Master of wordplay

From Facebook terms to emotions: 10 words invented by Shakespeare

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It’s not always possible to attribute the origin of a precise word to a particular person. However, it is believed that William Shakespeare contributed more than 1,700 terms and expressions to the English language, many of which we still use today. The way Shakespeare invented, reused, and modified words is a living testament to his creativity and innovation. In this article, we have handpicked 10 words and phrases that you probably didn’t know were coined by the genius English poet and playwright. And the next time you use them, remember that you are following in the footsteps of a true linguistic legend!

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Loneliness is a sentiment we can all relate to. Who hasn't felt lonely at some point? Feeling sad about being apart from others is universal. But the interesting thing is that this word, which we use frequently in the English language, was first introduced in a play by William Shakespeare.

Written between 1605 and 1608, Coriolanus is a tragedy set in the earliest days of the Roman Republic. In the first scene of Act 4, General Coriolanus, speaks to his mother Volumnia, who tries to convince him not to attack Rome, and says: "Believe 't not lightly-though I go alone, / Like to a lonely dragon that his fen."

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Thanks to William Shakespeare, we have a polite and decent idiom to express we are happy and relieved to see someone leave without resorting to insults and rudeness. What a treat! Although riddance is practically an obsolete term in modern English, the expression "good riddance" has stood the test of time.

Shakespeare first used it in The Merchant of Venice when Portia says to the Prince of Morocco: "A gentle riddance! Draw the curtains, go, / Let all of his complexion choose me so." In this case, the phrase didn’t have the ironic connotation that it would acquire later and that we still use today. That aspect would come with Patroclus' comment in Troilus and Cressida replying to Thersites' insolence when he finally leaves: "A good riddance."

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The word gossip has a long and intricate history. It is believed to derive from the combination of the Old English word sibb, meaning "relative", and the word god. The term godsibb was used to refer to a person spiritually related to another, that is, a godparent. A few centuries later the word evolved into its current form, gossip, and its meaning was extended to anyone who liked to talk about other people's private lives.

However, the verb form we use today, to gossip, is entirely due to Romeo and Juliet's creator. It was Shakespeare who first used the term as a verb in three of his comedies: The Comedy of Errors, All's Well That Ends Well, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Well, no wonder—a good writer is, at heart, a great gossip.

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You may be familiar with this line from Aldous Huxley's famous book published in 1932. But the truth is that Huxley borrowed the title for his dystopian novel from Shakespeare. The English playwright used the phrase ironically for the first time in his play The Tempest. The naïve Miranda, confined since childhood to an island with no contact with men other than her father, says upon seeing some sailors: "O wonder! / How many goodly creatures are there here! / How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, / That has such people in 't."

Today, we use the phrase in the same cynical and ironic way Shakespeare conceived it more than 400 years ago. When something is about to change in history or society but we are not quite confident about the outcome, "brave new world" comes to mind, and it is impossible to resist using it. At least now we know its origin!

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Romeo and Juliet is a symbol of romantic love and is a story that has been adapted thousands of times in literature, film, television, and music. The words used by Shakespeare to describe the landscapes of Verona and the characters’ physical attributes are unforgettable and have remained in the memory of readers for centuries. Even when we are not aware that many of those words were invented or put on paper for the first time under the pen of the genius playwright!

"Thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking / nuts, having no other reason but because thou / hast hazel eyes. What eye but such an eye would spy / out such a quarrel?" says Mercutio. This is the earliest record of the word hazel in reference to a color, in this case, to describe Romeo’s eyes. Fun fact: in the Elizabethan period, it was considered a reddish-brown color, rather than the greenish-brown we think of today.

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Do you consider yourself a nocturnal person? Someone who prefers to be active at night rather than during the day? If so, you are probably a night owl! But did you know that Shakespeare was the first to use the expression figuratively to describe people keen on nightlife?

In classical literature, the owl was an animal with negative connotations and was typically associated with bad omens. In Shakespeare's plays, they appear frequently, usually to announce that something bad is about to happen. However, in the narrative poem "The Rape of Lucrece," the night owl refers directly to a person: "The dove sleeps fast that this night-owl will catch: / Thus treason works ere traitors be espied." We’ve all felt a bit like a night owl at one time or another, but fortunately, nowadays the expression doesn't carry that negative connotation.

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Shakespeare's fascination with Italy is well known. Renaissance literature was profoundly influenced by the ideas, styles, and themes that emerged in Italy during this period. In the case of Shakespeare, the Italian influence is evident in the settings, themes, characters, and language of his plays.

In the same way that the author recovered terms and expressions from Old English, he also adapted words from other languages that were later incorporated into the popular lexicon. This is the case of the word bandit, which derives from the Italian bandito and literally means "one who is banished," referring to an outlaw who lives by stealing and other misdeeds. The first written record of bandit can be found in the play Timon of Athens.

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Jealousy is a common human emotion that can eat away at a person. Literature has dealt with this topic in many ways, and Shakespeare is one of the authors who has done it most brilliantly. In fact, he coined a term to describe people who suffer from such deep jealousy that they can cause harm to others and themselves: the "Green-Eyed Monster."

In The Merchant of Venice, The Bard had already linked the color green with envy when Portia says: "And shudd'ring fear, and green-eyed jealousy!". Then, in Othello, the arch-villain Iago warns the protagonist, who is blind with jealousy over his wife Desdemona's alleged affair with Cassio: "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! / It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on."

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William Shakespeare not only invented words, turned nouns into verbs, and added prefixes, but he's also credited with having coined a few female names that are still very popular today. Miranda, Olivia, Cordelia, and Imogen are just some of them.

This is also the case with Jessica, who first appears in The Merchant of Venice as the rebellious daughter of Shylock. As was his habit, it is believed that the author anglicized a biblical name from the Old Testament —possibly 𝘠𝘪𝘴𝘬á𝘩. Some years later, in the late 18th century, people in Britain began naming their daughters Jessica after the Shakespearean character. Fast forward to this day, the name has crossed the pond, and chances are you have a friend or cousin named Jessica.

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Shakespeare loved to play with language: he invented words, redefined others, and gave new life to thousands of forgotten terms and expressions. As far as we know he especially liked to add the prefix un-. He created or gave new meanings to more than 300 words that begin with it, such as unaware, unreal, uncomfortable, and undress. One of the most curious words in this group is unfriend.

Although the word already existed, it had not been used as a verb before the 17th century. The English author includes it in several of his works to refer to someone who has been left alone, without friends. For example, it appears in the romantic comedy Twelfth Night and King Lear: "Will you, with those infirmities she owes, / Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate." In the 21st century, the term had a revival with the advent of Facebook. Shakespeare could never have imagined the rise of social media, but he would surely be happy that his contributions to language are still relevant today.

AMERICAN LEGENDS

Founders and Visionaries: 10 Larger-Than-Life Personalities From American History

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America’s past is full of titanic figures that left a lasting mark on our shared history. But some of these larger-than-life personalities were more than just important names in a history book; they were architects of change and catalysts for progress, true embodiments of the American spirit.

Join us as we unravel the lives and accomplishments of 10 extraordinary individuals who helped shape the course of the nation.

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Thomas Jefferson's contributions to American governance are unparalleled. He was greatly inspired by the writings of John Locke about the social contract, and by many French philosophers of his time that embraced republican virtues. As the main author behind the Declaration of Independence, he clearly articulated the nation's founding principles of liberty and equality.

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Eleanor Roosevelt singlehandedly redefined the role of the First Lady, using her platform to champion civil rights, women's rights, and human rights on a global scale. After the death of her husband, she served as the first U.S. delegate to the United Nations General Assembly and oversaw the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Her tireless advocacy earned her worldwide respect and left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire leaders and activists everywhere.

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Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolent approach to civil rights activism galvanized a movement that challenged institutionalized racism and segregation. His "I Have a Dream" speech shook Americans and opened a path for equality and integration in a highly segregated society. Surviving many attacks against his person, he remained adamant about his ideals, which eventually materialized with the signing into law of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Born into a socially progressive Quaker family, Susan B. Anthony dedicated her life to securing women's right to vote, tirelessly campaigning for suffrage and gender equality. Despite being initially ridiculed and slandered for her activism, her efforts paved the way for the eventual passage of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. And, in 1979, she became the first female citizen to appear on U.S. coinage.

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Theodore Roosevelt's larger-than-life persona embodied the spirit of the Progressive Era. Despite being born sickly and suffering regular bouts of asthma during his childhood, he went on to have an adventurous youth and loved to practice many strenuous outdoor sports, like hiking and rowing, to keep himself healthy. As president, he fought against monopolies, expanded national parks, and asserted America's role as a global power through his strong policies.

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Harriet Tubman's daring escape from slavery and subsequent work as a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad made her a symbol of resistance against oppression. During her time as conductor, she managed to rescue around 70 enslaved people, including her family and friends. Later, during the American Civil War, she served as an armed scout and spy for the Union Army and supported the incipient women's suffrage movement.

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John F. Kennedy's presidency symbolized a new era of optimism and ambition in America. But even before turning into politics, he was an extraordinary leader. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and received a Purple Heart for his courage and the daring rescue of fellow sailors after their patrol ship was sunk by a Japanese destroyer. His commitment to civil rights, space exploration, and global diplomacy left an enduring legacy despite his tragically shortened tenure.

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Benjamin Franklin's multifaceted contributions to American society encompassed science, diplomacy, and literature. Born into a working family, he acquired an education with great effort on the part of his family and through voracious reading. From his experiments with electricity to his pivotal role in securing French support during the Revolutionary War, Franklin's wisdom shaped the nation's trajectory.

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Rosa Parks's refusal to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and ignited the civil rights movement. Her act of defiance against segregation inspired millions and catalyzed significant legislative reforms, but she didn’t stop there. She also collaborated with Civil Rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, and campaigned for nationwide integration and true equality of opportunities.

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Walt Disney was a pioneer and creative genius who revolutionized entertainment, exporting the essence of American imagination to every corner of the globe. Interested in arts at a young age, his visionary wit brought to life many beloved characters, as well as dozens of animated classics and theme parks. To this day, his vision and spirit continue to enchant audiences all over the world.