Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to spake

to spake

5 9.9
An old past form of the verb talk found in old writing
  • verb
  • /speɪk/
  • Archaic
translation icon : habló
  • "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
  • Thus spake
  • Then, thus spake
  • child, I spake

The other side of that is Thus Spake Zarathustra Machiavelli.

Examples

  • "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child."

    Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

  • "The Lord spake, saying, "'First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin, "'then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less.

    Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

  • "When I was a child, I spake as a child.

    Elmer Gantry (1960)

  • Thus spake the American Council of Learned Societies.

    Academic text (1990)

  • "Then spake King Arthur to Sir Bedivere."

    The Awakening (2011)

  • "Then out spake brave Horatius, "Captain of the Gate: "To every man upon this earth

    Darkest Hour (2017)

  • To whom master Latimer spake in this manner: 'Be of good comfort, master Ridley, and play the man.'

    Academic text (2002)

  • Matthew 13:3: And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying,

    Blog text (11)

  • By the fire which is about the throne, I conjure and command thee, oh prince of darkness, in the name of him who spake, and it was done.

    Evilspeak (1981)

  • "Then spake King Arthur to Sir Bedivere."

Synonyms

to said
vsto spake
230 1.0

Shows that someone spoke words earlier

is an older literary past form used in archaic contexts

Surface Forms

spake infinitive
speaking present participle
spake past
spoken past participle

Etymology

Spake is an old past form of speak that you find in older stories and the Bible. It comes from the same old English verb meaning 'to speak', so spake simply means 'talked' or 'spoke' and sounds more formal or poetic than the modern past 'spoke'.