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Word families

Shakespeare often refers to the heart. But he also uses this word to help create other words, such as unheart, heart-sore, and heartless. How many such derived words are there, and how are they used? Type HEART into the search-box and you will see.

We use the term word-family to identify the set of words that contain the same basic element. They will be part of a compound word (as in heart-sore), accompanied by a prefix (as in unheart) or a suffix (as in heartless), or used in different ways (e.g. as a noun and a verb). In this section we list all the words in the canon (in the modern English version) that have family resemblances so you can see which words Shakespeare exploited in this way, and which he did not. Words that are not included (such as the and Horatio) are described on the further information page here.

When there are several family members, we group them into themes, showing the directions in which Shakespeare used a word. Where these occur, they are listed under the main heading. The names of the themes, taken along with their family members, we hope are self-explanatory, but more illustration can be found on the further information page here.

ID;E	idle adj idleness n idly adv
MIND	idle-headed adj
PLANT	love in idleness n

ILL	ill adj ill adv
ACTION	ill-dealing adj ill-dispersing adj ill-doing n ill-used adj
APPEARANCE	ill-beseeming adj ill-faced adj ill-favoured adj ill-favouredly adv ill-seeming adj ill-shaped adj
CHARACTER	ill-nurtured adj ill-sorted adj ill-spirited adj ill-tempered adj
HEALTH	ill-disposed adj illness n
MIND	ill-boding adj ill-breeding adj ill-divining adj ill-ta'en adj ill-thought-on adj ill-wresting adj
NOISE	ill-resounding adj ill-tuned adj
SPEECH	ill-uttering adj
STATE	ill-annexed adj ill-composed adj ill-disposed adj ill-erected adj ill-headed adj ill-inhabited adj ill-left adj ill-roasted adj ill-rooted adj ill-sheathed adj ill-weaved adj ill-well adj

IMAGE	image n imagery n
MIND	imaginary adj imagination n imagine v imagined adj imagining n

IMPORTANT	import n import v importance n importancy n important adj importantly adv importing adj
NOT	importless adj

INCENSE	incense v incense v incensed adj incensement n incensing adj
STATE	wrong-incensed adj

INCH	inch n
ACTION	inch-meal n
SIZE	four-inched adj three-inch adj
STATE	inch-thick adj

INFANT	infancy n infant adj infant n infant-like adj
ACTION	infant-breath n

INQUIRE	inquire n inquire v inquiry n inquisition n inquisitive adj
DEATH	after-inquiry n

INSPIRE	inspiration n inspire v inspired adj
TIME	new-inspired adj

INSULT	insult n insult v insulting adj insultment n
PEOPLE	insulter n

INTELLIGENT	intellect n intellectual adj intelligence n intelligencing adj intelligent adj
PEOPLE	intelligencer n
NOT	unintelligent adj

INTERCEPT	intercept v intercepted adj interception n
PEOPLE	intercepter n

INTERPRET	interpret v interpretation n
PEOPLE	interpreter n
NOT	misinterpret v

INTERRUPT	interrupt v interrupted adj interruption n
PEOPLE	interrupter n

IRON	iron adj iron n
MIND	iron-witted adj
OBJECT	andirons n plough-iron n toasting-iron n
PART OF BODY	iron-hearted adj

Word families

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