1 6 Arthur Garfield Kennedy 



gradually to have assumed the function of adverbs when used 

 with prepositions. Of course it is difficult to draw any line be- 

 tween those which are still abstract nouns and those that are 

 adverbial, but a number have been listed here quite confidently 

 because they seem .so very plainly adverbial. 



The expression atte last or at the laste seems to mean little 

 more than our adverb finally. 



And atte last this hende Nicholas Gan for to syke. Milleres 

 Tale, 301. — Tho was I war, lo ! at the laste. Hous of Fame. 

 Bk. T. 495. — The expression atte lest or at the teste is also very 

 common. Two days, atte lest, or thre. Romaunt of the Rose, 

 1684. — Loke at the leest thou haA'^e a pair. ihid. 2265. — To helpe 

 delen his londes and dressen hem to right es. Cokes Tale of Gam- 

 elyn, IS. — Amonges alle these othere in generale; And forthy 

 see that thou, in speciale. Troylus and Cryseyde. Bk. I. 901. — 

 God saith thou schalt not take the name of thy Lord God in 

 vayne or in ydil. Persones Tale. — governeth alle in comune. 

 Nonne Prestes Tale, 180. — sith this thing of newe is yeve me. 

 Court of Love, 643. — To telle in shorte, withoute wordes mo. 

 Troylus and Crj'seyde. Bk. ITL 185. So also the expressions, 

 for the beste, atte full, by right (rightfully), in ydel (idly), 

 with wrong (wrongfully), in ernest, at large, atte meste, for 

 fynal (finally), in certeyn, in hye (on high), for as much (in- 

 asmuch), from eterne (eternally), for soth, of old. 



F. Relative substantivation of native and Romance words. 



With the question of the beginning of this process of sub- 

 stantivation, comes the suggestion that the French were respon- 

 sible for it. It is not the purpose of this investigation to discuss 

 that question, but at the same time a thorough study of the proc- 

 ess in Chaucer requires at least a comparison of the words as we 

 find them. 



I. Of the personal substantives (without -s), the sources are 

 as follows : 



(a) Old English words, lesse, leste, more, meste, goode, 

 beste, yonge, yongest, heigh, heighest, olde, fairer, feir- 

 est, worthy, worthieste, trewe, iintrezve, ferrest, gultyf, 



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