quoth

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitiveliteraryarchaic

   An old literary way of saying 'said', used before or after a direct quotation.

   Grammar: Takes a quotation as its object; the speaker usually comes after the verb: Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'

   Patterns

   • quoth someone
   • quoth someone, "..."
   • "...", quoth someone

   Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'

   'I know not,' quoth he, and turned away.

   In the old ballad, the knight quoth, 'I will return at dawn.'

2. 2verbtransitivehumorousold-fashioned

   Used humorously to report what someone said, especially to sound mock-serious or old-fashioned.

   Grammar: Still takes a quotation; common in jokes, captions, and ironic writing.

   Patterns

   • quoth someone, "..."
   • "...", quoth someone

   'I'll do it tomorrow,' quoth the procrastinator.

   Quoth the boss, 'No more meetings on Friday.'

   And quoth the tired student, 'I'll sleep when the exams are over.'

Common combinations

quoth the raven

Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'

quoth he

'I shall return,' quoth he.

quoth she

'I told you so,' quoth she with a smile.

Synonyms and how they differ

said

The normal modern verb; use 'said' in everyday speech and writing, and reserve 'quoth' for literary or humorous effect.

spoke

Focuses on the act of speaking rather than introducing a quotation; 'quoth' always introduces what was said.

Commonly confused: quoth or quote?

Practice

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