, Wiv. IV, 4, 4. H4A V, 4, 151. at a shot, Hml. V, 2, 377. at a sitting, Merch. III, 1, 116. at a time, Tp. III, 3, 102. they are both in a tale, Ado IV, 2, 33. in a tune, As V, 3, 15. in a word, Gent. II, 4, 71. Merch. I, 1, 35. Troil. V, 10, 20. of an age, Rom. I, 3, 20. of a bigness, H4B II, 4, 265. an two men ride of a horse, Ado III, 5, 40. of a mind, Alls I, 3, 244. sip on a cup, Wiv. II, 2, 77. on a horse. As V, 3, 16. on a stalk, R3 IV, 3, 12. with a breath, H8 I, 4, 30. rosemary and Romeo begin with a letter, Rom. II, 4, 220.
Inserted before names serving for war-cries: a Talbot! a Talbot! H6A I, 1, 128. a Clifford! a Clifford! H6B IV, 8, 55. a Helen, and a woe! Troil. II, 2, 111. Before names peculiarly used as appellatives : as I am an honest Puck, Mids. V, 438. 'tis a noble Lepidus, Ant. III, 2, 6.
A, a corruption of different particles and formative syllables; 1) being a prefix to many words; cf. Abase, Abashed, Abed etc.
2) preceding gerunds (most M. Edd. making use of the hyphen): go a bat-fowling, Tp. II, 1, 185. sat a billing, Ven. 366. we'll a birding, Wiv. III, 3, 247. goes a birding, III, 5, 46. 131 he's a birding, IV, 2, 8. lie a bleeding, Rom. III, 1, 194. fell a bleeding, Merch. II, 5, 25. are a breeding LLL I, 1, 97. a brewing, Merch. II, 5, 17. falls a capering, Merch. I, 2, 66. a coming LLL V, 2, 589. fall a cursing, Hml. II, 2, 615. it was a doing, cor IV, 2, 5; cf.as long a doing, R3 III, 6, 7. fell a doting, Sonn 20, 10. go a ducking, Ant. III, 7, 65 a dying, R2 II, 1, 90 a feasting, Wiv. II, 3, 92. a going, H8 I, 3, 50. so long a growing, R3 II, 4, 19. was a hanging thee, Lr. V, 3, 274. fell a hooting, LLL IV, 2, 61. I would have him nine years a killing, Oth IV, 1, 188. a making, Mcb. III, 4, 34. Hml. I, 3, 119. a chime a mending, Troil. I, 3, 159. still a repairing, LLL III, 193. a ripening, H8 III, 2, 357. a rolling, V, 3, 104. set a shaking, Lucr. 452. fell a shouting, Caes. I, 2, 223. seems a sleeping, Tim. I, 2, 68. at gaming, a swearing, Hml. III, 3, 91 (Ff om.). she has been too long a talking of, Ado III, 2, 107. fell a turning, Pilgr. 100. 214. set me a weeping, H4B II, 4, 301. comes a wooing, Shr. III, 1, 35 Oth. III, 3, 71.
3) before substantives; frequently changed to o', of and on, by M. Edd. Qq and Ff have almost always five a clock etc. (f. i. Ado III, 4, 52. H4A I, 2, 139. II, 1, 36.), M. Edd. throughout o' clock (cf. Clock). The same liberty they have taken with most of the following passages, in which a is supported by all or at least by the most authentic old texts: a) a for of: a mornings, Ado III, 2, 42. a days, H4B II, 4, 251. Tim. IV, 3, 294. a nights, Tw. I, 3, 5. Tim. IV, 3, 292. Caes. I, 2, 193. II, 2, 116. light a love, Ado III, 4, 47. cloth a gold, III, 4, 19. issue a my body, Alls I, 3, 27. out a friends, 42. a purifying a the song, 87. take leave a the king, II, 4, 49. our Isbels a the country and our Isbels a the court, III, 2, 14. 15. out a the band, IV, 3, 227. no more a that, IV, 2, 13. a crow a the same nest, IV, 3, 319. a commoner a the camp, V, 3, 194. all the spots a the world, V, 3, 206. what dish a poison, Tw. II, 5, 123. inns a court, H4B III, 2, 14 (Ff of). John a Gaunt, R2 I, 3, 76. H4B III, 2, 49. 344 (Ff of), the sweet a the night, V, 3, 53 (Ff of), be a good cheer, H5 II, 3, 19. body a me, H8 V, 2, 22. were a my mind, Troil II, 3, 225 (Q of). loads a gravel, V, 1, 22. the sink a the body,Cor. I, 1, 126; cf. I, 6, 47. II, 3, 79. V, 6, 83. 91. 97, 150. yond coin a the Capitol, V, 4, 1. time out a mind, Rom. I, 4, 69 ; cf. out a door and out a doors, Err. II, 1, 11. H4B II, 4, 229. Cor. I, 3, 120. Hml. II, 1, 99. the maid is fair, a the youngest for a bride, Tim. I, 1, 126. what time a day is it? 265. the heels a the ass, 282 etc.
b) for on: a Monday, Hml. II, 2, 406. a Wednesday, H4A V, 1, 138. Cor. I, 3, 64. a Thursday, H4A II, 4, 74 (Ff on). H4B II, 4, 298 (Ff on). Rom. III, 4, 20. III, 5, 162. a Friday, Troil. I, 1, 78 (Ff on),a Sunday, Shr. II, 318. a Sundays, Hml IV, 5, 182. I love a ballad in print a life, Wint. IV, 4, 264. a horseback, H4A II, 3, 104. II, 4, 378. 387. a my word, Shr. I, 2, 108. H4B II, 4, 190 (Ff on). Cor. I, 3, 62. Rom. I, 1, 1 (Qq on),stand a tiptoe, H5 IV, 3, 42. heaved a high,R3 IV, 4, 86, cf. look up a height, Lr. IV, 6, 58. a my troth, Cor. I, 3, 63. a plague a both your houses, Rom. III, 1, 93. 111. a pox a drowning, Oth. I, 3, 366. a conscience, Per. IV, 2, 23.
c) for in: a God's name, Shr. I, 2, 195. IV, 5, 1.1 R2 II, 1, 251 (Ff o') III, 3, 146 (Ff ?'). H6A I, 2, 102. H6B II, 3, 54. IV, 7, 115. H8 II, 1, 78. a this fashion, Alls II, 3, 265. Hml. V, 1, 218 (Ff o'). torn a pieces, H8 V, 4, 80. I'll see the church a your back, Shr. V, 1, 5. kept a coil, Alls II, 1, 27.
Even this a before vowels sometimes changed to an: set an edge, Wint. IV, 3, 7. H4A III, 1, 133. stand an end, Hml. I, 5, 19. III, 4, 122 (in H6B III, 2, 318 and R3 I, 3, 304 Ff an end, Qq on end), an hungry, Cor. I, 1, 209 (a solecism formed in derision by Coriolanus). an't on't, i. e. of it, Hml. V, 1, 26 (the gravedigger's speech).
A, corrupted from have (cf. God-a-mercy): she might a been a grandam, LLL V, 2, 17. so would I a done, Hml. IV, 5, 64 (Ff ha).
A, a mutilation of the pronoun he, not only in the language of common people (f. i. Ado III, 3, 28. 82. 133 140. 182. LLL IV, 1, 136. 148. Merch. II, 2, 56. Alls IV, 5, 41. H6B I, 3, 7. IV, 2, 58. 125) but of well-bred persons: a must keep peace, Ado II, 3, 201. a brushes his hat, III, 2, 41 a rubs himself with civet, 50. is a not approved a villain, IV, 1, 303. a shall wear nothing handsome, V, 4, 104. whoe'er a was, a showed a mounting mind, LLL IV, 1, 4. a killed your sister, V, 2, 13. if a have no more man's blood, 697. a will make the man mad, Shr. IV, 5, 35. a means to cozen somebody, V, 1, 39. a will betray us, Alls IV, I, 102. nothing of me, has a? IV, 3, 129 a was a botcher's prentice, 211. a pops me out, John I, 68. an a may catch your hide, II, 136. a were as good crack a fusty nut, Troil. II, 1, 111. a would have ten shares, II, 3, 230. brings a victory in his pocket? Cor. II, 1, 135. a shall not tread on me, V, 3, 127. as a lies asleep, Rom. I, 4, 80. a bears the third part, Ant. II, 7, 96 etc. Few M. Edd. retain the ancient spelling, most change it to he. In many cases even O. Edd. differ, Qq having a, Ff he: Ado I, 1, 90. II, 1, 17. II, 3, 178. LLL V, 2, 323. 528. 721. H6B II, 2, 75. Rom. V, 1, 38. Hml. II, 1, 58. IV, 5, 185. 190. V, 1, 74 etc. In Alls I, 3, 90 (one in ten, quoth a!) a seems, at first sight, to be used for she; but in fact there is no certain reference to any particular person; cf. ah! sirrah, quoth a, we shall do nothing but eat, H4B V, 3, 17. ho! says a, there's my cap, Ant. II, 7, 141.
A, a remnant of Anglosaxon suffixes, serving as an expletive void of sense to fill up the metre: and merrily hent the stile-a, Wint. IV, 3, 133. your sad tires in a mile-a, 135. my dainty duck, my dear-a, IV, 4, 324. of the newest and finest wear-a, 327. that doth utter all men's ware-a, 330. and a merry heart lives long-a, H4B V,3, 50. down, down, adown-a, Wiv. I, 4, 44. you must sing adown, adown, an you call him adown-a,Hml. IV, 5, 170. to contract, O the time, for-a my behove, O, methought, there-a was nothing-a meet, Hml. V, 1, 71 (reading of Qq; Ff O me thought there was nothing meet),leave thy drink and thy whore, and keep in a door, Lr. I, 4, 138 (M. Edd. in-a-door). It is needless to speak of the gibberish of Dr. Caius, who likes to prolong the words by appending an a, f. i. Wiv. I, 4, 47. 85 etc.
Aaron, name of the Moor in Tit. II, 1, 12 etc.
Abandon, 1) to leave: a. the society of this female, As V, 1, 52. 55. at your —ed cave, V, 4, 202. I have –ed Troy, Troil. III, 3, 5. —edher holy groves, Tit. II, 3, 58. if thou wouldst not reside but where one villain is, then him a. Tim. V, 1, 114.
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Excerpted from Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary by Alexander Schmidt. Copyright © 1971 Dover Publications, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
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