Essorant
Member Elite
since 08-10-2002
Posts 4632
Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada
|
0 posted 02-09-2004 02:41 PM
| |
Have you ever felt doubtful about phrases like "methinks" and "woe is me!"?
I know I had previously whenever I came across them in texts. For some reason no one ever clarified to me how they were gramatically correct; but I gave the masters like Chaucer and Shakespeare the benefit of the doubt; until I noticed this sort of phrases basically comes from a very simple mannerism.
First one must note "methinketh" is not the same as "I think" or "thou thinkest" or "she thinketh"
It has a verb with eth/s on the end which marks third person (present); but me is first person and in "dative" case ( fitting into a phrase as " Gives _____ )
Therefore any in dative may be used (and in past tense):
Present Past
singular
methinketh Methought
theethinketh Theethought
him/her/it thinketh Him/her/it thought
Plural
usthinketh Usthought
youthinketh Youthought
themthinketh Themthought
So though "methinks" is the most famously used, you may use any pronoun from the family of dative pronouns 
And then we must note for sure that "think" in "methinks" does not mean "reason, contemplate, or ponder!"
Old English has two very similar shaped verbs: (ð = th)
ðyncan --to seem
and
ðencan - to reason, consider
Both somehow managed to become "think" but in "methinks" only "seems" works right.
So you may come across "meseems/meseemeth" as well, that is more unconfused!
The last point is simply this, which makes the grammatical correctness more understandable. "methinks" as well as "woe is me" simply come from a manner of omitting "to" (and/or "it" and somtimes other bit and pieces) but most may translate as ommiting "to" or "it"
"Methinks"
(To) me (it) thinks/seems
"Woe is Me"
Woe is (to) me; Woe (it) is (to) me.
"Him liketh"
him (it) liketh ["pleases"]
"Me is the name Essorant"
(to) Me is the name Essorant
"Us are blessings"
(to) Us are blessings.
|
Main Forums
