Welcome to Lesson 33 of the Elizabethan English course. Today’s topic word is get, one of the most versatile and frequently employed verbs in Early Modern English. In Shakespeare’s time, get carried meanings we still recognize—to obtain, to acquire, to become—but also bore stronger connotations now faded from modern usage, particularly in the sense of begetting (producing offspring) and causing to become.
The verb get derives from Old Norse geta (to obtain, beget), which entered English during the Viking settlements and displaced the native Old English begitan. By the Elizabethan period, get had fully naturalized and expanded into a utility verb of remarkable flexibility: one might get a fortune, get with child, get thee hence, or get knowledge.
In this lesson, we present fifteen interlinear examples demonstrating get in its various grammatical environments, followed by fifteen additional examples in narrative form depicting a merchant’s journey through Elizabethan London. Each example includes period-appropriate Original Pronunciation (OP) transcription following the reconstruction work of David and Ben Crystal.
Course Index:
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FAQ: What does “get” mean in Elizabethan English?
In Elizabethan English, “get” functions as a multi-purpose verb meaning: (1) to obtain or acquire something, (2) to beget or produce offspring, (3) to become or cause to become, (4) to arrive at or reach a place, and (5) in imperative forms, to command departure (”get thee gone”). The word appears throughout Shakespeare’s works in all these senses.
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Get in Elizabethan usage encompasses obtaining, begetting, becoming, and departing -
The imperative “get thee” was a common command form meaning “take yourself” -
Period pronunciation features rhotic ‘r’ sounds and different vowel qualities than modern English -
The past participle “gotten” remained standard (as preserved in American English today) -
Compound phrases like “get with child” and “get thee hence” carry specific Elizabethan meanings
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This lesson employs Original Pronunciation (OP) as reconstructed for Early Modern English circa 1600. Key features include:
Rhoticity: All ‘r’ sounds are pronounced, including after vowels (father = [ˈfɑːðəɹ])
The -tion/-sion suffix: Pronounced [sɪən] rather than modern [ʃən] (nation = [ˈnɛːsɪən])
FACE vowel: More open, approximately [ɛː] rather than modern [eɪ]
GOAT vowel: Monophthongal [oː] rather than modern [əʊ]
PRICE vowel: Centered onset [əɪ] rather than modern [aɪ]
MOUTH vowel: Centered onset [əʊ] rather than modern [aʊ]
KIT vowel before ‘r’: Often more open, approaching [ɛ]
Elision: Frequent reduction of unstressed syllables in polysyllabic words
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Instructions: Each example presents the Elizabethan English sentence, followed by a word-by-word gloss with Original Pronunciation (OP) transcription in IPA. Read both lines to understand word order and period pronunciation.
1.1a I must get money ere the sun doth set.
1.1b I [əɪ] I must [mʊst] must get [gɛt] obtain money [ˈmʊni] money ere [ɛːɹ] before the [ðə] the sun [sʊn] sun doth [dʊθ] does set [sɛt] set
1.2a Thou shalt get wisdom from the ancient books.
1.2b Thou [ðəʊ] you(sg) shalt [ʃalt] shall get [gɛt] obtain wisdom [ˈwɪzdəm] wisdom from [frʊm] from the [ðə] the ancient [ˈɛːnsɪənt] ancient books [boːks] books
1.3a Get thee to a nunnery forthwith.
1.3b Get [gɛt] take thee [ðiː] yourself to [tʊ] to a [ə] a nunnery [ˈnʊnəɹi] nunnery forthwith [fɔːɹθˈwɪθ] immediately
1.4a The merchant hath gotten great riches in the East.
1.4b The [ðə] the merchant [ˈmɛːɹtʃənt] merchant hath [haθ] has gotten [ˈgɔtən] obtained great [gɹɛːt] great riches [ˈɹɪtʃɪz] riches in [ɪn] in the [ðə] the East [ɛːst] East
1.5a She cannot get her portion from her father.
1.5b She [ʃiː] she cannot [ˈkanɔt] cannot get [gɛt] obtain her [hɛːɹ] her portion [ˈpɔːɹsɪən] portion from [frʊm] from her [hɛːɹ] her father [ˈfɑːðəɹ] father
1.6a We must get horses for the journey to York.
1.6b We [wiː] we must [mʊst] must get [gɛt] obtain horses [ˈhɔːɹsɪz] horses for [fɔːɹ] for the [ðə] the journey [ˈdʒʊɹni] journey to [tʊ] to York [jɔːɹk] York
1.7a The villain got away ere we could seize him.
1.7b The [ðə] the villain [ˈvɪlən] villain got [gɔt] escaped away [əˈwɛː] away ere [ɛːɹ] before we [wiː] we could [kʊd] could seize [siːz] seize him [hɪm] him
1.8a How didst thou get such knowledge of the law?
1.8b How [həʊ] how didst [dɪdst] did thou [ðəʊ] you(sg) get [gɛt] obtain such [sʊtʃ] such knowledge [ˈnɔlɪdʒ] knowledge of [ʊv] of the [ðə] the law [lɑː] law
1.9a The queen hath got with child by the king.
1.9b The [ðə] the queen [kwiːn] queen hath [haθ] has got [gɔt] become with [wɪθ] with child [tʃəɪld] child by [bəɪ] by the [ðə] the king [kɪŋ] king
1.10a Get you gone from this place and trouble me no more.
1.10b Get [gɛt] take you [jʊ] yourselves gone [gɔːn] gone from [frʊm] from this [ðɪs] this place [plɛːs] place and [and] and trouble [ˈtrʊbl] trouble me [miː] me no [noː] no more [moːɹ] more
1.11a By honest labour shall a man get bread for his family.
1.11b By [bəɪ] by honest [ˈɔnɪst] honest labour [ˈlɛːbəɹ] labour shall [ʃal] shall a [ə] a man [man] man get [gɛt] obtain bread [brɛd] bread for [fɔːɹ] for his [hɪz] his family [ˈfamɪli] family
1.12a Thy brother hath gotten the infection and lieth sick.
1.12b Thy [ðəɪ] your(sg) brother [ˈbrʊðəɹ] brother hath [haθ] has gotten [ˈgɔtən] contracted the [ðə] the infection [ɪnˈfɛksɪən] infection and [and] and lieth [ˈləɪəθ] lies sick [sɪk] sick
1.13a The player could not get his words aright upon the stage.
1.13b The [ðə] the player [ˈplɛːəɹ] player could [kʊd] could not [nɔt] not get [gɛt] get his [hɪz] his words [wʊɹdz] words aright [əˈɹəɪt] correctly upon [əˈpɔn] upon the [ðə] the stage [stɛːdʒ] stage
1.14a What profit hath a man if he get the world and lose his soul?
1.14b What [ʍat] what profit [ˈprɔfɪt] profit hath [haθ] has a [ə] a man [man] man if [ɪf] if he [hiː] he get [gɛt] gain the [ðə] the world [wʊɹld] world and [and] and lose [loːz] lose his [hɪz] his soul [soːl] soul
1.15a The proclamation declareth that none shall get passage without the queen’s licence.
1.15b The [ðə] the proclamation [prɔkləˈmɛːsɪən] proclamation declareth [dɪˈklɛːɹəθ] declares that [ðat] that none [nʊn] none shall [ʃal] shall get [gɛt] obtain passage [ˈpasɪdʒ] passage without [wɪðˈəʊt] without the [ðə] the queen’s [kwiːnz] queen’s licence [ˈləɪsəns] licence
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Instructions: These sentences present the same examples in natural Elizabethan English for fluent reading practice.
1.1 I must get money ere the sun doth set.
1.2 Thou shalt get wisdom from the ancient books.
1.3 Get thee to a nunnery forthwith.
1.4 The merchant hath gotten great riches in the East.
1.5 She cannot get her portion from her father.
1.6 We must get horses for the journey to York.
1.7 The villain got away ere we could seize him.
1.8 How didst thou get such knowledge of the law?
1.9 The queen hath got with child by the king.
1.10 Get you gone from this place and trouble me no more.
1.11 By honest labour shall a man get bread for his family.
1.12 Thy brother hath gotten the infection and lieth sick.
1.13 The player could not get his words aright upon the stage.
1.14 What profit hath a man if he get the world and lose his soul?
1.15 The proclamation declareth that none shall get passage without the queen’s licence.
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Instructions: Read these sentences aloud, focusing on the Original Pronunciation features. Practice the rhotic ‘r’ sounds and the period vowel qualities.
I must get money ere the sun doth set. Thou shalt get wisdom from the ancient books. Get thee to a nunnery forthwith. The merchant hath gotten great riches in the East. She cannot get her portion from her father. We must get horses for the journey to York. The villain got away ere we could seize him. How didst thou get such knowledge of the law? The queen hath got with child by the king. Get you gone from this place and trouble me no more. By honest labour shall a man get bread for his family. Thy brother hath gotten the infection and lieth sick. The player could not get his words aright upon the stage. What profit hath a man if he get the world and lose his soul? The proclamation declareth that none shall get passage without the queen’s licence.
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Principal Parts:
The verb get in Early Modern English followed strong verb conjugation patterns inherited from Old Norse: -
Infinitive: get [gɛt] -
Present: get, gettest (thou), getteth/gets (he/she) -
Past: got [gɔt] -
Past Participle: gotten [ˈgɔtən] (standard form; got also appearing)
Key Grammatical Features:
1. The Imperative “Get thee/you”
The phrase get thee functions as an emphatic command meaning “take yourself” or “betake yourself.” The reflexive pronoun is obligatory in this construction: -
Get thee hence — Depart from here -
Get thee to bed — Take yourself to bed -
Get you gone — Take yourselves away (plural)
2. “Get with child”
This idiom means “to become pregnant” or, with a causative sense, “to make pregnant.” The phrase appears frequently in Shakespeare and reflects the verb’s original connection to beget: -
She hath got with child — She has become pregnant -
He got her with child — He made her pregnant
3. Subjunctive Forms
In conditional and hypothetical clauses, get often appears without the third-person singular -eth/-s ending: -
If he get the kingdom... (not gets) -
Lest she get wind of our design...
4. Auxiliary Combinations
Get combines freely with modal auxiliaries and hath/have: -
must get — obligation to obtain -
shall get — future obtaining -
hath gotten — has obtained (perfect aspect) -
could not get — past inability to obtain
A significant feature of Original Pronunciation is the treatment of the -tion suffix. In Modern English, we pronounce this as [ʃən], but in Shakespeare’s time, the pronunciation was closer to [sɪən], preserving the Latin origin more clearly: -
proclamation — Modern: [prɒkləˈmeɪʃən] → OP: [prɔkləˈmɛːsɪən] -
infection — Modern: [ɪnˈfekʃən] → OP: [ɪnˈfɛksɪən] -
portion — Modern: [ˈpɔːʃən] → OP: [ˈpɔːɹsɪən]
This fuller pronunciation affects scansion in verse and helps explain certain rhymes that work in OP but not in modern pronunciation.
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The verb get touched upon some of the most fundamental concerns of Elizabethan society: the acquisition of property, the continuation of family lines, and the navigation of social mobility.
Economic “Getting”
In an age before banking as we know it, getting money often meant physical acquisition—collecting rents, receiving payment in coin, or profiting from trade. Merchants who had “gotten” wealth in foreign trade occupied an ambiguous social position: prosperous yet not gentle-born. The plays of the period frequently dramatize the tension between inherited status and gotten fortune.
Begetting and Lineage
The connection between get and beget remained strong. Questions of legitimate offspring—who had “gotten” children by whom—drove much of the political drama of the Tudor and early Stuart periods. When Shakespeare’s histories address succession crises, the vocabulary of getting and begetting recurs constantly.
“Getting” as Social Climbing
To get preferment, to get access to court, to get a patron’s favour—these were the preoccupations of ambitious Elizabethans. The universities and Inns of Court produced men who had gotten learning but needed to get positions. This social mobility, enabled by getting education and connections, transformed English society throughout the period.
The command “get thee” deserves special attention. When Hamlet tells Ophelia “Get thee to a nunnery,” the phrase carries complex resonances. The imperative get thee implies both physical departure and a sort of spiritual self-conveyance—Ophelia must take herself away, removing her presence and her problematic purity from the corrupt court.
This construction survives fossilized in modern English only in deliberate archaism. But for Elizabethans, it was living syntax, part of the everyday language of command and dismissal.
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From Hamlet (c. 1600):
“Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?”
Here get thee carries the imperative force of command, while the following question reveals Hamlet’s tortured meditation on generation and corruption. To get offspring, in a world of sinners, becomes itself a kind of sin.
From The Merchant of Venice (c. 1596):
“When Jacob grazed his uncle Laban’s sheep... The skilful shepherd peeled me certain wands... And in the doing of the deed of kind, He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes, Who then conceiving did in eaning time Fall parti-coloured lambs, and those were Jacob’s. This was a way to thrive, and he was blest: And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not.”
Shylock’s speech concerns the getting of profit through natural increase—a defence of usury through biblical precedent. The vocabulary of animal husbandry (conceiving, eaning) connects economic getting to biological begetting.
From King Lear (c. 1605):
“The younger rises when the old doth fall.” “Get thee glass eyes, And like a scurvy politician, seem To see the things thou dost not.”
Lear’s bitter advice to Gloucester combines get (obtain) with savage irony—the blind man should get glass eyes to seem to see, just as corrupt politicians pretend to perception they lack.
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Instructions: The following narrative depicts a cloth merchant’s morning in Elizabethan London. Each sentence incorporates the verb get in various forms. Read the interlinear text first, then practice the natural continuous narrative.
2.1a Master Harding rose at dawn, for he must get to Cheapside ere the market opened.
2.1b Master [ˈmastəɹ] Master Harding [ˈhɑːɹdɪŋ] Harding rose [roːz] rose at [at] at dawn [dɑːn] dawn for [fɔːɹ] for he [hiː] he must [mʊst] must get [gɛt] arrive to [tʊ] at Cheapside [ˈtʃiːpsəɪd] Cheapside ere [ɛːɹ] before the [ðə] the market [ˈmɑːɹkɪt] market opened [ˈoːpənd] opened
2.2a He had gotten word that a ship from Antwerp had arrived with fine Flemish cloth.
2.2b He [hiː] he had [had] had gotten [ˈgɔtən] received word [wʊɹd] word that [ðat] that a [ə] a ship [ʃɪp] ship from [frʊm] from Antwerp [ˈantwɛːɹp] Antwerp had [had] had arrived [əˈɹəɪvd] arrived with [wɪθ] with fine [fəɪn] fine Flemish [ˈflɛmɪʃ] Flemish cloth [klɔːθ] cloth
2.3a If he could get there first, the best pieces should be his.
2.3b If [ɪf] if he [hiː] he could [kʊd] could get [gɛt] arrive there [ðɛːɹ] there first [fɛːɹst] first the [ðə] the best [bɛst] best pieces [ˈpiːsɪz] pieces should [ʃʊd] should be [biː] be his [hɪz] his
2.4a His apprentice had not yet gotten the mule saddled.
2.4b His [hɪz] his apprentice [əˈprɛntɪs] apprentice had [had] had not [nɔt] not yet [jɛt] yet gotten [ˈgɔtən] gotten the [ðə] the mule [mjuːl] mule saddled [ˈsadld] saddled
2.5a “Get thee about thy business, boy, or we shall lose our advantage!”
2.5b Get [gɛt] betake thee [ðiː] yourself about [əˈbəʊt] about thy [ðəɪ] your business [ˈbɪznɪs] business boy [bɔɪ] boy or [ɔːɹ] or we [wiː] we shall [ʃal] shall lose [loːz] lose our [əʊɹ] our advantage [ədˈvantɪdʒ] advantage
2.6a The boy scrambled to get the harness upon the stubborn beast.
2.6b The [ðə] the boy [bɔɪ] boy scrambled [ˈskrambld] scrambled to [tʊ] to get [gɛt] put the [ðə] the harness [ˈhɑːɹnɪs] harness upon [əˈpɔn] upon the [ðə] the stubborn [ˈstʊbəɹn] stubborn beast [biːst] beast
2.7a At last they got underway, threading through the narrow lanes.
2.7b At [at] at last [last] last they [ðɛː] they got [gɔt] got underway [ˈʊndəɹwɛː] underway threading [ˈθrɛdɪŋ] threading through [θrʊ] through the [ðə] the narrow [ˈnaroː] narrow lanes [lɛːnz] lanes
2.8a A cart had overturned, and none could get past without great labour.
2.8b A [ə] a cart [kɑːɹt] cart had [had] had overturned [oːvəɹˈtʊɹnd] overturned and [and] and none [nʊn] none could [kʊd] could get [gɛt] pass past [past] past without [wɪðˈəʊt] without great [gɹɛːt] great labour [ˈlɛːbəɹ] labour
2.9a Master Harding grew wroth, for his rivals might get the cloth whilst he waited.
2.9b Master [ˈmastəɹ] Master Harding [ˈhɑːɹdɪŋ] Harding grew [grʊ] grew wroth [rɔːθ] angry for [fɔːɹ] for his [hɪz] his rivals [ˈɹəɪvlz] rivals might [məɪt] might get [gɛt] obtain the [ðə] the cloth [klɔːθ] cloth whilst [ʍəɪlst] while he [hiː] he waited [ˈwɛːtɪd] waited
2.10a He dismounted and, leaving the boy, got himself through the press on foot.
2.10b He [hiː] he dismounted [dɪsˈməʊntɪd] dismounted and [and] and leaving [ˈliːvɪŋ] leaving the [ðə] the boy [bɔɪ] boy got [gɔt] got himself [hɪmˈsɛlf] himself through [θrʊ] through the [ðə] the press [prɛs] crowd on [ɔn] on foot [fʊt] foot
2.11a By good fortune, he got to the wharf just as the factors began their dealing.
2.11b By [bəɪ] by good [gʊd] good fortune [ˈfɔːɹtjʊn] fortune he [hiː] he got [gɔt] arrived to [tʊ] at the [ðə] the wharf [ʍɑːɹf] wharf just [dʒʊst] just as [az] as the [ðə] the factors [ˈfaktəɹz] factors began [bɪˈgan] began their [ðɛːɹ] their dealing [ˈdiːlɪŋ] dealing
2.12a He got an excellent price, for he had gotten there before his competitors.
2.12b He [hiː] he got [gɔt] obtained an [ən] an excellent [ˈɛksələnt] excellent price [prəɪs] price for [fɔːɹ] for he [hiː] he had [had] had gotten [ˈgɔtən] arrived there [ðɛːɹ] there before [bɪˈfɔːɹ] before his [hɪz] his competitors [kəmˈpɛtɪtəɹz] competitors
2.13a With the transaction complete, he must now get the goods safely to his warehouse.
2.13b With [wɪθ] with the [ðə] the transaction [tranˈzaksɪən] transaction complete [kəmˈpliːt] complete he [hiː] he must [mʊst] must now [nəʊ] now get [gɛt] transport the [ðə] the goods [gʊdz] goods safely [ˈsɛːfli] safely to [tʊ] to his [hɪz] his warehouse [ˈwɛːɹhəʊs] warehouse
2.14a “Get porters,” he called to his apprentice, “and let no man finger the bolts!”
2.14b Get [gɛt] fetch porters [ˈpɔːɹtəɹz] porters he [hiː] he called [kɑːld] called to [tʊ] to his [hɪz] his apprentice [əˈprɛntɪs] apprentice and [and] and let [lɛt] let no [noː] no man [man] man finger [ˈfɪŋgəɹ] touch the [ðə] the bolts [boːlts] bolts
2.15a By noon, Master Harding had gotten his prize secured, and he sat to dine well content.
2.15b By [bəɪ] by noon [nʊn] noon Master [ˈmastəɹ] Master Harding [ˈhɑːɹdɪŋ] Harding had [had] had gotten [ˈgɔtən] gotten his [hɪz] his prize [prəɪz] prize secured [sɪˈkjʊəɹd] secured and [and] and he [hiː] he sat [sat] sat to [tʊ] to dine [dəɪn] dine well [wɛl] well content [kənˈtɛnt] content
Master Harding rose at dawn, for he must get to Cheapside ere the market opened. He had gotten word that a ship from Antwerp had arrived with fine Flemish cloth. If he could get there first, the best pieces should be his. His apprentice had not yet gotten the mule saddled. “Get thee about thy business, boy, or we shall lose our advantage!” The boy scrambled to get the harness upon the stubborn beast.
At last they got underway, threading through the narrow lanes. A cart had overturned, and none could get past without great labour. Master Harding grew wroth, for his rivals might get the cloth whilst he waited. He dismounted and, leaving the boy, got himself through the press on foot.
By good fortune, he got to the wharf just as the factors began their dealing. He got an excellent price, for he had gotten there before his competitors. With the transaction complete, he must now get the goods safely to his warehouse. “Get porters,” he called to his apprentice, “and let no man finger the bolts!” By noon, Master Harding had gotten his prize secured, and he sat to dine well content.
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This Elizabethan English course follows the Latinum Institute methodology, designed for autodidactic learners who wish to engage directly with the language of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and the King James Bible. Each lesson builds familiarity with Early Modern English through interlinear construed text—a time-tested technique that makes complex historical language accessible without formal grammatical prerequisites.
The course employs Original Pronunciation (OP) transcription based on the reconstruction work of David Crystal, allowing learners to hear in their mind’s ear how Shakespeare’s audiences would have received these words. This phonological dimension adds depth to literary study and reveals wordplay and rhymes obscured by modern pronunciation.
Course Index:
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End of Lesson 033
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