List of Paragoge Words: Meaning, Usage, and Significance in English Literature

Introduction to Paragoge

Language is constantly evolving, and one of the fascinating ways words change over time is through a process called paragoge. While this term is rarely discussed outside of linguistic circles, its impact can be seen throughout English history, poetry, dialects, and even modern speech.

In this article, we’ll break down paragoge step by step, covering:

What paragoge means and how it works.
Examples of paragoge in Old, Middle, and Modern English.
How paragoge influences pronunciation, poetry, and dialects.
The role of paragoge in branding, marketing, and digital communication.

By the end, you’ll have a clear and in-depth understanding of this linguistic phenomenon, its historical significance, and its modern applications.

What is Paragoge? A Simple Definition

Basic Meaning

Paragoge is the addition of a letter, sound, or syllable at the end of a word. This happens for various reasons, including phonetic ease, poetic structure, and dialectal influence.

For example:

“Whilst” instead of while
“Withouten” instead of without
“Idear” instead of idea (common in some dialects)

Etymology and Origin

The word paragoge comes from the Greek term “παραγωγή” (paragōgē), meaning “extension” or “derivation.” It has been observed in Latin, Old, Middle, and even modern dialects across different languages.

Historical Evolution of Paragoge in English

Paragoge has existed throughout different periods of English history, evolving as the language has changed.

Paragoge in Old and Middle English (500–1500 AD)

Why It Happened:

During Old and Middle English, many words naturally ended in vowels.
Over time, some words lost these vowels in speech but kept them in poetry and formal writing.
This helped maintain rhythm, meter, and pronunciation clarity.

Examples in Middle English Literature:

Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (14th century)
“Withouten” instead of without
“Awakeneth” instead of awakens
“Endeth” instead of ends

Key Insight:

Many of these added endings (-en, -eth) later disappeared in spoken English, but they helped preserve the poetic structure of Middle English verse.

Comprehensive List of Paragoge Words in English

Old English & Middle English Paragoge Words

These words were commonly used before Modern English evolved, often in poetry, religious texts, and formal writings.

Base Word	Paragoge Form	Context
While	Whilst	Middle English, Poetry
Without	Withouten	Chaucer, Old English
Awake	Awaken	Old English, Poetry
End	Endeth	Early English
Call	Calleth	King James Bible
Love	Loveth	Religious Texts
Say	Sayeth	Archaic English
Do	Doeth	Bible, Legal English
Can	Canst	Old English
Will	Wilt	Formal, Archaic
Shall	Shalt	Early Modern English
Dare	Dareth	Shakespearean
Lie	Lieth	Poetry
Give	Giveth	Religious Texts
Break	Breaketh	Archaic
Cry	Crieth	Old Poetry
Hear	Heareth	Bible
Help	Helpeth	Middle English
Know	Knoweth	Legal and Archaic Use
Seek	Seeketh	Religious Texts
Take	Taketh	Old English
Think	Thinketh	Formal Writings
See	Seeth	Archaic
Run	Runneth	Early English
Read	Readeth	Biblical English
Write	Writeth	Middle English
Bite	Biteth	Shakespearean Poetry
Hold	Holdeth	Archaic, Religious
Jump	Jumpeth	Poetic Style
Smile	Smileth	Shakespearean English
Live	Liveth	Biblical English
Die	Dieth	Formal Writing

Shakespearean & King James Bible Paragoge Words

Many Elizabethan English and Biblical phrases retained paragoge for formal effect.

Base Word	Paragoge Form	Context
Work	Worketh	Old English
Know	Knowest	Archaic Formality
Go	Goeth	Old Literature
Do	Doest	Poetic and Religious
Have	Haveth	Middle English
Were	Weren	Early English
Be	Beest	Archaic
Think	Thinkest	Shakespearean Use
Look	Lookest	Poetry
Feel	Feelest	Shakespearean
See	Seest	Old English
Thou	Thouest	Archaic Use
Whither	Whithereth	Middle English
Stand	Standeth	Archaic
Make	Maketh	Old Religious Texts
Send	Sendeth	Poetry
Move	Moveth	Archaic, Poetry
Speak	Speaketh	Shakespearean
Believe	Believeth	Biblical English
Bring	Bringeth	Poetry
Begin	Beginneth	Old English
End	Endeth	Religious Texts
Enter	Entereth	Early Modern English
Change	Changeth	Bible
Cry	Cryeth	Shakespearean English

Dialectal & Regional Paragoge Words

In some English dialects (especially in parts of Britain, Ireland, and the U.S. South), paragoge still exists today.

Base Word	Paragoge Form	Region
Idea	Idear	Some British Dialects
Saw	Sawr	Southern U.S. Dialects
Draw	Drawr	Some Northern U.S. Dialects
War	Warsh	Appalachian English
You	Yous	Irish English, New York Dialect
Ain’t	Ain’t-a	Southern U.S.
Anyhow	Anyhows	Informal Speech
Back	Backa	Some Southern Dialects
Off	Offa	Informal Speech
More	Morey	Poetic Dialects

Modern Words with Paragoge from Foreign Influences

Some modern English words take extra endings due to loanwords or phonetic adaptation from other languages.

Base Word	Paragoge Form	Influence
Okay	Okay-o	Slang, Italian Influence
No	Noo	Informal Speech
Bravo	Bravo-o	Italian Influence
Taco	Taco-o	Spanglish
Guy	Guy-o	Slang, Informal
Pro	Pro-o	Business Slang
Bro	Broo	Internet Slang

The Functions of Paragoge in Language

Paragoge serves multiple linguistic, poetic, and practical purposes.

1. Phonetic Adaptation (Easier Pronunciation)

Why It Happens:

Some languages naturally avoid ending words with consonants, so they add vowels to borrowed words.

Examples of Loanword Adaptation:

Spanish:
“Club” → “clubo”
“Film” → “filmo”
Japanese:
“Bread” → “pan-o”
“Milk” → “miruku”

Key Insight:

This is why many English loanwords sound slightly different when used in Spanish, Italian, or Japanese.

2. Poetic and Stylistic Use

Why Poets Use It:

Maintains rhyme and rhythm.
Enhances formal or dramatic tone.

📖 Examples in Poetry:

“The silent night so dark and deepeth,
Where whispers wander, shadows creepeth.”

📝 Key Insight:
Adding -eth or -en keeps the rhythm consistent.

🔹 3. Creating a More Formal or Elevated Tone

📌 Where It Appears:

Religious and legal texts
Shakespearean English
Historical documents

📖 Example from the Bible (King James Version):

“Blessed art thou when men shall revile thee, and persecute thee.”

📝 Key Insight:
Older translations of the Bible used paragoge to add a solemn and authoritative tone.

🔹 4. Branding, Marketing, and Social Media

📌 Why Companies Use It:

It makes brand names more memorable.
Adds a playful, friendly, or rhythmic effect.

📖 Examples of Brand Names:

“Chewy” (instead of chew)
“Techy” (instead of tech)
“Crispy” (instead of crisp)

📖 Examples in Social Media Slang:

“Okayyy” (instead of okay)
“Noooah” (instead of no)

📝 Key Insight:
Paragoge makes words sound more expressive and engaging online.

How Paragoge Relates to Other Linguistic Phenomena

Paragoge is just one of many ways words evolve.

📌 How It Compares:

Linguistic Process	Definition	Example
Paragoge	Adds a sound at the end	“Idear” (idea)
Epenthesis	Inserts a sound inside a word	“Ath-e-lete” (athlete)
Apocope	Drops the last sound	“Photo” (photograph)
Prothesis	Adds a sound at the start	“Establish” (from stabilire)

📝 Key Insight:
Languages naturally modify words over time to fit speech patterns, accents, and writing styles.

Conclusion

Paragoge may seem like a minor linguistic detail, but it reveals a lot about how languages change. Whether in Shakespeare’s poetry, modern dialects, or branding, it remains a powerful tool for shaping pronunciation and style.

🔹 Key Takeaways:

Paragoge adds extra sounds to words for phonetics, rhythm, or dialectal influence.
Found in Old, Middle, and Modern English as well as loanwords.
Used in poetry, religious texts, marketing, and slang.

Next time you hear “idear” instead of “idea” or “chewy” instead of “chew”, you’ll know why