Parsing

Posted by The Fallen on February 26, 2002

In Reply to: Needs must posted by Word Camel on February 26, 2002

: I have always found this a little confusing, especially when it's shortened just to 'needs must' because it makes it seem like 'needs' is a noun. I must go the verb below and 'needs' an unusual adverb or is 'must needs go' the verb?

: "He must needs go that the Devil drives." Shakespeare: All's Well That-Ends Well

: Any elucidation much appreciated.

Hmmm. I didn't know the phrase was of Shakespearean origin - or did Bill just use a phrase that was already current?

Today's more usual version is "needs must when the Devil drives"... I say "more usual", but it's hardly in common usage. Thanks is clearly owed to Shakespeare, because parsing the modern version of the phrase correctly would have been next to impossible.

My bet is that Camel's first instincts are right - "needs" is some archaic form of adverb, meaning "with necessity". This does seem fractionally tautologous in the line from "All's Well That Ends Well", but maybe the repetition is done for emphasis.

I'm probably entirely wrong on all this, but what the Heck?

• Parsing masakim 02/26/02
• Origin of - Needs must Camel 02/26/02
  • OED to the rescue R. Berg 02/26/02