A- ::
A- () A, as a
prefix to
English words, is
derived from
various sources. (1) It
frequently signifies on or in (from an, a forms of AS. on),
denoting a
state, as in
afoot, on foot, abed,
amiss, asleep, aground, aloft, away (AS.
onweg), and
analogically, ablaze, atremble, etc. (2) AS. of off, from, as in adown (AS.
ofd/ne off the dun or
hill). (3) AS. a-
(Goth. us-, ur-, Ger. er-),
usually giving an
intensive force, and
sometimes the sense of away, on, back, as in
arise, abide, ago. (4) Old
English
O ::
O () O, the
fifteenth letter of the
English alphabet, derives its form,
value, and name from the Greek O,
through the
Latin. The
letter came into the Greek from the
Ph/nician, which
possibly derived it
ultimately from the
Egyptian. Etymologically, the
letter o is most
closely related to a, e, and u; as in E. bone, AS. ban; E.
stone, AS. stan; E.
broke, AS.
brecan to
break; E. bore, AS. beran to bear; E. dove, AS. d/fe; E. toft, tuft; tone, tune;
number, F.
nombre..