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shall

VERB · English

Experimental / limited support

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Experimental coverage — measured below Partial on the number of recorded words, definitions, translations, word forms and pronunciation. Treat entries as evidence to check; meanings may be incomplete.

English is Experimental in Words. Support is measured, not declared: a language reaches Partial only when every measure meets its threshold, and a measure that has not been taken does not count. The development corpus holds 60 source-backed words in English. What is shown may be incomplete, and pronunciation audio, generated forms and generated examples are not offered.

  1. Definition: Used before a verb to indicate the simple future tense in the first person singular or plural.

    auxiliary · defective · modal · no-past-participle · no-present-participle

    No translation has been attempted for this sense.

    • I shall sing in the choir tomorrow. Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • I hope that we shall win the game. Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • "Then, having used up the powers of the Golden Cap, I shall give it to the King of the Monkeys, that he and his band may thereafter be free for evermore." 1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, chapter 23, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC:
    • A woman shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage for being elected to or sitting or voting as a Member of the Commons House of Parliament. 1918, Parliament of the United Kingdom, “Section 20(3)”, in Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918ᵂⁱᵏⁱˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ, page 1:

  2. Definition: Used similarly to indicate determination or obligation in the second and third persons singular or plural.

    auxiliary · defective · modal · no-past-participle · no-present-participle

    No translation has been attempted for this sense.

    • (determination): You shall go to the ball!; He shall be given a fair trial. Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • (obligation): Citizens shall provide proof of identity. Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • (obligation): The renter shall be responsible for maintenance of the vehicle. Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • Things haven't turned out as I intended they should, but I still intend that you shall take over the business. Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • And the gates of it ſhall not bee ſhut at all by day: foꝛ there ſhall bee no night there. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 21:25, column 1:
    • A woman shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage for being elected to or sitting or voting as a Member of the Commons House of Parliament. 1918, Parliament of the United Kingdom, “Section 1”, in Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918ᵂⁱᵏⁱˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ, page 1:

  3. Definition: Used in questions with the first person singular or plural to suggest a possible future action.

    auxiliary · defective · modal · no-past-participle · no-present-participle

    No translation has been attempted for this sense.

    • What shall I do? Shall I give you a hand? Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • Shall we go out later? Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • I'll hold that for you, shall I? Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • Let us examine that, shall we? - Yeah let's. Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • Shall we see you before you set out? Usage example — not an attested quotation.

  4. Definition: To owe.

    auxiliary · defective · modal · no-past-participle · no-present-participle · obsolete

    No translation has been attempted for this sense.

    • I thee shall a hundred golden coins; th'amount thou shalt the Queen is much higher. Usage example — not an attested quotation.
    • He should þe Princess his Life, for she had deliver'd him from þe Poison deadly. Usage example — not an attested quotation.

No paradigm has been compiled for this word yet.

Etymology: From Middle English schal (infinitive schulen), from Old English sċeal (infinitive sċulan (“should, must”)), from Proto-West Germanic *skulan, from Proto-Germanic *skal (infinitive *skulaną), from Proto-Indo-European *skel- (“to owe, be under obligation”). Cognate with Scots sall, sal (“shall”), North Frisian skal, schal, Saterland Frisian skäl, schäl, schal (infinitive skälle, schälle), West Frisian sil (infinitive sille (“shall”)), Dutch zal (infinitive zullen (“shall”)), Low German schall (infinitive schölen (“shall”)), German soll (infinitive sollen (“ought to”)), Danish skal (infinitive skulle (“shall”)), Icelandic skal (infinitive skulu (“shall”)), Afrikaans sal, Swedish skall (“shall”) (infinitive skola).

No related word is recorded for this word.