Shakespeare and words
Shakespeare and words include words invented by him, words popularized by him, and words created by adding a "un" prefix.[1]
Overall, Shakespeare wrote a total of 835,997 words for his plays, at an average of roughly 26,000 per play. The Folger Library lists a total of 884,647 words by Shakespeare for all its works, including his poems and sonnets.
Invented words
Bandit (Henry VI, Part 2)
Critic (Love’s Labour Lost)
Dauntless (Henry VI, Part 3)
Dwindle (Henry IV, Part 1)
Elbow (verb) (King Lear)
Green-Eyed (as in jealousy) (The Merchant of Venice)
Lackluster (As You Like It)
Lonely (Coriolanus)
Skim-milk (Henry IV, Part 1)
Swagger (Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Words popularized
- puke
Words hyphenated
Shakespeare generated more than 300 new words by adding the prefix "un", including:[1]
Unaware (Venus & Adonis)
Uncomfortable (Romeo & Juliet)
Undress (Taming of the Shrew)
Unreal (Macbeth)