17th century language

Question

Hello. I am writing a book and am having a difficult time finding words used during that time period. Any help would be much appreciated.

Simple words like:

Only
More
Aware
Convinced
Innocent

Thanks in advance!

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

The following Shakespeare plays were written in the early 1600s. ("Aware" does not appear in any of Shakespeare's plays. "Convinced" appears only once in his plays.)

"More" appears in many plays and in Measure for Measure act I sc. 1:

Angelo: Now, good my lord, let there be some more test of my metal...

"Only" appears in several plays and in Measure for Measure act I sc. 3:

Vincentio: More reasons for this action at more leisure shall I render you; only, this one: Lord Angelo is precise; stands at a guard with envy...

"Convinced" appears only in Othello act IV sc.1:

Iago: What, if I had said I had seen him do you wrong? Or heard him say, - as knaves be such abroad, who having, by their own importunate suit, or voluntary dotage of some mistress, convinced or supplied them, cannot choose but they must blab - ...

"Innocent" appears in several plays and In All's Well That Ends Well act IV sc. 3:

Paroles: I know him: a' was a botcher's 'prentice in Paris, from whence he was whipped for getting the shrieve's fool with child, - a dumb innocent, that could not say him nay.

It's easy to find words in Shakespeare's plays as there are search engines for this. I don't know how you would find "aware" in 17th cent. writing. You'd have to do a word-by-word search of other 17th cent. texts, of which there are many online.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Anonymouswords used during that time period.

English transformed from Early Modern to Modern English, so underwent many changes over the 17th century. The first English dictionary was published later, in 1755.

If you have access to the full Oxford English Dictionary, it will have a complete etymology of vocabulary words with many examples. There are shorter on-line etymology resources that may be helpful.

Perhaps your best resource will be books written during the period. There are sites where you can search for individual words in books of this period.

The King James Bible was written in an earlier English, but it will tell you what words have undergone change.
Searchable versions are online.

All of your words were used in English in the 17th century and they are pretty much the same as in today's English.

Anonymous · Answer

Yes, the King James Bible was written in the early 1600s - there are many text search engines for it online. For example:

Matthew 50:24:

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of.

17th century language

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