I've always wondered how Shakespeare came up with all those new words. I mean, did he just sit there writing one night and decided, "Well, I don't really like this word. I know, I could make up my own word! Genius, William, genius. Hmm, now a word... perhaps..." And so on. Did the English people know what these words meant the first time they heard them? What makes Shakespeare think he's so high and mighty that he can just up and create fourteen bajillion new words?!?!?!
Sorry, rambling, and not making much sense. But I really am interested to know some of these things.
Edit: I've tried to find out how many words Shakespeare did coin, and I've gotten answers as low as a few hundred, and as high as ten thousand. How do you think this stuff up, Shakespeare?