Part 19 (1/2)

_Chaucer, La belle dame, p 1 c 1_

”Ful sound _on sleep_ did caucht thare rest be kind”

_Douglas_, b 9, p 283

”In these provynces the fayth of Chryste was all quenchyd and _in sleepe_”--_Fabian_

A numerous portion of these contractions are nouns, which, from their frequent recurrence, are used without their usual connexion with small words The letter _a_ is compounded with many of these words, which may have been joined to the _on_, _to_, _at_, _in_, as it is used in the french and soes

You often hear expressions like these, ”he is _a_-going; he is _a_-writing; he began _a_-new,” etc The old adverbs which take this letter, you can easily analyze; as, ”The house is _a_-fire”--on fire; ”He fell _a_-sleep”--he fell _on_ sleep ”When deep sleep falleth on men”--_Job_ ”He stept _a_-side”--on one side ”He came _a_-board”--on board ”They put it _a_-foot”--on foot ”He went _a_-way”--a way, followed soo_ now _a_-days,” etc

The following extracts will give you an idea of the etyrete yre, And al thare schyppis and navy set _in fire_”

_Douglas_, b 9, p 274

”Now hand in hand the dynt lichtis with _ane_ swak, Now bendis he up his bourdon with _ane_ mynt, _On side_ (a-side) he bradis for to eschew the dynt”

_Idem_

”That easter fire and flame aboute Both at mouth and at nase So that thei setten all _on blaze_,” (ablaze) _Gower_

”And tyl a wicked deth him take _Him had_ leuer _asondre_ (a-sunder) shake And let al his lymmes _asondre_ ryue Thane leaue his richesse in his lyue”

_Chaucer_

Exath But the above will suffice to give you an idea of the former use of these words, and also, by coes which have taken place in the e portion of adverbs relate to _time_ and _place_, because e, are employed in reference to them; as, _then_, _when_, _where_, _there_, _here_, _hence_, _whence_, _thence_, _while_, _till_, _whether_, etc These are co and formation Let us briefly notice some of them

_Per annum_ is a latin phrase, _for the year_, a _year_; and _the annum_ is _the year_, _round_ or _period_ of tiradually into its present shape _Thanne_, tha anne, _thane_, _thenne_, _then_, _than_, are different forms of the same word

”We see nowe bi a mirror in darcnesse: thanne forsathe, face to face

Nowe I know of partye; _thanne_ forsathe schal know as I am knowen”--1

Cor 13: 12 _Translation in 1350_

I have a translation of the sae in 1586, which stands thus: ”For noe see through a glasse darkley: but _thene_ face to face: now I know in part: but _then_ shal I know even as I am knowen” Here several words are spelled differently in the same verse

=Then=, _the anne_, that time =When=, _wha anne_, ”_wha-icht-anne_,”

which, or what _anne_, period of tiround, a spot or place Arena is from the same etymon, altered in application =There=, _the area_, the _place_ or _spot_ ”If we go _there_,” to that place =Where=, which, or what (”wha-icht area”) place =Here=, _his_ (latin word for _this_,) _area_, this place These words refer to _place_, _state_, or _condition_

_While_ is another spelling for _wheel_ ”To while away our time,” is to _pass_, spend, or _wheel_ it away _While_ applies to the _period_, or space of ti _wheels_, _whirls_, _turns_ round, or transpires; as, ”You had better re the tio”

=Till= is _to while_, to the _period_ at which so is expected to follow ”If I will that he tarry _till_ (to the time) I come what is that to thee?”

The idea of _tiether It is not uncommon to hear lads and professed scholars, in some parts of our country say ”down _till_ the bottoard such expressions correct, yet they serve to explain theit to _place_ instead of _time_

=Whether= is _which either_ ”Shehether_ of these _two_ thou hast chosen”--_Acts 1: 24_ It is more frequently applied in modern tis ”I will let you knohether_ I _will_ or _will not_ adopt it,” one or the other