Among the most characteristic lexical features of Early Latin drama is its rich system of exclamations and interjections, prominently including expressions based on theonyms: hercle/mehercle ‘by Hercules!’, ēcastor/mēcastor ‘by Castor!’, edepol/pol ‘by Pollux!’, and others. Considerable linguistic interest attaches to these forms, concerning their syntax, their gender-differentiated usage, and in some cases their phonological, morphological, and etymological background. The background of Lat. edepol as an imprecation to Pollux has been clear at least since Varro (ap. Gell. 11.6). Alternative etymologies—e.g. “[m]ed Apoll[o]” (Speyer) and others (see LEW s.v. ēcastor)—can be discarded; but they point to indeterminacies that remain neglected. The modern understanding of edepol assumes a three-part univerbated structure: e- is a particle; -de- is a shortened form of the word for ‘god’ (Class. Lat. deus); and -pol is a shortened form of Pollux (or older Pollūcēs, borrowed from Gk. Πολυδεύκης). Each element incorporates interesting problems, and there is also a problem concerning the word as a whole.

In the early modern English period, the distinction between the two pronominal terms of address for a single addressee, ye and thou, still existed but it was showing the first signs of decline. William Shakespeare did not use the case forms consistently, and the pragmatics of his system differs considerably from the situation in Middle English. The chapter shows how the pronominal and the nominal terms of address interact in the works by Shakespeare and in particular in Romeo and Juliet. In contrast to the situation in Middle English, the choice of ye or thou cannot always be accounted for on a turn-by-turn basis. Shakespeare’s use has to be described on a more global level for different dyads of speakers. The use of thou increasingly shows a high level of emotionality, which may ultimately have led to its demise and the present-day English system with only you as a pronominal term of address.