-est
9.9
An old verb ending that appears with thou to address one person
- other
- Archaic
:
-aste
- Thou knowest the truth.
Examples
-
Where goest thou?
-
Shakespeare often used forms such as 'thou goest' to address a single person.
-
In old English texts, you might see verbs like 'thou knowest' instead of 'you know'.
-
The verb ending -est is rarely used in modern English except in poetry or historical writing.
-
In old English texts, you might see verbs like 'thou knowest' instead of 'you know'.
-
Shakespeare often used forms such as 'thou goest' to address a single person.
-
The verb ending -est is rarely used in modern English except in poetry or historical writing.
Surface Forms
-est main
Etymology
-Est was also an old verb ending used with thou, the old word for 'you' when speaking to one person, so 'thou knowest' simply meant 'you know', and today this ending appears mainly in poetry or old texts.
