General Scheme
I: Semantic developments:
a) usual semantic development in vocabulary, e.g. extension of meaning, specialization (including degeneration and elevation), weakening and strengthening of meaning.
b) developments seen in particular parts of speech: e.g. adjectives and adverbs; prepositions; verbs; personal pronouns, especially the second person pronouns.

II: Syntactic developments, with special reference to the greater freedom of usage in Elizabethan English:
a) variation in case
b) concord;
c) omission of relatives;
d) the impersonal construction;
e) subjunctive;
f) double comparatives etc.

Under Ia)
 Specialization: such small deer KL 3.4.149 - animals; unbonneted KL now assoc. with children; success - outcome (good or bad); take each man's censure Ham. - opinion; baseness - Ham. 5.2.34. assoc. with the lower classes, not blameworthy. until my eyelids wag Ham. 5.1.290, now assoc. with tails; politician, a derogatory term in WS = William Shakespeare, now only 'bad' when opposed to 'statesman'. curiosity KL 1.1.6, nice knave KL 1.1.21 - fellow. cf. development of ceorl.

 Weakening: presently (cf. soon, anon) naughty night to swim in, weakened by its association with children; unkind - unnatural; charm - witchcraft.

 Strenghthening: remorse - compassion.

Under Ib)

 Adjectives: the suffixes -less, -able, -ive are today either active or passive, in WS use could vary: e.g.
 -less - being without: a careless trifle - Mac.: not worth caring about; careless fancy - without cares; sightless couriers Mac. without being seen, invisible. (cf. eyeless KL - blind); phraseless, termless - indescribable, NOT silent.
 -able -  be comfortable to my mother; speak comfortable words to her - comforting; variable - changing; separable - separating, NOT being separated; deceivable deceptive, NOT able to be deceived.
 -ive - inexpressive - inexpressible; uncomprehensive - incomprehensible; respective - worthy of respect; speculative - speculating; offensive offending.

 Some loan words remain closer to their original meaning in WS:- a just pound (MV) - exact; mere perdition (O) - complete; proper selves (Temp.) - own; very friends (MV) -true; prevented (KL) - forestalled; property (KL1.1.14) - closest blood relationship;

 Adverbs: WS has different intensive adverbs: these always tend to become weakened and have to be replaced.
all as mad as he (CofE) - entirely; clean-starved - entirely; clearly - competently; I love thee cruelly (H5) - extremely; grieve thee dear - severely; the air bites shrewedly (H); punish home (KL); speak to me home (A&C) - to the utmost; merely - absolutely; passing - surpassing.

 Adverbs of Time:
"If you know That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard, and after (=afterwards) scandal them" (JC).
"Thou still (=always) hast been author of good tidings." (H)
"Briefly (=a short time ago) we heard their drums." (Cor)

 Adverbs of Place:
hitherto is local as well as temporal in WS

 Adverbs of Manner:
Omission of so after verbs of hoping, thinking etc. Multiple negatives emphasise negation.

 Conjunctions:
but: "I have much to do but to go hang my head. (O) - to prevent myself from.
or from OE ær before: Dying or ere they sicken, also KL 2.2.258. Combined with ere for emphasis.
while, whiles -till OE hwil: While then, God be with you. (Mac)

 Prepositions:
Greater variety of combinations possible in Elizabethan English:
invest with KL 1.1.130; KL 3.6.92; upon - against (KL 3.2.57): practised on -plotted against.
 When preps. are first used as conjunctions, that is added:
for that, but that, after that, etc. I hate him for he is a Christian, but more for that, in low simplicity (MV). against used of time: against the wedding.
at with interposed genitive or adj. 'at heart's ease.
for to + infin. for to obey the moon (WT)
in with expressions of time (on, at): in such a time as this..
in - concerning: 'our fears in Banquo stick deep.
of from; or of instrumental: 'provided of a torch bearer'. of - during: of an afternoon.
 Both of and on are abbreviated o' (cf. o'clock): thus sometimes the incorrect full form is given: God have mercy on his soul and of all Christian souls. Two on's daughters. - of his.
with- used of agent (by) torn to pieces with a bear;
withall moreover, besides, or a stressed form of with at the end of a phrase: these men that I have kept withall; I must have liberty withall (in addition).
without is always local in WS: without the peril of the Athenian law - outside.

 Frequent omission of prepositions:
i) after verbs of motion: to see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome (JC)
ii) after expressions of price, value: hindered me half a million;
iii) with verbs which are now intransitive, but were transitive in WS: she complained her wrongs; I fear your disposition (KL 4.2.31) - fears concerning.
iv) in expressions of time and manner: which time - during which time.
v) with inflected forms of pronons: other your - other of your. cf. draw me a clothier's yard - for me.

 Verbs:
i) p.p. without -ed, esp. in rhetorical passages: I am alone felicitate (KL 1.1.75)
ii) formation of new verbs from nouns and adjs. e.g to happy (Sonn. 11); unfair (Sonn. 11); bold (KL 5.1.26); rich (KL 1.1.64); child, father,(KL) monster (KL1.1.220); mad (KL4.2.43) etc.
iii) present intransitive verbs may be intrans. in WS: remember - remind;
iv) present transitive verbs are occasionally intrans. in WS: show - appear (KL 1.4.252.)
v) frequent use of participles: king'd (KJ) -rul'd; lorded (Temp) -made a lord; death-practised duke (KL) - plotted against; strangered with an oath.
vi) forms in -ed, where we use -able; unvalued jewels (R3) - invaluable; unavoided doom (R3) - inevitable; with all imagin'd speed - imaginable etc.
vii. auxiliary verbs:
be - (subj.) suggests doubt: 'I think my wife be honest, and think that she is not (O).
can 'What can man's wisdom/ In the restoring his bereaved sense? (H)
They can well on horseback.
do used as primary verbs in WS: to do you salutation (JC);  NB Who does do you wrong? (TN); horses did neigh and dying men did groan / It belongs not to me. (H4); It not likes me; Goes he hence tonight (Mac).
shall and will, can be used of all persons.

Second Person Pronoun
Ye used in nom. and oblique cases; archaic, formal or in set phrases, hence mock-heroic: 'Approach ye Furies fell.' (MND)
you and thou:
i) thou among people of low-rank; a change to you suggests someone on his dignity: (RJ 1.1 Samson and Gregory; Temp. 2.2.93 Stephano and Trinculo; 2GV: Speed and Launce
ii) Children use you to adults; parents may use thou (affectionate) or you (formal): Temp. 1.2.6 Prospero at first formal you to Miranda, later affectionate 'I have done nothing but in care of thee. Ham. 1.3. Laertes and Ophelia, you in formal conversation, so also Polonius until his few precepts 'as father to son' uses thou: you in formal farewell: The time invites you, go..
iii) where thou is affectionate, a you in return may express anger or contempt:
Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended. Mother, you have my father much offended.
iv) you used in respect or submission: TS 2.1. Katherine uses thou to Bianca, who answers with you.
v) in tragedies, thou is less frequent, even in love scenes, than in comedies: JC 2.1 Brutus and Portia use you. Oth. 3.2: Othello and Desdemona use you until O. makes a special request: I will deny thee nothing Wherefore I do beseech thee...
vi) In scenes between lovers, variation in you and thou suggest changes of feeling, you being more formal, reserved, thou more affectionate: MA 4.1. I protest I love thee.. RJ 1.5. Juliet uses you, Romeo thou; 2.2 Juliet is also using thou. H5 2.2 Henry uses you when tentative or speaking as a king; thou when he speaks plain soldier. Cf. Falstaff in H4I 3.3 beginning with thou, but becoming more serious with you: you confess then you picked my pocket.
vii) thou can be a calculated insult among men of rank: 'O thou foul thief, where hast thou stow'd my daughter.
viii) thou can reflect deepest emotions: especially sorrow: O 2.1.82: I here do give thee that with all my heart.

Possessive Pronouns
 These sometimes have a strong objective force in WS, where now subjective: KJ: our oppression - of us; H5 1.2.224 our awe - of us;
 The reflexive is expressed by acc./dat. form, self is more recent, as reflex. cf. KL 1.1.69 self metal.
its not common in WS. Recorded in 1598. Not in AV of 1611. Rare until 1650. In WS Ist Folio, 1623 has its: MForM 1.2.4. Heaven grant us its peace. it used as genitive in Hamlet: 1.2.216: It lifted up it head.
his MND 3.2.177 Dark night, that from the eye his function takes.
of it A&C 2.7.47 the tears of it are wet.
thereof R3 3.5.78 by the sign thereof.
his, her can stand as antecdents to relative pronouns: T&C 5.2.93; and grieves his spirit that...; MND 3.2.330 In her behalf that scorns your services..

Under II: Syntactical freedom of Elizabethan English:
a) variation in case: as in modern colloquial English, frequent confusion. The more colloquial forms of the First Folio 1623 are often corrected to the 'standard' usage in the 2nd and later Folios:
EG.i) acc. for nom. A&C 3.3.11 Is she as tall as me? MA 3.1.1 run thee to the parlour AYLI 1.1. better than him (he whom) I am before; Cor. 4.6.148: shall's to the Capitol?
ii) nom. for acc. KJ. 4.1.13 nobody should be sad but I; AYLI 1.2.14: not child but I; MV. 3.1.8. between you and I Temp. 3.2.97. I never saw a woman But only Sycorax my dam and she; Mac. 3.1.53. There is none but he Whose being I do fear.
iii) omission of prep. where case feeling still strong: Cym. 3.5.32 she looks us - to us; KJ. 3.4.146: John lays you plots (for you)
iv) ethic dative. TS 1.2.11: Knock me at the gate.. and rap me well.

b) any part of speech may be used as any other. TS. 3.2.23: the proudest she.. Cor. 1.2.1 they of Rome.. KL 1.2.6 Edmund the base shall top the legitimate; the younger rises when the old doth fall; cf. KL 5.3.220 enemy king; but me no buts proud me no prouds.. to out-Herod Herod.

c) freedom in use of comparative and superlative degrees: WS. used -er, -est with polysyllabic words - ratherest unhopefullest; dismalest; violentest; the lyingist knave.
 On the other hand, more, most could be used with monosyllabic forms: I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son AYLI; hath not old custom made this life more sweet Than that of painted pomp? AYLI; double comparatives and superlatives: more worthier (KL); most best, most derest (KL); the most unkindest cut of all (JC); less happier lands (R2) from like extremest, chiefest. Superl. used with two objects of comparison: Whose blood is reddest, his or mine (MV)
Certain doublets not so clearly distinguished in WS as today: later / latter latest/last: his latest farewell; my latter gasp; their latest refuge; elder, older: How much more elder art thou than thy looks (MV);
more/moe Hath the firmament moe suns than I? Send out moe horses.
much/mickle mickle age.

 d) The def. article can be used where it is not today: before titles and names: I am the  Douglas (H4I.5.1.119,) the Douglas and the Hotspur; with parts of the body - put the finger in the eye and weep (CE 2.2.203); with death - to die the death and heaven - the heaven such grace did lend her (2G) and names of mountains, the mount Myceneum (AC 2.2.164) advbl. phrases: i' the haste;  -ing forms: not worth the hanging (Cym. 1.5.25) the leaving of it (Mac 1.4.8).
 Def. art. omitted: names of rivers: in Thames up to the neck (H5 4.1.113); in phrases - at sight of; in comparisons - the why is plain as way to parish church (AYLI 2.7.52); with superlatives - so longest way shall have the largest moans (R2 5.1.90)

e) indefinite article an before h, w/u as well as vowels: an hair; an happy end; an/an to express a unity - a many thousand warlike French (KJ. 4.2.199); Omitted after  ever, never - never was there queen so mightily betrayed (AC1.3); what kind of - what trobel was I then to you (Temp. 1.2.157); in comparisons - with as big heart as thou (Cor. 3.2.127); with expression of quantity - great store of wedding cheer; (TS 3.2.182).
 Indef. art. can come after the adj. but poor a thousand crowns (AYLI 1.1.1)

f) colloquialism in syntax - King Lewis his satisfaction (H5. 1.2.88); that she loves him 'tis apt and of great credit (O 2.1.281); who's that knocks? (JC 2.1.309); brave it, revel it queen it; it (she) is the prettiest villain (TC 3.2.32) I will not trust you, I (MND 3.2.340); here's three on's are sophisticated (KL 3.4.105)

Shakespeare as critic of language
Inkhorn Controversy: LLL. Armado as a satire on Euphuism; satire of excessive use of learned terms; satire on synonyms  cf. Florio's Dictionary; satire on 'mingle-mangle' and alliteration; obsession with grammatical categories ' a soul feminine'. delight in epithets. Ham. 3.2; MWW confusion over learned words 1.4; 3.5;
MA misuse of Latinism and misplacing of prefixes and suffixes 3.3; 3.5; 4.2.
MND 3.1 Confusion over prefixes.
 

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