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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FABLE
FABRIC
FACE
ACTION
APPEARANCE
BAD
COLOUR
GOOD
INTENSITY
NOT
FACILE
FACINERIOUS
FACT
FACTION
FACTOR
FACULTY
FADE
FADGE
FAGGOT
FAIL
FAIN
FAINT
FAIR
APPEARANCE
INTENSITY
PART OF BODY
PEOPLE
SPEECH
STATE
FAIRY
PLACE
TYPE
FAITH
ACTION
NOT
FAITOUR
FALCHION
FALCON
PEOPLE
FALL
ACTION
BAD
PART OF BODY
TIME
FALLACY
NOT
FALLOW
FALTER
FAME
INTENSITY
NOT
FAMILIAR
FAMILY
FAMINE
FAMISH
FAMOUS
FAN
STATE
FANATICAL
FANCY
PEOPLE
STATE
FANE
FANG
NOT
FANGLES
TIME
FANTASY
PEOPLE
FAP
FAR
INTENSITY
STATE
FARCE
FARDEL
FARE
ACTION
PEOPLE
FARM
PEOPLE
PLACE
STATE
FARROW
FARTHING
FARTHINGALE
FASHION
PEOPLE
STATE
NOT
FAST [firm]
STATE
FAST [food]
STATE
TIME
FAST [speed]
ACTION
FASTEN
NOT
FAT
MIND
PART OF BODY
TIME
FATE
ACTION
INTENSITY
FATHER
RELATIVES
NOT
FATHOM
NOT
FATIGATE
FAUCET-SELLER
FAULT
ACTION
PEOPLE
NOT
FAVOUR
BAD
GOOD
PEOPLE
FAWN
FAY
FAZED
FEALTY
FEAR
INTENSITY
STATE
NOT
FEAST
ACTION
EVENT
FEAT [action]
FEAT [neat]
FEATHER
OBJECT
TYPE
FEATURE
NOT
FEBRUARY
FEDERARY
FEE
STATE
NOT
FEEBLE
STATE
FEED
INTENSITY
PEOPLE
TYPE
NOT
FEEL
PEOPLE
TYPE
NOT
FEIGN
NOT
FELICITY
FELL [fall]
FELL [fierce]
STATE
FELL [skin]
FELLOW
ACTION
STATE
TYPE
NOT
FELLY
FELON
FEMALE
STATE
FEN
FENCE [barrier]
NOT
FENCE [fight]
PEOPLE
FEND
FENNEL
FEODARY
FERE
FERN-SEED
FERRET
FERRY
PEOPLE
FERTILE
STATE
NOT
FERULA
FERVOUR
FESCUE
FESTER
FESTINATE
FESTIVAL
FETCH
STATE
FETLOCK
DEPTH
FETTER
STATE
FETTLE
FEUD
FEVER
STATE
FEW
FICKLE
FICO
FICTION
FIDDLE
OBJECT
PEOPLE
FIDELITY
FIDIUS
FIE
FIELD
PLACE
TYPE
FIEND
FIERCE
FIERY
FIFE
FIFTEEN
HIGHER
FIFTH
FIFTY
HIGHER
FIG
INTENSITY
FIGHT
ACTION
PEOPLE
NOT
FIGURE
ACTION
FILBERT
FILCH
FILE
TYPE
FILIAL
FILL
ACTION
ANIMAL
NOT
FILLET
FILLIP
FILLY
FILM
FILTH
CLOTHING
FIN
COLOUR
NOT
FINAL
FINCH
SIZE
FIND
ACTION
PEOPLE
FINE [end]
NOT
FINE [money]
FINE[splendid]
STATE
FINGER
PART
PLANT
STATE
TYPE
FINICAL
FINISH
PEOPLE
NOT
FIRAGO
FIRE
OBJECT
PEOPLE
RESEMBLANCE
TYPE
FIRK
FIRM
STATE
NOT
FIRMAMENT
FIRST
BIRTH
EVENT
FISH
PEOPLE
PLACE
STATE
TYPE
FISNOMY
FIST
FISTULA
FIT [seizure]
TYPE
FIT [suit]
NOT
FITCHEW
FIVE
HIGHER
MONEY
STATE
FIVES [disease]
FIX
ACTION
INTENSITY
STATE
NOT
FLAG
FLAGON
FLAIL
FLAKE
FLAME
ACTION
COLOUR
FLAMEN
FLANK
FLANNEL
FLAP
FOOD
GAME
PART OF BODY
FLARE
FLASH
FLASK
FLAT
STATE
FLATTER
PEOPLE
STATE
FLAUNT
FLAW
STATE
FLAX
PEOPLE
FLAY
FLEA
FLECKLED
FLEDGE
NOT
FLEE
FLEECE
FLEER
FLEET [movement]
PART OF BODY
FLEET [ships]
FLESH
INSECT
PEOPLE
FLEWED
FLEXIBLE
FLICKERING
FLIGHT
FLINCH
FLING
FLINT
OBJECT
PART OF BODY
FLIRT
PEOPLE
FLOAT
FLOCK
FLOOD
OBJECT-RELATED
FLOOR
FLOTE
FLOUR
FLOURISH
INTENSITY
FLOUT
FLOW
INTENSITY
FLOWER
STATE
TYPE
NOT
FLUENT
FLUSH
FLUSTER
FLUTE
FLUTTER
FLUX
INTENSITY
TOGETHER
FLY [flight]
ACTION
INTENSITY
PEOPLE
FLY [insect]
STATE
TYPE
FOAL
FOAM
FOB
FODDER
FOE
PEOPLE
TIME
FOG
DIRECTION
FOIL [defeat]
FOIL [sword]
FOIN
FOISON
FOIST
FOLD
ACTION
OBJECT
PLACE
NOT
FOLD [suffix]
FOLIO
FOLK
FOLLOW
PEOPLE
FOLLY
STATE
FOND
INTENSITY
STATE
FONT
FOOD
FOOL
ACTION
PART OF BODY
STATE
NOT
FOOT
ACTION
EXCLAMATION
FAST
PART OF BODY
PEOPLE
OBJECT
PLACE
SLOW
SMELL
STATE
FOP
FOR KNOW
FORAGE
PEOPLE
FORBEAR
FORBID
FORBORNE
FORCE
EXTRA
INTENSITY
NOT
FORD
FORDO
FORE
FORECAST
FORE-END
FOREFATHER
FOREFINGER
FOREFOOT
FOREFRONT
FOREGO
FOREHAND
FOREHEAD
FOREHORSE
FOREIGN
PEOPLE
FOREMOST
FORENAMED
FORENOON
FOREPAST
FORE-RANK
FORERUN
FORESAY
FORESEE
FORESHADOW
FORESHOW
FORESIGHT
FORESKIRT
FORESPEND
FOREST
BIRTH
PEOPLE
FORESTALL
FORETELL
FORETHINK
FOREWARD
FOREWARNING
FORFEIT
NOT
FORFEND
FORGE
FORGET
FORGIVE
FORGO
FORK
FORLORN
FORM
TIME
NOT
FORMER
FORNICATION
PEOPLE
FORSAKE
FORSEAL
FORSLOW
FORSOOTH
FORSPEAK
FORSPENT
FORSWEAR
FORT
PLACE
STATE
NOT
FORTH
ACTION
INTENSITY
TIME
FORTHY
FORTITUDE
FORTNIGHT
FORTRESS
FORTUNE
ACTION
BAD
GOOD
PEOPLE
FORTY
HIGHER
FORWARD
FORWEARIED
FORWHY
FOSTER
PEOPLE
FOUL
PART OF BODY
SPEECH
STATE
FOUND [establish]
PEOPLE
FOUNDER [break down]
FOUNTAIN
PLACE
FOUR
HIGHER
SIZE
FOUTRE
FOWL
ACTION
FOX
TYPE
FRACTION
FRAGILE
FRAGMENT
FRAGRANT
FRAIL
FRAME
FRAMPOLD
FRANC
FRANCHISE
FRANK
FRANKLIN
FRANTIC
FRAUD
FRAUGHT
INTENSITY
FRAY
FRECKLE
FREE
ACTION
PART OF BODY
PEOPLE
STATE
FREESTONE
FREEZE
FREIGHT
FRENCH
APPEARANCE
PEOPLE
FRENZY
FREQUENT
NOT
FRESH
ACTION
STATE
FRET [adorn]
FRET [worry]
FRIAR
FRIDAY
FRIEND
ACTION
TYPE
NOT
FRIEZE
FRIGHT
INTENSITY
FRINGE
FRIPPERY
FRISK
FRITTER
FRIVOLOUS
FROCK
FROG
GAME
FROLIC
FRONT
ACTION
APPEARANCE
PLACE
FROST
STATE
FROTH
FROWARD
FROWN
INTENSITY
FRUCTIFY
FRUGAL
FRUIT
BIRTH
PEOPLE
TREE
NOT
FRUSH
FRUSTRATE
FRUTIFY
FRY
FUB
FUEL
FUGITIVE
FULFIL
FULL
FOOD
INTENSITY
SIZE
STATE
FULLAM
FULSOME
FUMBLE
FUME
FUMITER
FUNCTION
NOT
FUNDAMENTAL
FUNERAL
FUR
FURBISH
FURIOUS
FURLONG
FURNACE
STATE
FURNISH
INTENSITY
NOT
FURNITURE
FURROW
PLANT
FURTHER
PEOPLE
FURY
STATE
FURZE
FUST
PEOPLE
FUSTIAN [cloth]
FUSTIAN [speech]
FUTURE
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