SHALL


Meaning of SHALL in English

_shəl, (|)shal verb

( past should _shəd, (|)shu̇d ; or archaic second singular shouldst _shə]dzt, (|)shu̇], ]dst, ]tst ; or should·est |shu̇də̇st ; present singular & plural shall or archaic second singular shalt _shəlt, (|)shalt)

Etymology: Middle English shal owe, owes, ought to, must, am going to, is going to (1st & 3d singular present indicative, past sholde ), from Old English sceal owe, owes, ought to, must (past sceolde ); akin to Old High German scal owe, owes, ought to, must (infin. scolan ), Old Norse skal must (infin. skulu ), Gothic skal owe, owes, ought to, must, Old English scyld debt, obligation, Old High German sculd, Old Norse skuld, Lithuanian skolà debt

verbal auxiliary

1. archaic

a. : will have to : must

he that parts us shall bring a brand from heaven — Shakespeare

b. : will be able to : can

how with this rage shall beauty hold a plea — Shakespeare

2.

a. — used to express a command or exhortation

you shall not kill — Exod 20:13 (Revised Standard Version)

ye shall pray for the president of these United States — Book of Com. Prayer

thou shalt let her go whither she will — Deut 21:14 (Authorized Version)

b. — used in laws, regulations, or directives to express what is mandatory

a vessel when under way shall carry at her stern a white light — U.S. Code

it shall be unlawful for any person to keep any wild animal in captivity — Maine Hunting & Trapping Laws

3.

a. — used to express what is inevitable or what seems to be fated or decreed or likely to happen in the future

cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, which wert and art and evermore shall be — Reginald Heber

those who can best bear taxation shall have to do it — Francis Downing

what-e'er shall be, don't let anyone bomb me — John Betjeman

b. — used to express simple futurity

when shall we three meet again — Shakespeare

I shall just put these papers together … and send them off by the morning mail — A.J.Coutts

even if you are too stingy to buy a guide book you shall not remain uninstructed — Douglas Goldring

shall you want to see me often — Arnold Bennett

no young man believes he shall ever die — William Hazlitt

again shall pleasure overflow thy cup with sweetness — Robert Bridges †1930

shall he chat in an amiable way about things in general — Walter Goodman

a brief story shall suffice — C.H.Grandgent

in the following chapter … the reader shall presented with examples — W.H.Mallock

we have … agreed that they shall publish their document and we ours — Sir Winston Churchill

and all shall come out right — John Galsworthy

4. — used to express determination

one of the principal reasons why I have been against commercial gambling … and why I always shall be — New Republic

I came through and I shall return — Douglas MacArthur

the stone belongs to Scotland … we shall get it back — Wendy Wood

say what ye will I shall deny no more — P.B.Shelley

it shall never break my heart I promise you — R.B.Sheridan

intransitive verb

: will go

he to England shall along with you — Shakespeare

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.