Word families

Shakespeare often refers to the heart. But he also uses this word to help create other words, such as unheart, heart-sore, and heartless. How many such derived words are there, and how are they used? Type HEART into the search-box and you will see.

We use the term word-family to identify the set of words that contain the same basic element. They will be part of a compound word (as in heart-sore), accompanied by a prefix (as in unheart) or a suffix (as in heartless), or used in different ways (e.g. as a noun and a verb). In this section we list all the words in the canon (in the modern English version) that have family resemblances so you can see which words Shakespeare exploited in this way, and which he did not. Words that are not included (such as the and Horatio) are described on the further information page here.

When there are several family members, we group them into themes, showing the directions in which Shakespeare used a word. Where these occur, they are listed under the main heading. The names of the themes, taken along with their family members, we hope are self-explanatory, but more illustration can be found on the further information page here.
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GABBLE
GABERDINE
GAD [tool]
GAG
GAGE
GAIN
PEOPLE
NOT
GAINGIVING
GAINSAY
GAIT
SLOW
GALE
GALL
INTENSITY
SCENE
NOT
GALLANT
SHIP
STATE
GALLERY
GALLEY
GALLIARD
GALLIASS
GALLIMAUFRY
GALLON
GALLOP
GALLOW
GALLOWGLASS
GALLOWS
PEOPLE
GAMBOL
GAME
PEOPLE
GAMMON
GAMUT
GAN
GANGRENED
GAOL
ACTION
PEOPLE
GAP
GAPE
STATE
GARB
GARBAGE
GARBOIL
GARDEN
PEOPLE
PLACE
GARISH
GARLAND
PEOPLE
GARLIC
PEOPLE
GARMENT
EVENT
GARNER
GARNISH
STATE
GARRET
GARRISON
GARTER
TYPE
NOT
GASH
GASKINS
GASP
GAST
GAT
GATE
PLACE
TYPE
GATHER
ACTION
GAUD
GAUGE
GAUNT
GAUNTLET
GAY
GAZE
PEOPLE
STATE
GEAR
GECK
GELD
GEM
GEMINY
GENDER
ACTION
INTENSITY
GENERAL [common]
STATE
GENERAL [leader]
RANK
GENERATION
NOT
GENEROUS
GENITIVE
GENIUS
GENTLE
INTENSITY
PART OF BODY
STATE
TIME
NOT
GERMAN
RELATIVES
GERMEN
GEST
GESTURE
GET
GET [gain]
GHASTLY
GHOST
GIANT
PEOPLE
GIB
GIBBER
GIBBET
PEOPLE
GIBE
PEOPLE
GIDDY
STATE
GIFT
OBJECT
GIG
GIGLOT
GILD
ACTION
APPEARANCE
GILLS
GILLYVOR
GILT
GIMMALED
GIN
GING
GINGER
GIPE
GIPSY
GIRD
ACTION
NOT
GIRDLE
GIRL
GIRT
GIRTH
GIVE
ACTION
EMOTION
PEOPLE
SPEECH
NOT
GLAD
GLADE
GLAIVE
GLANCE
ACTION
GLANDERS
GLARE
GLASS
ACTION
APPEARANCE
TYPE
GLAZE
GLEAM
GLEAN
GLEEFUL
GLEEK
GLIB [castrate]
GLIB [smooth]
GLIDE
GLIMMER
GLIMPSE
GLISTER
GLITTER
GLOBE
GLOOMY
GLORY
STATE
NOT
GLOSE
GLOSS
GLOVE
PEOPLE
GLOW
ANIMAL
GLUE
GLUT
ACTION
PEOPLE
GNARL
GNAT
GNAW
ACTION
STATE
GO
ACTION
PEOPLE
STATE
GOAD
GOAL
GOAT
GOBBET
GOBLET
GOBLIN
GOD
PEOPLE
NOT
GOLD
OBJECT
PEOPLE
STATE
GOLIAS
GONDOLA
GOOD
APPEARANCE
GREETING
PEOPLE
STATE
WRITING
GOOSE
OBJECT
GOOSEBERRY
GORBELLIED
GORDIAN
GORE
APPEARANCE
NOT
GORGE
INTENSITY
EQUIPMENT
NOT
GORGEOUS
INTENSITY
GORMANDIZE
GOSLING
GOSPEL
GOSS
GOSSAMER
GOSSIP
GOT
GOURD
GOUT [diseaase]
GOUT [drop]
GOVERN
BAD
GOOD
PEOPLE
NOT
GOWN
TYPE
GRACE
BAD
GOOD
INTENSITY
NOT
GRADATION
GRAFT
PEOPLE
STATE
NOT
GRAIN
COLOUR
GRAMERCY
GRAMMAR
GRAND
EQUIPMENT
PEOPLE
RELATIVES
GRANGE
GRANT
GRAPE
GRAPPLE
GRASP
GRASS
APPEARANCE
INSECT
PLACE
TYPE
GRATE
GRATE [harass]
GRATEFUL
NOT
GRATULATE
GRAVE [bury]
ACTION
OBJECT
PEOPLE
NOT
GRAVE [engrave]
GRAVE [serious]
APPEARANCE
NOT
GRAVEL
TYPE
GRAVY
GRAZE [feed]
GRAZE [hurt]
GREASE
GREAT
PART OF BODY
RELATIVES
SIZE
GRECE
GREEDY
INTENSITY
GREEN
ACTION
DISEASE
MUSIC
PART OF BODY
PLACE
STATE
GREET
EXTRA
TOGETHER
GREY
ANIMAL
APPEARANCE
PART OF BODY
GREYBEARD
GREYHOUND
GRIEF
STATE
GRIFFIN
GRIM
APPEARANCE
GRIME
STATE
GRIN
APPEARANCE
GRIND
STATE
GRIP
PART OF BODY
GRIPE [eagle]
GRISE
GRISLY
GRIZE
GRIZZLE
GROAN
GROAT
GAME
GROIIN
GROOM
GROPE
GROSS
ACTION
STATE
GROUND
ACTION
IMAGE
PEOPLE
GROVE
TYPE
GROVEL
GROW
INTENSITY
STATE
NOT
GRUB
GRUDGE
GRUEL
GRUMBLE
GRUNT
GUARD
ACTION
EQUIPMENT
CLOTHING
PEOPLE
PLACE
GUDGEON
GUERDON
GUESS
GUEST
GUIDE
OBJECT
PEOPLE
NOT
GUILDER
GUILE
ACTION
GUILT
GUINEA-HEN
GUISE
GULES
GULF
GULL
PEOPLE
GUM
GUN
EQUIPMENT
PEOPLE
TYPE
GURNET
GUSH
GUST
GUTS
ANIMAL
DISEASE
PEOPLE
GUTTERED
GYPSY
GYVES
STATE
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