| LANGUAGE BASICS |
Greetings: "Good Morrow," "How art Thou"
See you later: "Anon" |
Yes: "Aye"
No: "Nay" |
Please: "Prithee"
Thank you: "Gramercy" |
Excuse me: "I crave your pardon"
Why: "Wherefore" |
Okay: "Very well"
Perhaps: "Mayhap" |
Beautiful: "Beauteous"
Wonderful: "Wondrous" |
| Swearing: "God's Blood" |
|
| FORMS OF ADDRESS |
Noble Men: "My Lord"
Noble Women: "My Lady" |
Men: "Sir"
Women:"Madame" |
Peasant Man: "Good man"
Peasant Woman: "Good wife" |
Serving Woman: "Wench" |
| PRONOUNS |
Thou & Thee - Use for people your equal and
intimate. Your spouse or good friend, and anyone below you in station,
such as a servant or child. You can also use them to deliver an insult;
or use them in prayer, because the Almighty is presumed to be your
intimate. Thou is the object of the sentence. "Thou art beauteous."
Use thee as the subject of the sentence. "I give thee good morrow."
You is the formal pronoun, used to address strangers and anyone
above you in rank. It is also used as a sign of respect to one's
parents or elders.
Thy & Thine - are the informal equivalents of your. |
| VERBS |
Is: "be" I am - I be
Are: "art" You are - Thou art
Have: "hast" You have - Thou hast |
Add -eth to end of verbs with you
You go - you goeth
You return - you returneth |
Add -est to end of verbs with He/She/It
He/She/It goes - He/She/It goest
He/She/It returns - He/She/It returneth |
|
| RULES OF THUMB |
• Speak slowly. Elizabethan's spoke slower
than we do and it will give you time to think.
• Pronounce your "r's" strongly
• Drop the "g's" at the end of words
• Add "me" after first person verbs. "I will
sit me down."
• Add "do" before the verb. I do go to prayer."
• Add "ed" to the ends of words (love-ed)
• Have fun!
Add "right," "well," and "most"
to your sentences.
Elizabethans loved words, never use 1 when you can use
2 or 3 instead i.e.
"Thou art most a beauteous fair."
"She doth wash right industrious." |
| |
Speaking
the language of the faire is not that difficult. With some basics, and
memorization of common vocabulary you too can be happily taking part
in all the fun. 
