The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown (free ebook reader .txt) 📕

this usage is, beyond doubt, older than that which makes it an article. On, however, was an exceedingly common preposition in Saxon, being used almost always where we now put on, in, into, upon, or among, and sometimes, for with or by; so, sometimes, where a was afterwards used: thus, "What in the Saxon Gospel of John, is, 'Ic wylle gan on fixoth,' is, in the English version, 'I go a fishing.' Chap, xxi, ver. 3." See Lowth's Gram., p. 65; Churchill's, 269. And a is now sometimes equivalent to on; as, "He would have a learned University make Barbarisms a purpose."—Bentley, Diss. on Phalaris, p. 223. That is,—"on purpose." How absurdly then do some grammarians interpret the foregoing text!—"I go on a fishing."—Alden's Gram., p. 117. "I go on a fishing voyage or business."—Murray's Gram., p. 221; Merchant's, 101. "It may not be improper," says Churchill in another place, "to observe here, that the preposition on, is too frequently pronounced as if it were the vowel a, in ordinary conversation; and this corruption is [has] become so prevalent, that I have even met with 'laid it a oneside' in a periodical publication. It should have been 'on one side,' if the expression were meant to be particular; 'aside,' if general."—New Gram., p. 345. By these writers, a is also supposed to be sometimes a corruption of of: as, "Much in the same manner, Thomas of Becket, by very frequent and familiar use, became Thomas à Becket; and one of the clock, or perhaps on the clock, is written one o'clock, but pronounced one a clock. The phrases with a before a participle are out of use in the solemn style; but still prevail in familiar discourse. They are established by long usage, and good authority; and there seems to be no reason, why they should be utterly rejected."—Lowth's Gram., p. 66. "Much in the same manner, John of Nokes, and John of Styles, become John a Nokes, and John a Styles: and one of the clock, or rather on the clock, is written one o'clock, but pronounced one a clock. The phrases with a before participles, are out of use in the solemn style; but still prevail in familiar discourse."—Churchill's New Gram., p. 269.

OBS. 12.—The following are examples of the less usual prepositions, a, and others that begin with a: "And he set—three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work."—2 Chron., ii, 18. "Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?"—1 Cor., ix, 7. "And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting."—Num., xi, 4.

   "And sweet Billy Dimond, a patting his hair up."
        —Feast of the Poets, p. 17.

    "The god fell a laughing to see his mistake."
        —Ib., p. 18.

    "You'd have thought 'twas the bishops or judges a coming."
        —Ib., p. 22.

"A place on the lower deck, abaft the mainmast."—Gregory's Dict. "A moment gazed adown the dale."—Scott, L. L., p. 10. "Adown Strath-Gartney's valley broad."—Ib., p. 84. "For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect," &c.—Isaiah, xviii, 5. "Where the great luminary aloof the vulgar constellations thick,"—See Milton's Paradise Lost, B. iii, l. 576. "The great luminary aloft the vulgar constellations thick."—Johnson's Dict., w. Aloft. "Captain Falconer having previously gone alongside, the Constitution."—Newspaper. "Seventeen ships sailed for New England, and aboard these above fifteen hundred persons."—Robertson's Amer., ii, 429. "There is a willow grows askant the brook:" Or, as in some editions: "There is a willow grows aslant the brook."—SHAK., Hamlet, Act iv, 7. "Aslant the dew-bright earth."—Thomson. "Swift as meteors glide aslope a summer eve."—Fenton. "Aneath the heavy rain."—James Hogg, "With his magic spectacles astride his nose."—Merchant's Criticisms.

"Atween his downy wings be furnished, there." —Wordsworth's Poems, p. 147.

    "And there a season atween June and May."
        —Castle of Indolence, C. i, st. 2.

OBS. 13.—The following are examples of rather unusual prepositions beginning with b, c, or d; "Or where wild-meeting oceans boil besouth Magellan."—Burns. "Whereupon grew that by-word, used by the Irish, that they dwelt by-west the law, which dwelt beyond the river of the Barrow."—DAVIES: in Joh. Dict. Here Johnson calls by-west a noun substantive, and Webster, as improperly, marks it for an adverb. No hyphen is needed in byword or bywest. The first syllable of the latter is pronounced be, and ought to be written so, if "besouth" is right.

   "From Cephalonia cross the surgy main
    Philætius late arrived, a faithful swain."
        —Pope, Odys., B. xx, l. 234.

    "And cross their limits cut a sloping way,
    Which the twelve signs in beauteous order sway."
        —Dryden's Virgil.

"A fox was taking a walk one night cross a village."—L'Estrange. "The enemy had cut down great trees cross the ways."—Knolles. "DEHORS, prep. [Fr.] Without: as, 'dehors the land.' Blackstone."—Worcester's Dict., 8vo. "You have believed, despite too our physical conformation."—Bulwer.

   "And Roderick shall his welcome make,
    Despite old spleen, for Douglas' sake."
        —Scott, L. L., C. ii, st. 26.

OBS. 14.—The following quotations illustrate further the list of unusual prepositions: "And she would be often weeping inside the room while George was amusing himself without."—Anna Ross, p. 81. "Several nuts grow closely together, inside this prickly covering."—Jacob Abbot. "An other boy asked why the peachstone was not outside the peach."—Id. "As if listening to the sounds withinside it."—Gardiner's Music of Nature, p. 214. "Sir Knight, you well might mark the mound, Left hand the town."—Scott's Marmion. "Thus Butler, maugre his wicked intention, sent them home again."—Sewel's Hist., p. 256. "And, maugre all that can be said in its favour."—Stone, on Freemasonry, p. 121. "And, maugre the authority of Sterne, I even doubt its benevolence."—West's Letters, p. 29.

   "I through the ample air in triumph high
    Shall lead Hell captive maugre Hell."
        —Milton's P. L., B. iii, l. 255.

"When Mr. Seaman arose in the morning, he found himself minus his coat, vest, pocket-handkerchief, and tobacco-box."—Newspaper. "Throw some coals onto the fire."—FORBY: Worcester's Dict., w. Onto. "Flour, at $4 per barrel."—Preston's Book-Keeping. "Which amount, per invoice, to $4000."—Ib. "To Smiths is the substantive Smiths, plus the preposition to."—Fowler's E. Gram., §33. "The Mayor of Lynn versus Turner."—Cowper's Reports, p. 86. "Slaves were imported from Africa, via Cuba."—Society in America, i, 327. "Pending the discussion of this subject, a memorial was presented."—Gov. Everett.

   "Darts his experienced eye and soon traverse
    The whole battalion views their order due."—Milton.

    "Because, when thorough deserts vast
    And regions desolate they past."—Hudibras.

OBS. 15.—Minus, less, plus, more, per, by, versus, towards, or against, and viâ, by the way of, are Latin words; and it is not very consistent with the purity of our tongue, to use them as above. Sans, without, is French, and not now heard with us. Afore for before, atween for between, traverse for across, thorough for through, and withal for with, are obsolete. Withal was never placed before its object, but was once very common at the end of a sentence. I think it not properly a preposition, but rather an adverb. It occurs in Shakspeare, and so does sans; as,

   "I did laugh, sans intermission, an hour by his dial."
        —As You Like It.

    "I pr'ythee, whom doth he trot withal?"
        —Ib.

    "Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans every thing."
        —Ib.

OBS. 16.—Of the propriety and the nature of such expressions as the following, the reader may now judge for himself: "In consideration of what passes sometimes within-side of those vehicles."—Spectator, No. 533. "Watch over yourself, and let nothing throw you off from your guard."—District School, p. 54. "The windows broken, the door off from the hinges, the roof open and leaky."—Ib., p. 71. "He was always a shrewd observer of men, in and out of power."—Knapp's Life of Burr, p. viii. "Who had never been broken in to the experience of sea voyages."—Timothy Flint. "And there came a fire out from before the Lord."—Leviticus, ix, 24. "Because eight readers out of ten, it is believed, forget it."—Brown's Estimate, ii, 32. "Fifty days after the Passover, and their coming out of Egypt."—Watts's Script. Hist., p. 57. "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people."—Psal., cxxv, 2. "Literally, 'I proceeded forth from out of God and am come.'"—Gurney's Essays, p. 161. "But he that came down from (or from out of) heaven."—Ibid.

   "Here none the last funereal rights receive;
    To be cast forth the camp, is all their friends can give."
        —Rowe's Lucan, vi, 166.

EXAMPLES FOR PARSING. PRAXIS X.—ETYMOLOGICAL.

In the Tenth Praxis, it is required of the pupil—to distinguish and define the different parts of speech, and the classes and modifications of the ARTICLES, NOUNS, ADJECTIVES, PRONOUNS, VERBS, PARTICIPLES, ADVERBS, CONJUNCTIONS, and PREPOSITIONS.

The definitions to be given in the Tenth Praxis, are, two for an article, six for a noun, three for an adjective, six for a pronoun, seven for a verb finite, five for an infinitive, two for a participle, two (and sometimes three) for an adverb, two for a conjunction, one for a preposition, and one for an interjection. Thus:—

EXAMPLE PARSED.

"Never adventure on too near an approach to what is evil."—Maxims.

Never is an adverb of time. 1. An adverb is a word added to a verb, a participle, an adjective, or an other adverb; and generally expresses time, place, degree, or manner. 2. Adverbs of time are those which answer to the question, When? How long? How soon? or, How often? including these which ask.

Adventure is a regular active-intransitive verb, from adventure, adventured, adventuring, adventured; found in the imperative mood, present tense, second person, singular (or it may be plural) number. 1. A verb is a word that signifies to be, to act, or to be acted upon. 2. A regular verb is a verb that forms the preterit and the perfect participle by assuming d or ed. 3. An active-intransitive verb is a verb that expresses an action that has no person or thing for its object. 4. The imperative mood is that form of the verb which is used in commanding, exhorting, entreating, or permitting. 5. The present tense is that which expresses what now exists, or is taking place. 6. The second person is that which denotes the hearer, or the person addressed. 7. The singular number is that which denotes but one.

On is a preposition. 1. A preposition is a word used to express some relation of different things or thoughts to each other, and is generally placed before a noun or a pronoun.

Too is an adverb of degree. 1. An adverb is a word added to a verb, a participle, an adjective, or an other adverb; and generally expresses time, place, degree, or manner. 2. Adverbs of decree are those which answer to the question, How much? How little? or to the idea of more or less.

Near is a common adjective, of the positive degree; compared, near, nearer, 2.[sic—KTH] nearest or next. 1. An adjective is a word added to a noun or pronoun, and generally expresses quality. A common adjective is any ordinary epithet, or adjective denoting quality or situation. 3. The positive degree is that which is expressed by the adjective in its simple form.

An is the indefinite article. 1. An article is the word the, an, or a, which we put before nouns to limit their signification. 2. The indefinite article is an or a, which denotes one thing of a kind, but not any particular one.

Approach is a common noun, of the third person, singular number, neuter gender, and objective case. 1. A noun is the name of any person, place, or thing, that can be known or mentioned. 2. A common noun is the name of a sort, kind, or class, of beings or things. 3. The third person is that which denotes the person or thing merely spoken of. 4. The singular number is that which denotes but one. 5. The neuter gender is that which denotes things that are neither male nor female. 6. The objective case is that form or state of a noun or pronoun which usually denotes the object of a verb, participle, or preposition.

To is a preposition. 1. A preposition is a word used to express some relation of different things or thoughts to each other, and is generally placed before a noun or a pronoun.

What is a relative pronoun, of the third person, singular number, neuter gender, and nominative case. 1. A pronoun is a word used in stead of a noun. 2. A relative pronoun is a pronoun that represents an antecedent word or phrase, and connects different clauses of a sentence. 3. The third person is that which denotes the person or thing merely spoken of. 4. The singular number is that which denotes but one. 5. The neuter gender is that which denotes things that are neither male nor female. 6. The nominative case is that