The word long or along in the phrase "along of," " long of" ("all this coil is long of you.”—Shakspere), is of different origin. It is the A. S. gelang from gelingan, to happen.* in-mid (A.S. on-midd-an); “inmid the sea” (Chaucer). 21. MONG (O. Fr. mong); root mog, meg, or mig, in meng-en, O. E. = ming-le. = 24. OF (A. S. of). af. Compare ab and apo, o; "Will-o-the wisp." out-of. Though written separately, these words form a real compound: "He did it out of kindness." 25. OFF. A later form of of, with another meaning. 27. ROUND. This is the A. S. rand and rond, "border," or "rim.” It was not employed as a preposition in A. S.; ymbe supplied its place. a-round 28. SINCE. (A. S. sith). This word meant "time; a hundredsith" (§ 216). Compare the Germ, seit and zeit. sith-en (A. S. sith-an) (b) sin (O. N. sinn); possibly a contraction of sithen. 66 to 29. TILL (A. S. til); probably a contraction of "to while" = the time." Robert of Gloucester has "to whille," till. In L. Sc. til means simply to: "til and fra," "to and fro." tille. in-til into: "Intil ane glen" (Dunbar). 66 = = upon. "Leaned her breast uptil a thorn" (Shakspere). as far as," and "as long as." 30. To (A. S. to). ta (Mod. Fr. ta) te (0. Fr. te) to-ward to-ward-es to-ward-s for-to = until in-to un-to thorough; "thoroughfare," Thorough flood, thorough fire” (Shakespere). thoru 33. UMB-EN = about, O. E. (O. Fr. umb-e, A. S. ymb-e). embe 34. UNDER (A. S. under). onder (O. Fr. onder) an-under (P.) an-onder (P.) 35. WITH (A. S. with). wit The following are Compounds of Prepositions and Nouns, or Adjectives. 36. A-BOARD (A. S. and O. Fr. a bord = a plank, the deck of a vessel. 37. A-CROSS. From the Lat. crux through the French. * 38. A-SCANT * = across. "There is a willow grows ascant the brook" (Shakspere). a-scaunt 39. A-STRIDE (O. Fr. a stride), connected with the root of straddle. 40. A-THWART (A. S. on thweorh); from thwart, “cross.” 41. A-TOUR = about, around (Halliw.). It seems sometimes to mean "above." "The horse atour the green did glide" (Dunbar). Atour the flood," "Atour al thinge," "Atour measure (Dunbar). 42. BE-LOW (A. S. lah, low), not used as a Preposition in A. S. 43. BE-SIDE be-sid-en be-sid-é (O. Fr. bi-sid-a) be-side bi-side be-sid-es along-side in-side out-side 44. BE-YOND (A. S. be-geond); demonstrative pron. yond (§ 241). All these, with the exception of notwithstanding, are of classical origin, and all but sans and despite are participles. Their true character will be explained in the Syntax. 409. Many of the prepositions in the list given above have a suffix -st. "The true nature of this suffix has yet to be determined. It may possibly be superlative, intensifying the * Of doubtful derivation. See Mr. Wedgwood, Dict. Eng. Etym. meaning of the simple word: a-mid, "in the middle of;" a-mid-st, "in the very middle of.” 410. Some of the English prepositions are employed occasionally as adverbs and conjunctions: e. g.— Before their eyes the wizard lay.-Scott. (Prep. ante.) A likeness hardly seen before.-Tennyson. (Adv. antea.) Before the garrison had recovered from their surprise, the governor was master of the outworks.-Macaulay. (Conj. antequam.)* The young student should be trained to distinguish these, as a knowledge of the distinction is essential, not only in translating into other languages, but in explaining the structure of English sentences. CONJUNCTIONS. 411. Conjunctions are words used to connect propositions : Cheerful he seemed, and gentleness he loved.-Crabbe. He chid their wanderings, but relieved their pain.—Goldsmith. The word and, though commonly employed to connect propositions, sometimes has a different meaning (with, together with). It then has a prepositional character, and should not be treated as an ordinary conjunction. Many grammarians, overlooking this double property of the word and, assert that conjunctions connect words as well as propositions. 412. Conjunctions sometimes couple independent propositions, and are then called co-ordinate. * Though usually termed a conjunction, before, in such constructions, is in reality a preposition governing a sentence: "I left before [he came]." Hence in O. E. the demonstrative that is frequently found preceding the sentence, to direct emphatic attention to it: I left before that [he came]." This remark applies equally to after, while, and since. Compare the Latin antequam, postquam. |