I am not too much a fan of what we call “artificial intelligence” today, as it is in most cases nothing else than very sophisticated pattern recognition. However, sometimes there are some interesting uses for it.
Today I tried to get to learn a little bit of Middle English or Shakespearean English, just because it sounds so archaic and kind of fun.
I asked GPT to give me sentences that I can type back to it, while also giving me a translation of each sentence and definitions for each new Shakespearean word we encounter. It worked pretty well.
At the end I asked it to make me a full list of all the sentences, translations and definition. Here the output (Behold! Thy I hath not granted the guarantee that the GPT response art correct!).
List of Sentences:
- Thou art most welcome to this fair endeavor.
(You are most welcome to this noble task.) - Dost thou seek wisdom in the ways of old?
(Do you seek knowledge in the ways of the past?) - Prithee, tell me what thou dost desire to learn next.
(Please, tell me what you wish to learn next.) - Verily, the path of knowledge is both wondrous and perilous. (Truly, the path of knowledge is both amazing and dangerous.)
- Thou dost use indeed marvelous words that the ancients hath used. (You truly use marvelous words that the ancients have used.)
- Hark! A great truth doth reveal itself to those who seek it earnestly.
(Listen! A great truth reveals itself to those who sincerely seek it.) - Wouldst thou venture forth into the unknown, or dost fear hold thee back?
(Would you journey into the unknown, or does fear prevent you?) - Tarry not, for time waiteth on no man!
(Do not delay, for time waits for no one!) - By my troth, thine words do carry great wisdom!
(Truly, your words hold great wisdom!) - Methinks the day groweth late, and yet our work is but begun.
(I think the day is growing late, and yet our work has only just begun.)
List of Shakespearean words and their definitions with translations:
- Thou – You (subject) /th-ow/
- Thee – You (object) /th-ee/
- Thy – Your (before a consonant) /th-eye/
- Thine – Your/Yours (before a vowel or as a standalone possessive) /th-ine/ as in “mine”
- Ye – You (plural or formal) /yee/
- Art – Are (used with “thou”) /art/
- Hast – Have (used with “thou”) /hast/
- Hath – Has (used with “he/she/it”) /hath/
- Dost – Do (used with “thou”) /dust/
- Doth – Does (used with “he/she/it”) /duth/
- Shalt – Shall (used with “thou”) /sh-ahlt/
- Wilt – Will (used with “thou”) /wilt/
- Canst – Can (used with “thou”) /kanst/
- Mayst – May (used with “thou”) /mayst/
- Wouldst – Would (used with “thou”) /woodst/
- Shouldst – Should (used with “thou”) /shouldst/
- Must needs – Must (for emphasis) /must needs/
- Methinks – I think /mee-thinks/
- Wert – Were (used with “thou”) /wert/
- Tis – It is /tis/
- Twas – It was /twaz/
- Whence – From where /wh-enss/
- Hither – Here /HITH-er/
- Thither – There /THITH-er/
- Whither – To where /WHITH-er/
- Forsooth – Indeed, truly /for-sooth/
- Fie! – An exclamation of disapproval /fye!/
- Marry! – An exclamation (like “Indeed!”) /mar-ree!/
- Prithee – I pray thee (used to ask for something) /PRITH-ee/
- Verily – Truly, certainly /VER-i-lee/
- Hark! – Listen! Pay attention! /hark!/
- Tarry – Delay, linger /TAR-ee/
- Waiteth – Waits /WAY-teth/
- Venture – Journey, take a risk /VEN-chur/
- Forth – Forward /forth/
- Unknown – That which is not known /un-NONE/
- Hold thee back – Prevent you, restrain you /hold thee back/
- Troth – Faith, truth /troth/
- Carry – Bear, hold /KAR-ee/
- Groweth – Grows /GROH-eth/
- But – Only /but/
- Begun – Started /bee-GUN/