This is a list of words and spellings which are now considered archaic or obsolescent within the current status of the English language. Given both the rapidity of change in modern English and the number of versions used by nations and cultures, it should be borne in mind that dates are approximate and that the information here may not apply to all versions of English.

The evolution of the English language is characterised by four phases. The first period dates from approximately 450 to 1150 AD. At this time the language made use of full inflection, and is called Anglo-Saxon, or more exactly Old English. The second period dates from about 1150 to 1350 and is called Early English (or sometimes Old English again). During this time the majority of the inflections disappeared, and many Norman and French words joined the language because of the profound influence of the Anglo-Norman ruling class. The third period dates from about 1350 to 1550, and is known as Middle English. At this time the shape of the language began to coalesce and a relatively standard orthography emerged. The last period, from about 1550, is called Modern English.

The impact of dictionaries in the definition of obsolescent or archaic forms has caused the standardisation of spelling, hence many variant forms have been consigned to the dustbin of history.

It should be noted that often poets and writers of prose with a very strong feel for the language may on occasion deliberately choose to use archaisms to emphasise a certain point or to create a mood.

Archaisms in the English language

Original word	Origin	Meaning	Example	Comments
art	from are	present second-person singular form of the verb be.	...Who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? (Psalm 76:7)	still used in Biblical/Shakespearian/poetical language
betwixt	unknown	between	...He shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.(Song of Solomon 1:13)	still used in Biblical/Shakespearian/poetical language
bilbo	From Bilbao the best known place of manufacture	an obscure and seldom used word for a short sword	&nbsp	Bilbo Baggins is a fictional character
bobbish	unknown	to be in good health	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
Bouncable	unknown	a swaggering boaster	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
Bridewell	from the London prison of that name	a prison	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
caddish	from the noun cad	wicked	&nbsp	the noun 'cad' is dying out
cag-mag	unknown	decaying meat	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
chalk scores	unknown	a reference to accounts of debt, recorded with chalk marks	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
coddleshell	unknown	codicil; a modification to one's legal will	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
Coiner	unknown	a counterfeiter	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
costermonger	coster comes from Costard , a type of cooking apple, monger means trader or seller	a greengrocer, seller of fruit and vegetables	&nbsp	fishmonger, ironmonger and warmonger are among the surviving words ending in -monger
cove	unknown	a fellow or chap	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
dost	from do	present second-person singular form of the verb do	I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me... (Job 30:20)	Still used in Biblical, Shakespearian and poetical language.
doth	from do	present third-person singular form of the verb do	The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. (Proverbs 25:23)	Still used in Biblical, Shakespearian and poetical language.
drab	unknown	a whore	Finger of birth-strangled babe, ditch-delivered by a drab. (Shakespeare's Macbeth)	&nbsp
dream	A part of the root stock of the OE vocabulary.	joy	&nbsp	Under the influence of Old Norse speakers in England, the word dream changed its meaning from ``joy, festivity, noisy merriment" to ``a sleeping vision". Died out before the 13th century.
-est	unknown	suffix used to form the present second-person singular of regular verbs	When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble (Proverbs 4:12)	Still used in Biblical, Shakespearian and poetical language.
-eth	unknown	suffix used to form the present third-person singular of regular verbs	He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2)	Still used in Biblical, Shakespearian and poetical language.
ducats	A bullion coin (not legal tender) used in international trade	money	&nbsp	Ducats were displaced by sovereigns throughout the British empire. the term is Used today only in slang. Ducats are still produced by the Austrian mint. Ducat, in Latin, means "he rules," "she rules," or "it rules."
fire a rick	unknown	to burn a stack of hay (rick), as a form of protest	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
Forsooth!	&nbsp	An exclamation of dismay, somewhat like "damn"	&nbsp	Used in Shakespeareian English
fluey	From the flue of a chimney, normally coaed with soot from log or coal fires	dusty	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
gaole	unknown	gaol alt. British English spelling of jail	&nbsp	Died out in the mid-19th century
Grinder	unknown	a tutor who prepares students for examinations	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
hast	from have	present second-person singular form of the verb have	Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing... (Psalm 17:3)	Compare to hast in German. still used in Biblical/Shakespearian/poetical language
hath	from have	present third-person singular form of the verb have	This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)	still used in Biblical/Shakespearian/poetical language
heddes	unknown	heads	&nbsp	Died out c. 1650s
hither	here	English accusative case form
Indya	unknown	India	&nbsp	Died out c. 1860. This spelling is still (occasionally) in use today.
ivory tablets	unknown	paper for notetaking	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
kine	Middle English kyen, a plural of the Old English cy, plural of cu, "cow"	cows	&nbsp	Used until late 1800s; still in Biblical use; Spenser used the form kyne
mote	unknown	may, might	&nbsp	NB. It may be argued that it is not technically defunct since the word is still used in freemasonry as part of certain rituals.
over the broomstick	unknown	to be married in a folk ceremony and not recognized by the law. Still commonly used as part of the ceremony in modern Pagan weddings by Wiccans, Witches and other alternative spiritualities.	"Then if somebody been wantin' to marry they step over the broom and it be nounced they married" (Slave Narratives Betty Curlett of Hazen, Arkansas)	Used in 1860s, "over the brush" still used in British English Cf jumping the broomstick
quantum	unknown	money to pay a bill	&nbsp	Used in 1860s. Still used in this sense in some legal terminology.
Quene	OE. cwen (meaning a queen, a woman or a wife)	Queen	&nbsp	Died out c. 1650s
rantipole	unknown	to behave in a romping or rude manner	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
read with	unknown	to tutor	&nbsp	Used in 1860s, still used in Caribbean English
shake-down	unknown	a bed	&nbsp	Used in 1860s, also a modern slang term dealing with law enforcement
shalt	from shall	used to form the future tense of verbs	Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. (Psalm 2:9)	still used in Biblical/Shakespearian/poetical language
stand high	unknown	to have a good reputation	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
thee, thou	from Old English þú	old 2nd person singular pronoun	Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. (Psalm 118:28)	"Thee" is used when it is the grammatical object, "thou" when it is the subject. Still used in Biblical/Shakespearian/poetical language. Also still used in northern dialects of British English eg Yorkshire.
thither	there	English accusative case form of indicative pronoun there
thole	from Old English þolian	to bear; put up with; suffer	A man with a good crop can thole some thistles (Scots Proverb)	Still used in northern and Scottish dialects of British English eg Yorkshire.
unto		to, onto, upon	And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (Genesis 3:9)	Mainly used in Early Modern English
wert	from be	imperfect second-person singular form of the verb be	If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. (Job 8:6)	still used in Biblical/Shakespearian/poetical language
whence	unknown	where (origin)	...whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go?... (Genesis 16:8)	Compare to woher in German. still used in Biblical/Shakespearian/poetical language
whitesmith	from blacksmith, a iron worker	a tinsmith	&nbsp	Used in 1860s
whither	unknown	where (destination)	...whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go?... (Genesis 16:8)	Compare to wohin in German. still used in Biblical/Shakespearian/poetical language
whitlow	unknown	a sore or swelling in a finger or thumb	&nbsp	Used in 1860s, still used in British English
wilt	from will	used to form the future tense of verbs	...whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go?... (Genesis 16:8)	still used in Biblical/Shakespearian/poetical language
wittles	from "victuals"	food	You bring me, to-morrow morning early, that file and them wittles. (Great Expectations, Charles Dickens)	Used in 1860s, vittles still used in British and American English
zounds	corrupted form of "God's wounds"	expletive	&nbsp	still used occasionally in British English