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Elizabethan Era Language

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Date: 

Instructions: Discover the rich vocabulary of Shakespeare's England during Queen Elizabeth I's reign (1558-1603)

  1. 1.

    In Elizabethan English, what did 'prithee' mean?

    A
    I pray thee (please)
    B
    Private property
    C
    I challenge you
    D
    Pretty one
  2. 2.

    What did 'forsooth' mean in Elizabethan times?

    A
    Predicted the future
    B
    Fourth son
    C
    In truth or indeed
    D
    For the south
  3. 3.

    In Elizabethan vocabulary, what was a 'groundling'?

    A
    A type of fish
    B
    A theatergoer who stood in the pit for a cheap price
    C
    A low-ranking soldier
    D
    A gardener
  4. 4.

    What did 'anon' mean in Elizabethan English?

    A
    Anonymous
    B
    Soon or shortly
    C
    Another one
    D
    Alone
  5. 5.

    In Elizabethan times, what was a 'doublet'?

    A
    Twin children
    B
    A close-fitting men's jacket
    C
    A pair of dice
    D
    A double-edged sword
  6. 6.

    What did 'wherefore' actually mean in Elizabethan English?

    A
    Why
    B
    Where
    C
    When
    D
    For what place
  7. 7.

    In Elizabethan slang, what was a 'cutpurse'?

    A
    A pickpocket or thief
    B
    A tailor
    C
    A surgeon
    D
    A coin clipper
  8. 8.

    What did 'fie' express in Elizabethan language?

    A
    Joy
    B
    Farewell
    C
    Agreement
    D
    Disgust or disapproval
  9. 9.

    In Elizabethan England, what was a 'masque'?

    A
    A type of mask for fencing
    B
    An elaborate court entertainment with music, dance, and drama
    C
    A perfume
    D
    A mosquito net
  10. 10.

    What did 'methinks' mean in Elizabethan English?

    A
    It seems to me
    B
    My thanks
    C
    I am thinking
    D
    My thoughts
  11. 11.

    In Elizabethan vocabulary, what was a 'ruff'?

    A
    A card game
    B
    A large pleated collar worn around the neck
    C
    A dog's bark
    D
    A rough surface
  12. 12.

    What did 'hark' mean in Elizabethan English?

    A
    To laugh
    B
    To hunt
    C
    To cough
    D
    To listen
  13. 13.

    In Elizabethan times, what was a 'farthingale'?

    A
    A type of nightingale
    B
    A hooped frame worn under a skirt to extend it
    C
    A small coin
    D
    A distant valley
  14. 14.

    What did 'marry' mean when used as an exclamation in Elizabethan English?

    A
    Let's get wed
    B
    In a hurry
    C
    Happy
    D
    Indeed! (a mild oath, originally invoking the Virgin Mary)
  15. 15.

    In Elizabethan slang, what was a 'cony-catcher'?

    A
    A dog catcher
    B
    A tax collector
    C
    A rabbit hunter
    D
    A swindler or con artist

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