Meaning of the words knoweth and liveth

[tung quoc]

Dear teachers,

Please read:

Then I began to think, that it is very true which is commonly said, that the one half of the world knoweth not how the other half lievth.

"knoweth" and "lievth" are what tense?

Thanks
Quoc

[Pamela]

Let me assume that knoweth and liveth is knows(third person sg of the verb to know) and the second lives(third person sg of the verb to live. eth is an archaic inflexion and is met in poetry(Shakespeare's sonnets, for example)

p.s. I'm inclined to think that you misspelled the word liveth having written lievth

[Yankee]

Hi Quoc

The words knoweth and liveth are extremely archaic. The quote is from Fran?ois Rabelais and he was born at the end of the 1400s.

The words are very archaic simple present tense. As Pamela mentioned, in modern English you will find the -s ending instead.

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English