Carest

/ˈkɛrɪst/ verb

Definition

Second person singular present tense of 'care' in archaic or poetic English; you care (as in 'thou carest').

Etymology

From Old English 'carian', related to Old Norse 'kǫrr' (care, sorrow). The '-est' ending is the archaic second person singular form used with 'thou' in Early Modern English.

Kelly Says

Shakespeare and the King James Bible used 'thou carest' constantly, but this form disappeared after about 1700 when 'thou' itself became archaic—yet you can still spot it in prayers and period fantasy novels to create an 'old' feeling.

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