a-

I

aff. a reduced form of the Old English preposition on, meaning “on,”“in,”“into,”“to,”“toward,” preserved before a noun or adjective in a prepositional phrase, forming a predicate adjective or an adverbial element (afar; afoot; aloud; ashore; away). By analogy with original nominal collocations, a-1 has been joined to verbs, the resulting formation having the force of a present participle (ablaze; astride; awash)

•

Etymology: ME, late OE; cf. a II, nowadays II

a-

aff. a reduced form of the Old English preposition

of: akin; afresh[/ex]

III

a-

aff. a verbal prefix with the historical sense “out, up,” occurring in verbs and verb derivatives inherited from Old and Middle English, usu. marking the inception or completion of the action denoted by the base verb:

abide; accursed; arise; ashamed; awake[/ex]

•

Etymology: ME; OE IV

a-

aff. var. of ab- before b, m, and

v: amanuensis; avert[/ex]

•

Etymology: ME < L ā-, a- V

a-

aff. var. of ad-, used before sc, sp, st (ascend) and in words of French derivation, often with the sense of increase or addition (amass)

•

Etymology: ME, in some words < MF a- < L ad- prefix or ad prep. (see ad-), as in abut; in others < L a- (var. of ad- ad-), as in ascend VI

a-

aff. var. of an- before a consonant:

amoral; atonal; achromatic[/ex]