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Shakespeare's 'creative spellings' gave us these 10 words we still can't live without
Shakespeare's 'creative spellings' gave us these 10 words we still can't live without

Time of India

time5 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Time of India

Shakespeare's 'creative spellings' gave us these 10 words we still can't live without

William Shakespeare, born in 16th-century Stratford-upon-Avon, England, didn't simply use language as a tool to tell tales, he wielded it like a master craftsman, shaping it to fit his vision. In fact, his name appears in various spellings across historical records, each reflecting the fluidity of language during that time. The English language in the 16th century wasn't standardised like it is today. People often wrote as they spoke, and spelling was a matter of personal choice. For an ordinary student struggling to get their English spelling right, it was a remarkable time to be alive. Or, if you were a wordsmith like Shakespeare, it offered endless possibilities to bend and meld words into unique contexts and usages. Shakespeare was no ordinary writer, his plays have shaped English literature, and so have his words. Even centuries after his death, they remain indispensable to the English language. Imagine what it would be like today if students were free to play with language in the way Shakespeare did. In modern classrooms, a paper full of such "creative spelling" would likely be defaced with red ink. Yet, what might be deemed 'creative spellings' or even 'mistakes' in a modern classroom, are precisely what have left a lasting legacy, one that both students and linguists continue to rever. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Green Card Lottery Registration Now Open americ24 Undo 1. Eyeball (Henry VI, Part 1) Believe it or not, the word "eyeball" was Shakespeare's invention. Before his time, people simply used "eye," but he introduced "eyeball" to specifically describe the spherical structure of the eye. Was this intentional word-smithing or merely a quirky choice in the heat of dramatic expression? Perhaps both, but the result was a word we simply cannot imagine living without today. 2. Bedroom (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Imagine a world without the word "bedroom." Shakespeare combined the straightforward words "bed" and "room" in A Midsummer Night's Dream to give us the term we now use to describe our most personal space. Whether this was a grammatical "mistake" or an act of linguistic invention, this creative leap has certainly stood the test of time. 3. Swagger (Henry V, A Midsummer Night's Dream) Shakespeare didn't just write about kings and battles, he gave us an attitude. In Henry V, he coined "swagger", a word originally describing an arrogant strut. Today, it's evolved into a term for effortless confidence. Was it a playful jab at bravado or a stroke of linguistic genius? Either way, Shakespeare's "swagger" has strutted its way into modern slang. 4. Dwindle (Henry IV, Part 1, Macbeth) Why use a plain word when Shakespeare could shrink it into something new? In Macbeth, he conjured "dwindle", a poetic verb for slowly fading away. Did he mishear an older term, or was this a sly contraction? Whatever the case, this haunting word has dwindled its way into everyday speech. 5. Jaded (Henry VI, Part 2) "Jaded", that feeling of being thoroughly worn out or exhausted, first appeared in Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2 . In this instance, Shakespeare didn't "misspell" anything; he introduced a fresh way of describing fatigue. By blending words and meaning, Shakespeare created a term that perfectly captured the weary, worn-out feeling we still experience today. 6. Green-Eyed (The Merchant of Venice, Othello) Shakespeare loved vivid imagery, and few phrases stick like "green-eyed monster" (jealousy) from Othello. While "green-eyed" itself wasn't entirely new, his dramatic personification turned it into a timeless expression. A playful twist on color and emotion? Absolutely. A "mistake"? Hardly, just another example of Shakespeare painting with words. 7. Bedazzled (The Taming of the Shrew) Shakespeare possessed an incredible ability to conjure vivid, eye-catching imagery with his words. In The Taming of the Shrew , he coined "bedazzled', a word meaning to impress someone with overwhelming beauty or brilliance. What may have seemed like a playful misstep in his writing led to a dazzling, enduring term. 8. Sanctimonious (The Tempest) Who doesn't know a sanctimonious person, someone who presents themselves as morally superior, often in a rather hypocritical way? Shakespeare gave us this word in The Tempest . Was it a "spelling mistake," or was it an inspired bit of wordplay that added layers of irony to his characterisations? In any case, the term became essential for describing pretentious piety, and it's now commonplace in our vocabulary. 9. Grovel (Henry VI, Part II) To "grovel" means to lower oneself in humility or submission. Shakespeare employed this term in Henry VI, Part II , and it quickly caught on as a way to describe extreme humility. Whether it was a slip of the pen or deliberate wordplay, "grovel" remains in the language as a perfect descriptor of humbling oneself to an exaggerated degree. 10. Gloomy (Titus Andronicus) When Shakespeare used 'gloomy' in Titus Andronicus, he coined a term that would encapsulate dark moods and weather for centuries to come. His play was filled with tragedy and dark themes, and 'gloomy' perfectly captured that atmosphere. This evocative coinage gave us an indispensable way to describe emotional despair and dreariness. A legacy, an idol, a sea of language awaiting words to come alive If Shakespeare's legacy outshines that of many of his contemporaries, it is well deserved. The way he seized the opportunity to blend artistry with language gave him the freedom to invent words that the existing vocabulary simply couldn't hold. Shakespeare didn't just command language as if it were his own; he reshaped it forever, leaving behind a linguistic legacy for generations to come. So, next time you're at a loss for words, why not channel the lost spirit of Shakespeare? Embrace your creativity, let language be what it was always meant to be: a tool for creation, communication, persuasion, and making an impact that, like Shakespeare's, endures. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!

Monthly Kannada lecture to explore creative challenges in translating Shakespeare
Monthly Kannada lecture to explore creative challenges in translating Shakespeare

The Hindu

time6 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • The Hindu

Monthly Kannada lecture to explore creative challenges in translating Shakespeare

The Department of Kannada and Culture, in collaboration with Kuvempu Bhasha Bharathi Pradhikara, will host its monthly lecture on Friday, spotlighting the intricate art of literary translation. Writer and critic Nataraj Huliyar will deliver a talk titled 'Shakespeare Bhashantara Srujanasheela Savalugalu' , focusing on the creative challenges involved in translating the works of William Shakespeare into Kannada. The event will take place on the Kuvempu Bhasha Pradhikara premises, Kalagrama, at Mallathahalli at 5 p.m. It is open to the public.

Cape Town's theatre scene: navigating love's twists and turns this week
Cape Town's theatre scene: navigating love's twists and turns this week

IOL News

time15-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • IOL News

Cape Town's theatre scene: navigating love's twists and turns this week

Taare dances will be bringing a contemporary dance performance in the Bollywood adaptation of 'Rome and Juliet'. Image: Instagram 'Kismet' This adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" reimagines the moving exploration of the tragedy of division, the triumph of love, and the unyielding force of destiny. This play brings you a night of storytelling through Bollywood-inspired choreography and tracks as theatregoers dive into the love story of Rohan and Juhi. Through expressive storytelling, Taare dancers and guests from other dance genres revitalise an epic tale. Where: The Artscape Theatre When: Runs from Thursday, July 17, until Sunday, July 20. Show times differ, depending on the day. 'Unruly' This educational play explores the complexities and co-existence of human-animal relationships. Directed by Neil Coppen, this captivating performance delves into the lives of urban baboons and humans in the fictional town of Skemer Baai. However, tensions quickly rise after a baboon matriarch disappears. Where: The Baxter Studio. When: Runs from Thursday, July 17, until August 2. All shows start at 8pm. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading 'Adaptation of Gogols Diary of a Madman' This play brings you a captivating story about Thabo Kani, a secretary in South Africa's parliament, who aspires to be the next leader of South Africa. The South African government's destruction and the system's brokenness intensify Thabo's frustration. As he becomes the state's primary enemy, his sanity deteriorates. Where: The Masambe Theatre at the Baxter Theatre Centre When: Runs until Saturday, July 19. All shows start at 7.30pm.

Google adds featured notebooks on selected topics to NotebookLM
Google adds featured notebooks on selected topics to NotebookLM

Engadget

time14-07-2025

  • Engadget

Google adds featured notebooks on selected topics to NotebookLM

Google is adding what it calls "featured notebooks" to NotebookLM as a way to demo its AI-powered software and offer interactive, high-quality resources on everything from personal advice to William Shakespeare. The company tried something similar after its developer conference in May, when it created a NotebookLM notebook trained on everything that was announced at Google I/O 2025. The new featured notebooks have their own dedicated tab on the NotebookLM homepage and were created in partnership with "respected authors, researchers, publications and nonprofits around the world," Google says. Like all NotebookLM projects, you can interact with the raw sources that make up the notebook's knowledge base, ask questions about topics in a chat interface or view an AI-generated summary, audio overview or flow chart for more ways to interact with the content. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. The first round of featured notebooks included a notebook on longevity advice trained on the book Super Agers , a notebook on 2025 predictions trained on The Economist' s annual "The World Ahead" report and an advice notebook trained on The Atlantic 's "How to Build a Life" column, among several other options. Your mileage may vary on how useful each featured notebook is — I found the Shakespeare notebook to be the most fun to play with — but each is a good representation of the quality and volume of material that needs to be uploaded to NotebookLM for it to work well. Google introduced NotebookLM in 2023 as an experiment in building an AI tool that relies on sources you upload, rather than whatever the company managed to scrape off the internet. The idea is that chats about topics in NotebookLM would be less prone to hallucinations than what an AI Overview in Google Search spits out. Or at the very least, it would be easier to check the AI's answers because the source material is a click away. NotebookLM became really popular when Google introduced Audio Overviews in September 2024, AI-generated podcasts about the material uploaded to a NotebookLM notebook. Since then, the company has expanded the tool at a rapid clip, introducing mobile apps and the ability to share public notebooks. Clearly, Google is committed to NotebookLM and featured notebooks are a further attempt to model how the AI-powered tool can actually be useful. Google says featured notebooks are available to people using the desktop version of NotebookLM today and more featured notebooks will be added in the future.

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