Shakespeare is a colossal figure when it comes to his contributions to literature. As is expected from any writer of such magnitude, Shakespeare’s contribution to language is huge. Many words that we use today have been in some way or other were modified or used with a distinct meaning by Shakespeare. He has invented over 1700 words that we commonly use. Shakespeare achieved this by changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting word never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes and devising words wholly original. Several phrases that are still very much a part of our language and conversation such as ‘full circle’, ‘a sorry sight’, ‘strange bedfellow’ and ‘seen better days’ are coined by Shakespeare.
Shakespeare turned the word ‘gloomy’, which was formerly used as a verb, into an adjective. The word is found in his play Titus Andronicus. In Merchant of Venice, he used the word ‘laughable’ for the first time. It was Shakespeare, who used the word ‘majestic’ for the first time in his play They Tempest. During the 15th century, the word ‘alone’ was shortened to ‘lone’ in common parlance. Shakespeare created the word ‘lonely’ from this word and used it in his Coriolanus. Shakespeare introduced the word ‘radiance’, in King Lear. The word was not in use formerly in English language as he modified the Latin word ‘radiantem’, meaning ‘beaming’. There are many others such as ‘hurry’ in Henry VI Part I, and ‘generous’ in Hamlet. ‘Critical’ was first used in Othello. Shakespeare created the word ‘courtship’ and used it in The Merchant of Venice. In his comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare used the word ‘undress’ for the first time.
Considering the fact that English as a language was only evolving into its modern form, much scope existed for the kind of innovations Shakespeare made. Words were not sufficiently available for the bard in his creative ventures. Therefore, he had to invent!
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