Runneth

/ˈrʌnɪθ/ verb

Definition

Archaic third-person singular form of 'run,' used in older English as in 'he runneth' instead of 'he runs.'

Etymology

From Old English 'rinnan' or 'irnan.' The '-eth' suffix was the standard way to conjugate verbs in Early Modern English, seen in the King James Bible and Shakespeare.

Kelly Says

The '-eth' ending was completely standard 400 years ago but sounds archaic now—language changes so fast that what's normal in one generation becomes odd in the next.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.