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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ICE
WATER
ID;E
MIND
PLANT
IDEA
IDES
IDIOT
PEOPLE
IDOL
IF
IGNIS FATUUS
IGNOBLE
IGNOMY
IGNORANCE
IINCORRECT
ILL
ACTION
APPEARANCE
CHARACTER
HEALTH
MIND
NOISE
SPEECH
STATE
ILLEGITIMATE
ILLITERATE
ILLNESS
ILLUMINATE
ILLUSION
ILLUSTRATE
ILLUSTRIOUS
ILLUSTROUS
IMAGE
MIND
IMAGINE
IMBARE
IMBECILITY
IMBRUE
IMITATE
IMMACULATE
IMMANITY
IMMASK
IMMATERIAL
IMMEDIATE
IMMINENCE
IMMODERATE
IMMODEST
IMMOMENT
IMMORTAL
IMMOVABLE
IMMURE
IMP
IMPAINT
IMPAIR
IMPALE
IMPANNEL
IMPART
IMPARTIAL
IMPASTED
IMPATIENCE
IMPAWN
IMPEACH
IMPEDE
IMPENETRABLE
IMPERATOR
IMPERCEIVERANT
IMPERFECT
IMPERIAL
IMPERSEVERANT
IMPERTINENT
IMPETUOUS
IMPIETY
IMPIOUS
IMPLACABLE
IMPLEMENT
IMPLORE
IMPLY
IMPORTANT
NOT
IMPORTUNE
IMPOSE
IMPOSSIBLE
IMPOSTHUME
IMPOSTOR
IMPOTENT
IMPOUND
IMPOVERISHED
IMPREGNABLE
IMPRESS [enlist]
IMPRESS [imprint]
IMPRINT
IMPRISON
IMPROBABLE
IMPROPER
IMPROVE
NOT
IMPUDENCE
IMPUGN
IMPURE
IMPUTE
INACCESSIBLE
INAIDABLE
INAUDIBLE
INAUSPICIOUS
INCAGE
INCANTATION
INCAPABLE
INCARNADINE
INCARNATE
INCENSE
STATE
INCERTAIN
INCESSANT
INCEST
INCH
ACTION
SIZE
STATE
INCHARITABLE
INCIDENCY
INCISION
INCITE
INCIVIL
INCLINE
INCLIP
INCLUDE
INCOME
INCOMPARABLE
INCOMPREHENSIBLE
INCONSIDERATE
INCONSTANT
INCONTINENCE
INCONVENIENCE
INCONY
INCORPORAL
INCORPORATE
INCORPSED
INCREASE
INCREDIBLE
INCUR
INCURABLE
INDEBTED
INDEED
INDENT
INDEX
INDIAN
INDICATE
INDICT
INDIFFERENT
INDIGENT
INDIGEST
INDIGNATION
INDIRECT
INDISCRETION
INDISPOSITION
INDISSOLUBLE
INDISTINCT
INDISTINGUISHED
INDITE
INDIVIDABLE
INDRENCHED
INDUBITATE
INDUCE
INDUCTION
INDUE
INDULGENCE
INDURANCE
INDUSTRY
INEQUALITY
INESTIMABLE
INEVITABLE
INEXECRABLE
INEXORABLE
INEXPLICABLE
INFALLIBLE
INFAMONIZE
INFAMOUS
INFANT
ACTION
INFECT
INFER
INFERIOR
INFEST
INFIDEL
INFINITE
INFIRM
INFIX
INFLAME
INFLICT
INFLUENCE
INFOLD
INFORM
PEOPLE
INFORTUNATE
INFRINGE
INFUSE
INGAGED
INGENIOUS
PEOPLE
INGLORIOUS
INGOT
INGRAFFED
INGRAFT
INGRATEFUL
INGREDIENT
INHABIT
INHEARSE
INHERENT
INHERIT
INHIBITED
INHOOPED
INHOSPITABLE
INHUMAN
INIQUITY
INITIATE
INJOINT
INJUNCTION
INJURE
PEOPLE
INJUSTICE
INK
OBJECT
INKLE
INKLING
INLAID
INLAND
INLY
INMOST
INN
PEOPLE
INNER
INNOCENCE
INNOVATION
PEOPLE
INNUMERABLE
INOCULATE
INORDINATE
INQUIRE
DEATH
INROADS
INSANE
INSATIATE
INSCRIBE
INSCROLL
INSCRUTABLE
INSCULPT
INSENSIBLE
INSEPARABLE
INSERT
INSET
INSHELLED
INSHIP
INSIDE
INSINUATE
INSIST
INSOCIABLE
INSOLENCE
INSPIRE
TIME
INSTALL
INSTANCE
INSTATE
INSTEAD
INSTEEPED
INSTIGATE
INSTINCT
INSTITUTE
INSTRUCT
INSTRUMENT
INSUBSTANTIAL
INSUFFICIENCY
INSUING
INSULT
PEOPLE
INSUPPORTABLE
INSUPPRESSIVE
INSURRECTION
INTEGRITY
INTELLIGENT
PEOPLE
NOT
INTEMPERANCE
INTENABLE
INTEND
INTER
INTERCEPT
PEOPLE
INTERCESSION
PEOPLE
INTERCHAINED
INTERCHANGE
INTERDICT
INTERESS
INTEREST
INTERIM
INTERIOR
INTERJECTION
INTERJOIN
INTERLACE
INTERLUDE
INTERMINGLE
INTERMISSION
INTERMIX
INTERPOSE
INTERPRET
PEOPLE
NOT
INTERROGATORY
INTERRUPT
PEOPLE
INTERTANGLED
INTERTISSUED
INTERVALLUM
INTERVENE
INTERVIEW
INTESTATE
INTESTINE
INTIMATE
INTOLERABLE
INTOXICATES
INTREASURED
INTREAT
INTRENCH
INTRICATE
INTRUDE
PEOPLE
INUNDATION
INURE
INVADE
INVECTIVE
INVEIGH
INVEIGLE
INVENT
PEOPLE
INVENTORY
INVERT
INVEST
INVETERATE
INVINCIBLE
INVIOLABLE
INVISE
INVISIBLE
INVITE
INVOKE
INVULNERABLE
INWARD
IRE
IRISH
IRK
IRON
MIND
OBJECT
PART OF BODY
IRRECONCILED
IRRECOVERABLE
IRREGULAR
IRRELIGIOUS
IRREMOVABLE
IRREPARABLE
IRRESOLUTE
IRREVOCABLE
ISLAND
PEOPLE
ISSUE
NOT
ITCH
ITEM
ITERANCE
IVORY
IVY
IWIS
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