shall
verb/ʃæl/ · /ʃal/
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).
Defective, Modal, No past participle, No present participle Used before a verb to indicate the simple future tense in the first person singular or plural.
- I shall sing in the choir tomorrow.
- I hope that we shall win the game.
2 more examples
- "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:
Defective, Modal, No past participle, No present participle Used similarly to indicate determination or obligation in the second and third persons singular or plural.
- (determination): You shall go to the ball!; He shall be given a fair trial.
- (obligation): Citizens shall provide proof of identity.
4 more examples
- (obligation): The renter shall be responsible for maintenance of the vehicle.
- Things haven't turned out as I intended they should, but I still intend that you shall take over the business.
- 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:
Defective, Modal, No past participle, No present participle Used in questions with the first person singular or plural to suggest a possible future action.
- What shall I do? Shall I give you a hand?
- Shall we go out later?
3 more examples
- I'll hold that for you, shall I?
- Let us examine that, shall we? - Yeah let's.
- Shall we see you before you set out?
Defective, Modal, No past participle, No present participle, Obsolete To owe.
- I thee shall a hundred golden coins; th'amount thou shalt the Queen is much higher.
- He should þe Princess his Life, for she had deliver'd him from þe Poison deadly.
- Derived terms
- shalbe, shalln't, shan't, man shall not live by bread alone, never the twain shall meet, seek and ye shall find, shall I say, shall-issue, shall we say, speak of the devil and he shall appear, this too shall pass, this too shall pass away