iiiiun, as in the phrase a ffreat many books, is really a 
partitive genitive.) 
a 3 (a or a), prep. [< ME. and late AS. a, re- 
duced form of an, on, on, in : see on. ] A reduced 
form of the preposition on, formerly common 
in all the uses or on, but now restricted to cer- 
tain constructions in which the preposition is 
more or less disguised, being usually written as 
one word with the following noun, (a) Of place : 
On, in, upon, unto, into ; the preposition and 
the following noun being usually written as one 
word, sometimes with, but commonly without, 
a hyphen, and regarded as an adverb or a predi- 
cate adjective, but best treated as a preposi- 
tional phrase. In HUC!I phrases a denotes (1) Posi- 
tion : as, to lie abed; to be ({foot ; to ride ahorseback; to 
stand a-tiptoe. (2) Motion: as, to a o ashore ; "how jocund 
did they drive their team a-fteld. Gray. (3) Direction : 
as, to go ahead ; to turn aside ; to draw aback (modern, 
to draw back). (4) Partition : as, to take apart ; to burst 
asunder. Similarly (ft) Of state: On, in, etc.: 
as, to be alire [AS. on life] ; to be asleep 
[AS. on slcepe]; to set afire; to be afloat; to 
set adrift. In this use now applicable to any verb (but 
chiefly to monosyllables and dissyllables) taken as a noun : 
as, to be aglow with excitement ; to be a-xirim ; to be all 
a-iremble. (p) Of time : On, in, at, by, etc., re- 
maining in some colloquial expressions : as, to 
stay out a nights (often written o' nights) ; to 
go fishing a Sunday ; now a days (generally 
written nowadays). Common with adverbs of repe- 
tition: as, twice a day [< ME. tivifsadai, <AS. tn';,/>u 
on dceg], once a week [OIE. anex a Kfike, < AS. cene on 
wucan], three times a year [cf. ME. thre rithes a yer 
< AS. thritn. ttitlnnn on tfcdre], etc. : day being a reduced 
form of on day (cf. to-day), equivalent to F. par jour, L. 
per dieiti ; a year, of on year, equivalent to F. par an, L. 
per annum, etc. But in this construction the preposition 
is now usually regarded as the indefinite article (vary- 
ing to an before a vowel), "four miles an hour," "ten 
cents a yard," etc., being explained as elliptical for " four 
miles in an hour," "ten cents for a yard," etc. (d) Of 
process : In course of, with a verbal noun in -ing, 
taken passively: as, the house is a building; 
"while the ark was a preparing" (1 Pet. iii. 20); 
while these things were a doing. The prepo- 
sitional use is clearly seen in the alterna- 
tive construction with in: as, "Forty and six 
years was this temple in building," John ii. 20. 
In modern use the preposition is omitted, and the verbal 
noun is treated as a present participle taken passively : 
as, the house i* building. But none of these forms of 
expression has become thoroughly popular, the popular 
instinct being shown in the recent development of the 
desired " progressive passive participle ": as, the house in 
being built, the work is being done, etc. This construction, 
though condemned by logicians and purists, is well estab- 
lished in popular speech, and will probably pass into 
correct literary usage. ( e ) Of action : In, to, into ; 
with a verbal noun in -ing, taken actively. 
(1) With be : as, to be a coming ; to be a doing ; to be a 
fighting. Now only colloquial or provincial, literary 
usage omitting the preposition, and treating the verbal 
noun as a present participle : as, to be coming ; to be 
doing. (2) With verbs of motion : as, to go a fishing ; to 
go a wooing ; to go a begging ; to fall a crying ; to set 
a going. The preposition is often joined to the noun 
by a hyphen, as, to go a-flshing, or sometimes omitted, 
as, to go fishing, to set going, etc. For other examples of 
the uses of o3, prep., see the prepositional phrases abed, 
aboard, ahead, etc., or the simple nouns. 
a*. [Another spelling of o, now written o', a re- 
duced form of of, the / being dropped before a 
consonant, and the vowel obscured. Cf. a 7 , 
a- 3 , a- 4 .] A reduced form of of, now generally 
written o', as in man-o'-war, six o'clock, etc. 
The name of John o Gaunt. Shak., Rich. II., i. 3. 
It's sixe a clocke. 
B. Joinon, Every Man in his Humor, i. 4. 
a 5 (&), pron. [E. dial., corruption of I, being 
the first element, obscured, of the diphthong 
ai.] A modern provincial corruption of the 
pronoun /. 
a 6 (a), pron. [E. dial., <ME. dial, a, corruptly 
for lie, he, lieo, she, he, it, heo, hi, they.] An 
old (and modern provincial) corruption of all 
genders and both numbers of the third per- 
sonal pronoun, he, she, it, they. So quotha, 
that is, quoth he. 
A babbled of green fields. Shak., Hen. V., ii. 3. 
a 7 (a), v. [E. dial., < ME. a, ha, reduced form 
of have, the v being dropped as in a 4 or o' for 
f ( ov )0 An old (and modern provincial) 
corruption of have as an auxiliary verb, un- 
accented, and formerly also as a principal 
verb. 
I had not thought my body could a, yielded. Beau, and Fl. 
a 8 (a). [So., usually written a', = E. all, like 
Sc. ca' = E. call, fa'=fall, ha' = hall, ete.] 
All. 
For o' that, an' a' that, 
His riband, star, an' a' that, 
The man o' independent mind, 
He looks an' laughs at a' that. 
Burns, For A' That. 
a 9 (a or a), interj. [See all and 0.] The early 
form of ah, preserved, archaically, before a 
leader's or chieftain's name, as a war-cry (but 
now treated and pronounced as the indefinite 
article). 
The Border slogan rent the sky, 
A Home ! a Gordon ! was the cry. 
Scott, Marmion 
a 10 . [L. a, the usual form of aft, from, of, before 
consonants : see ab-.] A Latin preposition, 
meaning of, off, away from, etc. It occurs in cer- 
tain phrases: as, a priori', a posteriori, a mensaetthoro, etc. ; 
also in certain personal names of medieval or modern 
origin : as, Thomas ct Kempis, that is, Thomas of Kempen, 
the school-name given to Thomas Hammerken, born at 
Kempen near Dusseldorf ; Abraham a Sancta Clara, that 
is, Abraham of St. Clare, the name assumed by Ulrich 
Megerle. The true name of Thomas a Becket (written 
also A' Becket, and, in un-English fashion, n Becket, .i 
Becket) was simply Thomas Becket or Beket ; the a appeal's 
to be a later insertion, though supported by such late 
Middle English names as Wydo del Beck't, John de Beckote, 
William atte Beck, etc., that Is, of or at the brook [>becket, 
not found as a common noun, being appar. a dim. of beck, 
a brook, or perhaps^ OF. becquet, bequet, a pike (fish), dim. 
of bee, beak]. 
a-. A prefix or an initial and generally insepara- 
ble particle. It is a relic of various Teutonic 
and classical particles, as follows : 
a- 1 . [< ME. a-, < AS. a- (= OS. a- = OHG. ar-, ir-, 
ur-, MHO. ir-, er-, G. er- = Goth. *-, before a 
vowel z-, before r ur-), a common unaccented 
prefix of verbs, meaning ' away, out, up, on,' of- 
ten merely intensive, in mod. E. usually without 
assignable force. It appears as an independent 
prep, in OHG. nr, Goth, us, out, and as an ac- 
cented prefix of nouns and adjectives in OHG. 
MHG. G. ur-, D. oor-, AS. or-, E. or- in ordeal 
and art, q. v. In nouns from verbs in AS. a- the 
accent fell upon the prefix, which then re- 
tained its length, and has in one word, namely, 
E. oakum, < AS. d-cumba, entered mod. E. with 
the reg. change of AS. a- under accent, losing 
all semblance of a prefix.] An unaccented 
inseparable prefix of verbs, and of nouns and 
adjectives thence derived, originally implying 
motion away, but in earlier English merely 
intensive, or, as in modern English, without 
assignable force, as in abide, abode, arise, 
awake, ago = ayone, etc. The difference between 
abide, ariose, awake, etc., and the simple verbs bide, rise, 
make, etc., is chiefly syllabic or rhythmic. In a few verbs 
this prefix has taken in spelling a Latin semblance, as in 
accurie, a/right, allay, for a-curse, a-friyht, a-lay. 
a- 2 . [< ME. a-, usually and prop, written sepa- 
rately, a, < late AS. a, a reduced form of ME. 
and AS. aw, OH : see a 3 , prep., and ow.] An 
apparent prefix, properly a preposition, the 
same as a 3 , prep. When used before a substantive it 
forms what is really a prepositional phrase, which is now 
generally written as one word, with or without a hyphen, 
and regarded as an adverb or as a predicate adjective : 
as, to lie abed, to be asleep, to be all a-tremble, etc. With 
verbal nouns in -ing it forms what is regarded as a present 
participle, either active, as, they are a-coming (colloq.), or 
passive, as, the house was a-buUdinii. In the latter uses 
the a is usually, and in all it would be properly, written 
separately, as a preposition. See a-**, prep., where the uses 
are explained. 
a- 3 . [< ME. a-, or separately, , < AS. a (only in 
adun, ddiiiie, a reduced form of of dune), a re- 
duced form of of, E. of, off: see of. off, and 
cf. a-*.] A prefix, being a reduced form of 
Anglo-Saxon of, prep., English off, from, as 
in adown (which see), or of later English of, as 
in anetc, afresh, akin, etc. (which see). 
a- 4 . [< ME. a-, a reduced form of of-, < AS. of-, 
an intensive prefix, orig. the same as of, prep.: 
see a- 3 and of.} A prefix, being a reduced form 
of Anglo-Saxon of-, an intensive prefix, as in 
athirst, ahungered (which see). 
a- 5 . [< ME. a-, a reduced form of and-, q. v.] 
A prefix, being a reduced form of and- (which 
see), as in alongl (which see). 
a- 6 . [< ME. a-, var. of t-, y-, e-, reduced forms 
of ge, AS. ge-: see '-.] A prefix, being one of 
the reduced forms of the Anglo-Saxon prefix 
ge- (see i-), as in along 1 * [< AS. gelang], aware 
[< AS. ge-icarr], aford, now spelled afford, sim- 
ulating the Latin prefix /- [ * AS. ge-forthian], 
among [< AS. ge-mang, mixed with on-ge-mang 
and on-mang], etc. The same prefix is other- 
wise spelled in enough, iwis, yclept, etc. 
a- 7 . [< ME. a-, reduced form of at-, < AS. (et- 
in tet-foran, mixed in later E. with on-foran, 
afore : see afore.'} A prefix, being a reduced 
form of at-, mixed with a- for on-, in afore 
(which see). 
a- 8 . [< ME. a-, a reduced form of at in north. 
E., after Icel. at, to, as a sign of the infin., like 
E. to : see at.] A prefix, in ado, originally 
at do, northern English infinitive, equivalent to 
English to do. See ado. 
-a 
a- 9 . [A mere syllable.] A quasi-prefix, a mere 
opening syllable, in the interjection* n/in. tilni. 
In alia, and as well in ahoy, it may be con- 
sidered as ah. 
a- 10 . [A reduced form of D. houd. Cf. r<- 9 .] A 
quasi-prefix, a mere opening syllable, in avast, 
where a-, however, represents historically 
Dutch houd in the original Dutch expression 
houd rast = English hold fast. 
a- 11 . [< ME. a-, OF. a-, < L. ad-, or assimi- 
lated ab-, ac-, af-, etc.: see ad-.} A prefix, 
being a reduced form of the Latin prefix ad-. 
In Old French anil Middle English regularly a-, and so 
properly in modern French and English, as in avouch 
[ult. < L. advocare], amount [ult. <L. ad montem], ava- 
lanche [ult. <L. ad mllem], abet, ameliorate, etc.; but in 
later Old French and Middle English a- took in spell- 
ing a Latin semblance, ad-, ac-, af-, etc., and so in mod- 
ern English, as in address, account, affect, ar/^rieiv, etc., 
where the doubled consonant is unetymologieal. See ad-. 
a- 12 . [< L. a-, a later and parallel form of ad- 
before sc-, gp-, st-, and </-.] A prefix, being 
a reduced form (in Latin, and so in English, 
etc.) of the Latin prefix ad- before sc-, gp-, st-, 
and gn-, as in ascend, aspire, asprrt, astringent, 
agnate, etc. 
a-1 3 . [<ME. a-, < OF. a-, < L. ab-: see ab-.} 
A prefix, being a reduced form (in Middle 
English, etc.) of Latin ab-, as in abate (which 
see). In a few verbs this a- has taken a Latin 
semblance, as in abs-tain (treated as ab-gtain), 
as-soil. See these words. 
a- 14 . [< L. a- for ab- before v : see ab-.] A 
prefix, being a reduced form (in Latin, and so 
in English, etc.) of the Latin prefix ab-, from, 
as in avert (which see). 
a- 18 . [< ME. -, < OF. a- for reg. OF. e-, es-, 
< L. etc-, out : see e- and ex-.] A prefix, being 
an altered form of e-, reduced form of Latin 
ex-, as in amend, abash, etc., aforce, afray (now 
afforce, affray), etc. (which see). 
a-* 8 . [< ME. a-, reduced form of aw- for en-, < OF. 
en- : see en- 1 .] A prefix, being a reduced form 
of an- for en-, in some words now obsolete or 
spelled in semblance of the Latin, or restored, 
as in acloy, acumber, apair, etc., later accloy, 
accumber, modern encumber, impair, etc. 
a- 17 . [Ult. <L. a7), interj.] A quasi-prefix, rep- 
resenting original Latin ah, inter;;., in alnx 
(which see). 
a- 18 . [< Gr. a-, before a vowel av-, inseparable 
negative prefix, known as alpha privative (Gr. 
a- areptjriKov), = L. in- = Goth. AS. E., etc., un-: 
see Hii-1.] A prefix of Greek origin, called al- 
pha privative, the same as English un-, mean- 
ing not, without, -less, used not only in words 
taken directly or through Latin from the 
Greek, as abyss, adamant, acatalectic, etc., but 
also as a naturalized English prefix in new 
formations, as achromatic, asexual, etc., espe- 
cially in scientific terms, English or New Latin, 
as Apteryx, Asiphonata, etc. 
a- 19 . [<Gr. a- copulative (a- affpourrucAv), com- 
monly without, but sometimes and prop, with, 
the aspirate, d-, orig. *oa- = Skt. sa-, sam-. Cf. 
Gr. aua, together, = E. same, q. v.] A prefix of 
Greek origin, occurring unfelt in English acolyte, 
adelphous, etc. 
a- 20 . [< Gr. d- intensive (d- f mraTtKov), prob. orig. 
the same as a- copulative : see o- 19 .] A prefix 
of Greek origin, occurring unfelt in atlas, 
amaurosis, etc. 
a- 21 . [Ult. < Ar. al, the.] A prefix of Arabic 
origin, occurring unfelt in apricot, azimuth, 
hazard (for *azard), etc., commonly in the full 
form al-. See aZ- 2 . 
-a 1 . [L. -a (pi. -as), It. -n (pi. -e), Sp. Pg. -a, 
(pi. -as), Gr. -a, -j/ (pi. -ai, L. spelling -a;), = AS. 
-u, -e } or lost ; in E. lost, or represented unfelt 
by silent final e.] A suffix characteristic of 
feminine nouns and adjectives of Greek or 
Latin origin or semblance, many of which 
have been adopted in English without change. 
Examples are: (a) Greek (first declension in Latin 
spelling), idea, coina, basilica, mania, etc. ; (&) Latin (first 
declension), area, arena, formula, copula, nebula, vertebra, 
etc., whence (c), in Italian, opera, piazza, stanza, etc. ; 
(d) Spanish, arinada, flotilla, mantilla, etc. ; (e) Portu- 
guese, madeira; (/) New Latin, chiefly in scientific terms, 
alumina, goda, silica, etc. ; dahlia, .fuchsia, camellia, 
wistaria, etc., amceba, Branta, etc. ; common in geo- 
graphical names derived from or formed according to 
Latin or Greek, as Atria, A.frica, America, Polynesia, 
Arabia, Florida, etc. In English this sufllx niaAs sex 
only in personal names, as in Cornelia, Julia, Maria, 
Anna, etc. (some having a corresponding masculine, as 
Corneliuit, Julius, etc.), and in a few feminine terms from 
the Italian, Spanish, etc., having a corresponding mascu 
line, as donna, dona, duenna, gifjnora, senora, sultana, 
inamorata, etc., corresponding to masculine don, xignor, 
senor, gultan, inamorato, etc. 
-a 2 . [L. -a, pi. to -um, = Gr. -n, pi. to -ov, 2d 
declension ; L. -a, -i-a, pi. to -um, -e, = Gr. -a, 
