Features of Archaic English

Feb 2014 - Alex Alejandre

Much of this applies to poetry, the Graveyard poets, Romantics, Restoration era poets etc. drank of this same fount.

My and thy -> mine and thine (like a/an): Mine eyes
-en plural: eggen, eyen
2nd person pronouns:
- Formal/plural: Ye/you as subject and object
- Informal: Thou/thee, with -st verb endings (but thou art): Lovest thou me?
-th 3rd person singular verb ending: He hath a cat. What sayeth he?
v2, verb is always the 2nd part of a sentence Preserved: Never have I… So can I
kennen/wissen, connaitre/savoir distinction: We preserve ken “beyond my ken” and wit, but both are verbs too.
here/there/where:
- direction:
  - hence - from here, whence - from where, thence - from there
  - hither - to here, wither - where to, thither - to there
- with prepositions:
  - thereof, hereby, wherein etc.
contractions:
- contract v: o’er, (n)e’er
- ‘tis
?: thereof
here, there, yonder: yonder means out of sight, even further (like German jenner, Spanish aquello, which are getting obsolete themselves)