"un-" words in Grenewey's Tacitus and Shakespeare: Part 4

The author of the works of Shakespeare tended to be creative/productive with the "un-" prefix. I can actually quantify this, but I will leave that for later. Trust me; it's really characteristic of the author and has been noted by others. It's one "tell" we can use to help identify works by Shakespeare.

So it might be instructive to go through the "un-" words in Grenewey's Tacitus and see if it shows us any clues. There are about 145 unique "un-" words in the text. For comparison, in the entire Shakespeare canon, there are approximately 700 unique "un-" words.

I've left the original spelling and compared each un- word with the database at Open Source Shakespeare and Phase 1 EEBO. (Those with the interest can easily supplement this with a Phase 2 EEBO search.) This will give us a general idea of how common a word was at the time and how often it appears in Shakespeare's works.

What Can We Conclude from This Analysis?

This analysis clearly shows a baseline
of common authorship between the works of Shakespeare and Grenewey's translation of Tacitus. Both authors very freely use 'un-' words in creative ways. There are unusual 'un-' words in common as well as many many overlapping uses of more common words.

This is certainly far from proof of common authorship! A few unusual words in common may be just coincidence or a common influence. The number and variety of un- words may just be due to both authors coincidentally having a tendency in that direction.

A more systematic analysis of words in EEBO for their use of un- words would offer us even more insight into this. Do some texts use rare un- words much more than others? Use un- words much more often? This is an exciting area of possible future research into authorship attribution.

Unusual Un- Words in Shared by Shakespeare and Grenewey's Tacitus

These are the words that appear in Grenewey's translation which, if you do a Phase 1 EEBO search, appear to be relatively uncommon words. So, for instance, the word "untuned" has about 30 hits before 1623. "unguarded" has about 50. These are not by any means rare words, but they contrast with many words listed below as "common" which have many hundreds or even thousands of uses in that time frame.

There are a few words, though, which really do seem to be uncommon. "unsquared," in particular, appears to have been very rare. Only a handful of uses are in the database, so the common use between Shakespeare and Grenewey is notable. "unbacked" and "uncoined" are also notably uncommon.

vnsquared - extremely uncommon (1 Shax, Troilus and Cressida)
vnbacked - uncommon (2 Shax)
vncoyned - uncommon (1 Shax, Henry V)
vnhandsome - somewhat common (4 Shax)
vnpolished - somewhat uncommon (4 Shax)*
vnstained - somewhat uncommon (4 Shax)
vntrained - somewhat uncommon (1 Shax, Love's Labour's Lost)
vntried - somewhat uncommon (1 Shax)
vntrimmed - somewhat uncommon (1 Shax, King John)
vntuned - somewhat uncommon (3 Shax)
vnuiolated - somewhat uncommon (1 Shax, Comedy of Errors)
vngarded - somewhat uncommon (3 Shax)
vnpractised - somewhat common (3 Shax)

Very Unusual Un-Words in Grenewey's Tacitus

Here are examples of un- words that appear in Grenewey's Tacitus but seem to be very rare overall. it shows that the translator did freely use the un- prefix even in cases where he likely never saw a similar example.

vncircumpection - extremely uncommon (0 Shax)
vnc(o/u)mbred - very uncommon (0 Shax)
vnwontednes - very uncommon (0 Shax, several "unwonted")
vnnestle - extremely uncommon (0 Shax)
vndedicated - very uncommon (0 Shax)


All the Rest

Here are the rest of the examples.

vnaccustomed - common (5 Shax)
vnacquainted - common (3 Shax)
vnaduertised - uncommon (0 Shax, but occurs in Hall's Chronicles, a known Shakespeare source)
vnaduised - common (8 Shax)
vnaduisedly - common (1 Shax, Richard III)
vnapt - common (6 Shax)
vnarmed - common (8 Shax)
vnasked - somewhat common (1 Shax, Venus and Adonis)
vnattempted - somewhat common (1 Shax)
vnawares - common (5 Shax)
vnbeaten - uncommon (0 Shax)
vnbound - common (3 Shax)
vnbrideled - common (2 Shax)
vnburdened - somewhat common (0 Shax, "unburden" in Merchant of Venice)
vnburied - common (2 Shax)
vncertain(e) - common (11 Shax)
vncertaintie(s) - common (3 Shax)
vnchanged - somewhat common (0 Shax) [further study]
vnchast(e) - common (4 Shax)
vnchastnes - uncommon [further study]
vncircumspect - uncommon (0 Shax) ["circumspect" appears twice]
vncircumspectly -  uncommon (0 Shax)
vnciuill - common (8 shax)
vncleane(s) - common (5 Shax)
vncleannes - common (2 Shax)
vncloath(ed) - common (0 Shax)
vnconsiderate - uncommon (0 Shax)
vnconsideratly - uncommon (0 Shax)
vnconstancie - somewhat common (0 Shax)
vnconstant - common (4 Shax)
vncorrupt - common (0 Shax)
vncorrupted - common (0 Shax)
vncorruptly - somewhat uncommon (0 Shax)
vncouer - common (1 Shax)
vncouered - common (5 Shax)
vncredible - common (0 Shax)
vndecently - uncommon (0 Shax)
vndefended - uncommon (0 Shax)
vndefensed - uncommon (0 Shax)
vndefiled - common (0 Shax)
vndeserued - common (5 Shax)
vndiscretion - uncommon (0 Shax)
vndone - common (10+ Shax)
vndoubted - common (4 Shax)
vneasie - common (4 Shax)
vnequall - common (5 Shax)
vnequally - common (0 Shax)
vneuen - common (7 Shax)
vnexperienced - common (2 Shax)
vnexpert - somewhat common (0 Shax)
vnexpertest - extremely unusual (0 Shax)
vnfainedly - common (3 Shax)
vnfit - common (10 Shax)
vnfortified - somewhat common (1 Shax, Hamlet)
vnfortunat(e) - common (10 Shax)
vnfurnished - common (1 Shax, Romeo and Juliet)
vngracious - common (8 Shax)
vngratefull - common (7 Shax)
vnhabited - somewhat common (0 Shax)*
vnhappie - common (10+ Shax)
vnh(e)ard - common (4 Shax)
vnhonest - common (0 Shax)
vnhurt - somewhat common (0 Shax, "unhurtful" in Measure for Measure)
vninuited - uncommon (0 Shax)
vniust - common (10+ Shax)
vniustly - common (8 Shax)
vnknown - common (10+ Shax)
vnlaboured - uncommon (0 Shax)
vnlaced - somewhat common (0-1 Shax, "Passionate Pilgrim")
vnlawfull - common (10+ Shax)
vnlearned - very common (3 Shax)
vnlike - common (10+ Shax)
vnlikely - common (4 Shax)
vnlooked - common (10+ Shax)
vnluckely - common (6 Shax)
vnlucky - common (6 Shax)
vnlustie - common (0 Shax)
vnmeete - common (6 Shax)
vnmeetest - uncommon (0 Shax) in Golding's Plutarch
vnmindfull - common (1 Shax, Richard III)
vnnatural(l) - common (10+ Shax)
vnnaturally - common (1 Shax)
vnoccupied - common (0 Shax) EC
vnorderly - somewhat common (0 Shax)
vnpleasant - common (1 Shax)
vnpleasing - somewhat common (5 Shax)
vnprofitable - very common (6 Shax)
vnprosperous - somewhat common (0 Shax)
vnprouided - common (7 Shax)
vnpunished - common (0 Shax)
vnquiet - common (8 Shax)
vnreadie - somewhat common (3 Shax, Henry VI, Part 1)
vnreasonable - common (4 Shax)
vnreasonably - somewhat common (1 Shax, Coriolanus)
vnrecompensed - uncommon (0 Shax)
vnrestrained - somewhat uncommon (1 Shax, Richard II) CG
vnreuenged - common (2 Shax)
vnreuerent - common (3 Shax)
vnrulines - somewhat common (0 Shax)
vnruly - common (10+ Shax)
vnsaide - somewhat uncommon (0 Shax)
vnseasonable - common (4 Shax)
vnseasonably - common (1 Shax, As You Like It)
vnseem(e)ly - common (1 Shax, Romeo and Juliet)
vnshaken - somewhat common (2 Shax)
vnskilful(l) - common (5 Shax)
vnskilfully - common (1 Shax, Measure for Measure)
vnskilfulnes - common (0 Shax)
vnsought - common (3 Shax)
vnstayedly - uncommon (0 Shax)
vntackled - very uncommon (0 Shax)
vntemperate - common (0 Shax)
vntied - common (2 Shax)
vntimely - common (10+ Shax)
vntol(l)erable - common (0 Shax)
vntouched - common (2 Shax)
vntowardly - common (1 Shax, Much Ado About Nothing)
vntrue - common (7 Shax)
vntruly - common (0 Shax)
vnusuall - common (6 Shax)
vnwarlike - somewhat uncommon (0 Shax)
vnwasted - uncommon (0 Shax)
vnwholesomnes - uncommon (0 Shax)
vnwilling - very common (10+ Shax)
vnwillingly - common (6 Shax)
vnworthy/ie - very common (10+ Shax)
vnwrought - somewhat uncommon (0 Shax)