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Under; as, Anglo-Saxon underberan, to support; under. bradan, to underspread; undercuman, to come under; under don, to put under; undergan, to undergo. In English where the particle has a metaphorical or unusual meaning; as, Underbear, underbid, underdo, undergo, undersell, undertake. Compare understand with stand under.

Fore; as, Gothic fauragaggan, to go before; fauraqui. man, to go before; faurastandan, to stand by; Anglo-Saxon forebeon, to be before; forecuman, to come before; foregan, to go before. In English only where the particle refers to time, or has some unusual signification; as, Forearm, fore bode, forecast, foreknow, foresee, forethink, foretell, forego, forenamed.

After; as, Gothic afargangan, to follow; Anglo-Saxon aftercwadhan, to speak after; afterridan, to ride after. In English only in verbals with accent drawn back; as, Aftercost, after-crop, after-piece.

Back, a later form for after or behind; as, Anglo-Saxon bæcberan, to take on the back. In English only in backbite, backslide, backwound.

By and be; as, Gothic bigitan, to find; biquiman, to come upon; birinnan, to run by; Anglo-Saxon becwedhan, to bequeath; beginnan, to begin; begyrdan, to begird. In English only where the import of the prefix is not obvious; as, Behead, become; or where the accent is drawn back; as, By-gone, by-past.

For, in the sense of forth or away; as, Anglo-Saxon for sendan, to send forth or away; forgifan, to forgive; for swerian, to forswear. In English in forbid, forgive, for

swear.

Gain, in the sense of against; as, Anglo-Saxon geonberan, to oppose. In English in gainsay; also, gaingive, gain stand, gainstrive.

With; as, Anglo-Saxon widhlædan, to lead away; widhlecgan, to lay against; widhgan, to go against. In English only in withdraw, withhold, withstand.

THE ENGLISH PREFIX "A."

§ 347. The prefix a, which occurs so often in English, has different origins and uses, which need to be carefully distinguished. We propose to attempt a scientific classification.

I. The Anglo-Saxon prefix a or ge, (= Gothic ga, Old German ka, ki, German ge, Old Saxon gi,) originally equiva lent to Latin co or con; as, German gespiele, a play-fellow; then attached to the past participle; as, German geliebt, loved; but finally nearly without significancy; as, Gothic gabairhtjan, to show. In the last use, that is, without apparent significancy, a is found in English,

1. Prefixed to verbs of Teutonic origin; as, To abet, (Anglo-Saxon gebetan, betan,) to abide, (Anglo-Saxon gebidan, abidan, bidan, also, anbidan,) to abroach, used by Chaucer, (Anglo-Saxon gebrecan, abrecan, brecan,) to abrook, (AngloSaxon gebrucan, brucan,) to affright, for to afright, (AngloSaxon gefrihtan, aforhtian, frihtan, forhtian,) to agaze, to arise, (Anglo-Saxon arisan,) to ashame, (Anglo-Saxon gescamian, ascamian, scamian,) to aslake, (Anglo-Saxon aslacian, slacian,) to awake, (Anglo-Saxon awacan, wæcan; also, onwacan).

2. Prefixed, or, rather, retained before certain past participles of Teutonic origin, to avoid cacophony; as, Adread, (Anglo-Saxon adræden; also, andræden, ondræden,) adrift, (Anglo-Saxon gedrifen, adrifen, adrefed, drifen), adry, (AngloSaxon adruged,) afloat, (Anglo-Saxon floten,) again and against, (German gegen, Anglo-Saxon agean, agen, gean, also, angean, ongean,) agast or aghast, ago and agone, (Anglo-Saxon agan, gan,) along, owing to, (Anglo-Saxon, gelang or gelenge, owing to,) aloof, aloud, (Anglo-Saxon hlud,) amiss, (compare Anglo-Saxon missian,) among and amongst, (Anglo-Saxon gemenged,) askance, askant and asquint, (Dutch schuins), askew, (Danish skievt, awry,) aslant, (compare Swedish slinta, to slip,) aslope, (compare Anglo-Saxon aslupan, to slip away,) aslug, aswoon, (compare Anglo-Saxon aswunan, to swoon,) astray, (compare Anglo-Saxon astreht, to spread,) athwart, (Swedish tvärt,) aware, (German gewahr, Dutch gewaar, Anglo-Saxon gewar,) awry, (Anglo-Saxon ge

writhen, awrithen, writhen,) enough for anough, (German genug, Anglo-Saxon genog, Old English ynow, inouh, ynough, ynowgh, enow).

3. Prefixed to adjectives of various origin; as, Across, (compare French en croix,) aflat, afresh, afoul, ahungry, (Anglo-Saxon hungrig,) akin, alate, anew, (compare French à neuf, de neuf, Latin de novo,) aweary, (Anglo-Saxon werig).

II. The Anglo-Saxon preposition an or on, on,

in :

1. Attached to its complement or noun, and forming adverbs; as, Aback, (Anglo-Saxon on bæc,) abed, aboard, (Swedish om bord, French à bord,) about, (Anglo-Saxon onbutan, abutan, also, embutan, ymbutan,) above, (Anglo-Saxon abu fan, bufan,) abreast, abroad, (Anglo-Saxon on bræde, in breadth, Chaucer on brede and a brede,) adays, (Anglo-Saxon on dag, by day,) afield, afire, (German im brande, French en feu,) afoot, afore, aground, ahead, aheight and ahigh, aland, (Anglo-Saxon on lande, in the country, Chaucer on the lond and a londe,) alive, (Anglo-Saxon on life, R. Brunne o life, Gower on live, Richardson alife,) aloft, (R. Brunne o loft, Gower upon loft,) along, in length, (Anglo-Saxon andlang, ondlong, on lenge, in length, Chaucer on length, French au long,) amid, (Anglo-Saxon on middan, Chaucer amiddes,) anight, (Anglo-Saxon on nihte, Gower on night,) apace, apeak, apieces, aplace, aplight, aright, (Anglo-Saxon on rihte,) around, arow, ashore, aside, (Hall on side,) asleep, (Old English on slepe, on sleep,) astern, astrut, athirst, atwo, atwain, atween, atwixt, (Anglo-Saxon on twa,) awater, away, (Anglo-Saxon anweg, onweg, aweg).

2. Used as an adverb, and prefixed to the present participle; as, Adoing, agoing, asaying, awriting, etc., i. e., doing on, going on, saying on, writing on, etc. of doing, etc., as usually explained.

Not in the act

III. The indefinite article a or an, which has become at tached to its noun; as, Apiece, (compare French piece,) awhile, (compare some while, one while).

IV. The French preposition à or Latin ad, to:

1. In words derived from the French; as, To abase, (French abaisser, i. e., mettre à bas,) to abate, (French abat.

tre, from battre,) adieu, (French à dieu,) to ameliorate, (French améliorer,) to abandon, (French à ban donner,) to achieve, (French achever, from à chef,) to alarm, (French alarmer, from à l'arme,) to amass, (French amasser,) apart, (French à part).

2. In words derived from the Latin, but only before the consonants sc; as, To ascend, (Latin ascendo,) to ascribe, (Latin ascribo).

V. The Latin preposition a or ab, from, away, but only before m and v; as, To amove, amotion, amoval; to avert, aversion, avulsion.

VI. The Latin preposition e or ex, out of, in some words derived from the Latin through the French; as, To amend, (French amender, Latin emendo,) to affray, whence afraid, (French effrayer, Latin effrico).

VII. The Greek a privative, in words derived from the Greek, but only before consonants; as, Asylum, asymmetry, asymptote, asyndeton, ataraxy, ataxy, atheist, atom, atony, atrophy.

VIII. The Greek a of unity, or hama, with, together with, radically connected with No. I.; as, Adelphic.

The preceding investigation shows in a strong light the mixed character of the English language.

THE ENGLISH PREFIX "BE."

§ 348. The English prefix be, (Gothic bi, Old German bi, pi, Old Saxon bi, Anglo-Saxon be, German be, Swedish be, Danish be, Dutch be,) is in its origin the same as the particle of place by, and was primarily combined with verbs, in order to particularize the action contained in them, by specifying the place or direction. Its import has since been variously modified. Its present uses may be classified as follows:

I. Prefixed to verbs intransitive, it renders them transitive; as, Bechance, "to chance by or near any one," i. e., to happen to him; become, "to come by or near any thing," i. e., to be changed into it, also to befit it; bedabble, befall, beget, belie, bemoan, beseem, besort, bespawl, bethink, bewail, beweep. Note 1. Some of these verbs are used transitively without

A A

the prefix; as, Dabble, get, seem. Especially in poetry; as,
Moan, wail.
But this does not affect the correctness of our
explanation.

II. Prefixed to transitive verbs, it changes the direction of the transitive relation; as, Bedrop, begird, "to bind with a girdle," behave, behold, bequeath, bereave, beseech, beset, be spatter, bespeak, bespit, bespread, besprinkle, bestow, bestrew, betake, betray.

Note 2. Some of these verbs are used in both senses with out the prefix; as, Gird, spatter, spread, sprinkle, strew. But this does not affect the correctness of our explanation.

III. Prefixed to some transitive verbs, it does not affect their general import, but only gives them more emphasis; which emphasis seems to lie in spreading the action of the verb over the whole object; as, Becharm, bedazzle, bedaub, bedeck, bedrench, behead, bepraise, besiege, besmear, bespan. gle, bespeckle, bespice, bespot.

Note 3. Sometimes the simple verb is not in use; as in begin, behoove, believe, betray.

IV. Prefixed to nouns, it forms transitive verbs somewhat analogous to the preceding.

1. Prefixed to common nouns; as, Becloud, "to cover with clouds," bedew, beguile, behoney, beleaguer, besnuff, betroth.

2. Prefixed to attributives; as, Becalm, "to make calm," bedim, befriend, "to put by or with friends," bemad, besot, bewitch.

Note 4. These formations, which were anciently very numerous, remain to the present day, particularly (1.) in participles; as, Beblubbered, bedight, beholden, beloved, bestead, betumbled; (2.) in reflective verbs; as, To behave one's self; to bemoan one's self; to bestir one's self; to bethink one's self; and (3.) to express derision or contempt; as, Becurl, bemuffle, bepraise.

Note 5. In all the preceding uses, the particle be has lost to the mental conception its original force, as denoting place; and has also lost its tone, and become a mere prefix.

Note 6. When the preposition retains its original significancy of place, it is then written by, and retains the tone; as, By-gone, by-past, by-stander. The origin of by in by-way, by-word, etc., is not clear.

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