Home › Glossary › Letter W

wander'st

Verb
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Archaic second-person singular form of "wander," used for intimate address; in poetic invocation, it personalizes the act of journeying, often in the context of death, love, or spiritual quest.

Detailed Definition
This is an older contracted verb form meaning 'wanderest.' Shakespeare uses it in a figurative way, saying the beloved will not roam in Death’s shade.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade” from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 means roam or stray; wander’st is the second-person archaic form, addressed directly to “thou”; “Wander’st thou beneath the alder trees?” imitates this older grammatical register; “You wander through the shade” gives the same action in modern diction but changes the rhythm and tone
Additional Notes
The contracted form 'wander'st' is archaic and may puzzle readers unfamiliar with Shakespearean verb endings.; Found in the poem, Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare
Also Known As
roam'st drift'st wanderest
Skip to main content