cometh

Cometh is the third-person singular present tense of the verb come in Early Modern English. It is now regarded as archaic or poetic and is seldom used in contemporary, non-literary prose. The form is commonly encountered in Shakespeare, the King James Bible, and other texts from roughly the 16th to 18th centuries.

Etymology and form: Cometh derives from Old English cuman with the present-tense suffix -eth, a pattern used for many verbs in that period. In modern English, the corresponding form is comes, reflecting a shift from -eth to -s in the third-person singular.

Usage and context: In modern writing, cometh is used to evoke historical atmosphere, religious gravitas, or stylistic imitation of older texts. It appears in idiomatic expressions such as the proverb “Cometh the hour, cometh the man,” which signals a moment when a decisive person appears. In translations of biblical or classical works, cometh helps preserve the original flavor of the source material.

Pronunciation and spelling notes: Cometh is typically pronounced as KOM-eth, with the final -eth resembling the traditional pronunciation of the English letters “th.” The ending reflects its archaic origin rather than current pronunciation rules.

See also: come, comes, came, coming, archaic English, King James Bible, Shakespearean English.