On a time the king had him out a hunting with him, he made bim see his mother, with whom he grew familiar. North's Plutarch, Themistocles, p. 139.

Whereas in the meantime we see Christ's faithful and lively images, bought with no less price than with his most precious blood, (alas, alas!) to be an-hungred, a-thirst, a-cold, and to lie in darkness. Latimer, Serm. p. 37.

Thou now a dying say'st thou flatterest me.

Shakespeare, Rich. II. II. I.

This prefix a- or an- is generally said to be a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon particle on-, but more probably the two are essentially identical and only different dialectical forms of the same. An- with its abbreviation a- is said to characterize the dialect of the southern counties, while onand o- mark the northern dialect. In many instances the two forms remain side by side, as in aboard and on board, aground and on ground (Shakespeare, 2 Hen. IV. IV. 4), a high* and on high, afoot and on foot, asleep and on sleep (Acts xiii. 36; A.S. on slæp), aloft and on loft (Chaucer, Man of Law's Tale, 1. 4697), abed and on bed (Chaucer, Wife of Bath's Tale, 1. 6509), apart and on part (Chaucer, Shipman's Tale, 1. 14667), alive and on live (Chaucer, Wife of Bath's Prol. 1. 5587). Compare also the A.S. forms on-ginnan and a-ginnan, to begin, on-weg and a-weg, away. On the other hand, most of the words which formerly had the prefix have rejected it. Of this class are abow, acool, adaunt, adraw, afire, &c. &c. In a work (2 Chr. ii. 18) the prefix is the same as in ado. Compare Shakespeare, 2 Hèn. IV. IV. 3.

So that skill in the weapon is nothing without sack; for that sets it a-work.

3. Used with numerals (Luke ix. 28).

And everich of these riotoures ran,

Til thay come to the tre, and ther thay founde

Of florins fyn of gold y-coyned rounde,

Wel neygh a seven busshels, as hem thought.

Chaucer, Pardoner's Tale, 14186.

* One heaved a high to be hurl'd down below.

Shakespeare, Rich. III. IV. 4.

And there were not found a two hundred men slaine, and eight knights of the round table in their pavilions. King Arthur, 63, vol. I. p. 121.

C.

Edward 4 left much fayre yssue, that is to witte, Edward the Prynce a thirtene yeare of age, &c. Sir T. More, Works, p. 35.

4. Redundantly, in the phrase 'in a readiness' (2 Cor. x. 6).

When al thynges were prepared in a redynes and the day of departinge and settynge forwarde was appoynted...the whole armye went on shypboorde. Hall, Rich. III. fol. 166.

Abate, v.t. (Lev. xxvii. 18; Deut. xxxiv. 7; Wisd. xvi. 24; Ecclus. xxv. 23; 1 Macc. v. 3). Literally, to beat down, from Fr. abbattre; hence to lower, depress, diminish, weaken the force of anything. In this sense it is equivalent to 'bate,' which is merely an abbreviated form.

You would abate the strength of your displeasure.

Shakespeare, Mer. of Ven. v. I.

Haply, my presence

May well abate their over-merry spleen,
Which otherwise would grow into extremes.

Id. Tam. of Shrew, Ind. I..

It is true, that Taxes levied by Consent of the Estate, doe abate Mens Courage lesse. Bacon, Ess. 29, p. 121.

Abhor, v.t. (Te Deum). Lat. abhorreo, 'to have the hair stand on end with terror' (from horreo 'to bristle'); hence to shrink from with dread.' In the old canon law, according to Nares, it was technically employed in the sense of 'to protest against, reject solemnly.' In Calvini Lexicon Juridicum we find Abhorrere, alienum esse.' Thus Shakespeare, Hen, VIII. 11. 4 :

Therefore I say again

I utterly abhor, yea, from my soul
Refuse you as my judge.

It is used in the A. V. to express several different Hebrew

words, most of which involve the idea of loathing or disgust. But in Prov. xxii. 14, 'he that is abhorred of the Lord' would be better rendered 'he with whom Jehovah is angry' (see Ps. vii. 11; Mal. i. 4), and 'despised' would be better than abhorred in Deut. xxxii. 19 and 1 Sam. ii. 17.

Abhorring, sb. (Is. lxvi. 24). An object of abhorrence.

Rather on Nilus' mud

Lay me stark naked, and let the water-flies
Blow me into abhorring.

Shakespeare, Ant. and Cl. v. 2.

Abide, v.t. (Ps. xxxvii. 9, P. B.; Acts xx. 23). To wait for, await; from A. S. abidan. Mr Wedgwood (Dict. of Eng. Etym. s. v.) observes that in old English "the active sense of looking out for a thing was much more strongly felt in the word abide than it is now." He quotes in illustration of this Wiclif's version of 2 Pet. iii. 11, "What manner men behoveth you to be in holi livings abiding and highing unto the coming of the day of our Lord." In the sense of awaiting it is used by Shakespeare:

Abide me, if thou darest.

Mid. Night's Dream, III. 2.

So also in Gower (Conf. Am. I. p. 220);

This Perseus as ǹought seende

This mischef which that him abode.

And Tyndal (Doctr. Treat. p. 37);

While I abode a faithful companion, which hath now taken another voyage upon him.

In Ps. xxxvii. 7, P. B. 'abide upon' is used in the sense of 'wait upon,' as in Gower (Conf. Am. 1. p. 71):

She wolde in Ysis temple at eve
Upon her goddes grace abide
To serven him the nightes tide.

From this idea to that of simple endurance the transition

is easy (Num. xxxi. 23; Joel ii. 11). Compare Shakespeare, 3 Hen. VI. IV. 3:

What fates impose, that men must needs abide.

And Cymb. 1. 2;

You must be gone,

And I shall here abide the hourly shot

Of angry eyes.

This fear of death was the bitterest pain that ever he abode. Latimer, Serm. p. 223.

Abject, sb. (Ps. xxxv. 15). From Lat. abjectus, cast aside; a worthless, despicable person or thing.

Finallie, sturgion and pike, which fishe, as in times paste, it hathe ben taken for an abjecte, soe now thought verie precius emonge Englishemen. Pol. Vergil, Hist. Vol. I. p. 25.

Yet farre I deem'd it better so to dye

Then at my enmies foote an abject lie.

Mirror for Magistrates, fol. 1ob.

Yf hir majesty fayle with such suplye and maintenance as shalbe fytt, all she hath donn hetherto wylbe utterly lost and cast away, and wee hir pore subiectes no better than abiectes. Leycester Corresp. 5 Dec. 1585.

Not for my selfe a sinfull wretch I pray,
That in thy presence am an abiect vilde.

Fairfax's Tasso, XII. 27.

We are the queen's abjects, and must obey.

Shakespeare, Rich. III. 1. 1.

'Abject' was formerly used as a verb, in the sense of

'reject.'

Comyn wytte doothe full well electe

What it should take, and what it shall abjecte.

Hawes, Pastime of Pleasure, cap. 8.

Abroad, adv. (Judg. xii. 9; 1 Kings ii. 42; Lam. i. 20). Away from home, out of doors as opposed to indoors; not necessarily out of the country. It occurs in the forms abrod (Rob. of Glouc. p. 542), abrood (Wiclif, Matt. xxiii. 5), on

brede (Chaucer, Rom. of the Rose), from A.S. on brædan. After a verb of motion it is used simply for 'out' or 'forth.'

When any did send him rare fruites or fish from the countries neare the seaside he would send them abroad vnto his friendes. North's Plutarch, Alex. p. 729.

To 'come abroad,' in the sense of 'get abroad,' 'become known,' is found in Mark iv. 22, Rom. xvi. 19.

Abuse, v.t. (Judg. xix. 25; 1 Sam. xxxi. 4; 1 Chr. x. 4). To misuse, deceive, mock, as in the margin of the two last passages; from Fr. abuser, Lat. abuti. Sir T. More says of Jane Shore:

abused her, anon her husband...left

But when the king had her vp to him al togither. Works, p. 56 h.

Whe'r thou beest he, or no,

Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me.

Shakespeare, Temp. v. 1. That blind rascally boy, that abuses every one's eyes, because his own are out. Id. As You Like It, IV. I.

'Misuse' is employed in the latter sense in Much Ado, II. 2; 'Proof enough to misuse the prince.'

Accept, v. t. (Gen. xxxii. 20, &c.). From Lat. accipere, acceptus. In the sense of 'to approve, receive with favour,' the Biblical usage of this word corresponds with that of its Latin original, and still clings to the root in the common word 'acceptable.' The following are instances of its former use:

What fruite is come of your long and great assemble? What one thing, that the people of England hath beene the better of an heare; or you your selues, either more accepted before God, or better discharged toward the people committed vnto your cure. Latimer, Serm. p. 45.

Sweet prince, accept their suit.

Shakespeare, Rich. III. IV. 7.

Shall wee not think, that God above,...doth not discerne, that fraile men, in some of their contradictions, intend the same thing; and accepteth of both. Bacon, Ess. III. p. II.

And our request accept, we you beseche. Surrey, Virg.