Re: Middle English Verbal Prefix i-

--- caeruleancentaur <caeruleancentaur@...>
wrote:

> >Adam Walker <carrajena@...> wrote:
>
> >I'm not sure what the techical name for it is, but
> I
> >do believe the function survives in many country
> >dialects in the US where it's usually spelled "a"
> --
> >as in "Don't rush me, I'm a-comin."  "Summer is
> >a-comin in," seems quite acceptable to me, and
> "Adam
> >lay a-bounden" just slightly archaic.
>
> Rather, this "a-" is from the OE _a-_, from _an,
> on_, in, at.
>
> AHD's second defintion: "In the act of; for example,
> _a-fishing, a-
> going._"  It is the same prefix used in words like
> "aboard"
> and "abed," meaning "on" or "in."
>
> It is cognate to the English word "on."
>
Yeah, I've heard the etymology before.  I knew they
werent from the same source.  That's why I said "the
function survives".  Etymons and their decendants can
end up worlds apart.

> _ge-_ and _y-_ were prefixed to form the past
> participle.  This _a-_
> is prefixed to the present participle, i.e., the
> -ing form.  For
> that reason, I don't think they would be the same.
>
> Charlie
Of course, I now see that I wasn't thinking clearly
when I compared the two forms.  They are completely
different functions as well as different etymons.
Though the one being different doesn't necessitate the
other in all cases.  Unfortunately, here, I typed
without thinking what I was saying.

Adam

Dichiruns sivi, «In il Betuemi djul Judja pervia azig niscrivid peu'l davri, «Ed tu,
Betuemi djal terra djal Judja, nun si djils daliris djal Judja ul mindrisimu
puña vinijid djil ti il daliri fin paxed ul mi pobuu, il Istreli.»

Mach 2:5-6