| 释义 |
▪ I. of, prep.|ɒv, (ə)v|
Also (3 Orm.) 5–7 off (6 offe); 3–6 o, 6– o': see o prep.2
[OE. of, weak or unaccented form of the word whose rare strong form was æf, originally af, corresp. to OFris. af, of, ofe, OS. af, MLG. af prep. and adv. (MDu. ave, af, of, Du. af adv. ‘off’), OHG. aba, ab, MHG. abe, ab- prep. and adv., Ger. ab adv. ‘off’, ‘away’, ON. af, Goth. af prep. and adv.:—OTeut. aƀa, unaccented by-form ab; corresp. to Skr. apa away from, down from, Gr. ἀπό, L. ab.
The form whence the OE. was immediately derived was af (as in OS., ON., and Goth.). Like other prepositional advbs., this developed two forms, according as it was stressed or stressless; in primitive OE., æf and of. In historic times the stressed form appeared only in a few nominal compounds (e.g. ˈæfþunca displeasure, ˈæfweard absent), while the originally unstressed of survived, as inseparable verbal particle and preposition. In OE. this of began to be used also as a separable particle or adv. (as in inf. of dón, dat. inf. of to dónne, pa. pple. of(ᵹe)dón, imperative dó of, pa. tense he dyde of, in subord. cl. þe he of dyde); and, as the adv. in this position always received the stress, this gave rise to a new stressed form. But to the end of the ME. period, and often to 1600 or later, both unstressed and stressed forms were written of. About 1400, the spelling off appears casually, and usually (but not always) for the stressed form, to which it gradually came in course of the 16th c. to be appropriated (though of was sometimes used even in the 17th c.). This emphatic form was restricted to the adv. and those emphatic senses of the prep. which are akin to or derived from the adv. (be off! get off the table! hands off! hands off the money!); while the original spelling of (pronounced ɒv, əv), further reduced dialectally, colloquially, and in certain connexions, to o' (see o prep.2), remains for the weak senses of the preposition. Thus of and off now rank as different words.]
General Signification. The primary sense was away, away from, a sense now obsolete, except in so far as it is retained under the spelling off. All the existing uses of of are derivative; many so remote as to retain no trace of the original sense, and so weakened down as to be in themselves the expression of the vaguest and most intangible of relations. The sense-history is exceedingly complicated by reason of the introduction of senses or uses derived from other sources, the mingling of these with the main stream, and the subsequent weakening down, which often renders it difficult to assign a particular modern use to its actual source or sources. From its original sense, of was naturally used in the expression of the notions of removal, separation, privation, derivation, origin or source, starting-point, spring of action, cause, agent, instrument, material, and other senses, which involve the notion of taking, coming, arising, or resulting from. But, even in OE., this native development was affected by the translational character of the literature, and the employment of of to render L. ab, dē, or ex, in constructions where the native idiom would not have used it. Of far greater moment was its employment from the 11th c. as the equivalent of F. de, itself of composite origin, since it not merely represented L. dē in its various prepositional uses, but had come to be the Common Romanic, and so the French, substitute for the Latin genitive case. Whether of might have come independently in Eng. to be a substitute for the genitive is doubtful. In the expression of racial or national origin, we find of and the genitive app. interchangeable already in the 9th c. (tr. Bæda's Eccl. Hist. iii. xix, Wæs þes wer..of þæm æþelestan cynne Scotta = de nobilissimo genere Scottorum; Ibid. iii. xxi, Se nyhsta wæs Scyttisces cynnes = natione Scottus; se wæs eac Scotta cynnes = de natione Scottorum); and this might have extended in time to other uses; but the great intrusion of of upon the old domain of the genitive, which speedily extended to the supersession of the OE. genitive after adjectives, verbs, and even substantives, was mainly due to the influence of F. de. Beside this—the most far-reaching fact in the sense-history of of—the same influence is also manifest in numerous phraseological uses, and esp. in the use of of = F. de, in the construction of many verbs and adjs. Many of these can be clearly distinguished; but, in other cases, the uses derived from F. de have so blended with those derived from OE. of, giving rise again to later uses related to both, that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to separate the two streams, with their many ramifications. All that can be done here is to exhibit the main uses of the preposition, and to show generally how far back each of these is exemplified. It has not been attempted to classify or even mention all the vbs. and adjs. which are or have been construed with of; examples occur under the chief senses and uses, but the construction of any individual vb. or adj. must be looked for under that word itself, where also will be seen what other prepositions share or have shared the same function with of.
I. Of motion, direction, distance.
†1.
a. Indicating the thing, place, or direction whence anything goes, comes, or is driven or moved: From, away from, out of. Obs. exc. in the restricted sense in which it is now written off, q.v.
a855O.E. Chron. an. 658 Þis wæs ᵹefohten siþþan he of East Englum com. Ibid. an. 794 And Ceolwulf bisceop and Eadbald bisceop of þæm londe aforon. Ibid. an. 823 Þa sende he æþlwulf his sunu of þære fierde..to Cent. c893K. ælfred Oros. iii. xi. §9 Hie þa Demetrias of þæm rice adrifon. 971Blickl. Hom. 5 Crist of heofona heanessum on ðinne innoþ astiᵹeþ. Ibid. 19 Faran of stowe to oðerre. a1175Cott. Hom. 219 [He] hi alle adrefde of heofan rices mirhðe. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 11508 A certein day hom was iset, of londe vor to fle. a1300Seven Sins 36 in E.E.P. (1862) 19 Þat he sal of þis world wend. a1300Cursor M. 11596 (Gött.) Wit naghtertale he went of [Cott. o] toune. c1330R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 8544 Þe sparkles fleye as fir of flyntes. 1439Rolls of Parlt. V. 30/1 The said Places of the whiche thei wer remeved. 1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xiv. 337 Whan Longys dyde shove the spere in to your dygne side, the water ranne of it. 1542–3Act 34 & 35 Hen. VIII, c. 4 If anie suche person..do withdrawe him selfe of this realme. a1572Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. (1846) I. 346 [They] did secreidlie convey thame selfis and thair cumpanyeis of the town. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 541 With the least drawing bloud of another.
b. Indicating the place or quarter whence action (e.g. shooting, calling, writing, looking) is directed: From. Obs. (In quot. 1569–70, prob. after L. ex.)
c893K. ælfred Oros. iii. vii. §7 On ðæm dæᵹe pleᵹedon hie of horsum. c1000Ags. Ps. (Th.) xiii. 3 [xiv. 2] Drihten locað of heofenum. c1230Hali Meid. 5 Of þat syon ha bihalt al þe world under hire. a1340Hampole Psalter xiii. 3 Lord lokyd of heuen on þe sonnes of men. 1569–70Knox Let. to Cecil 2 Jan. (S.P.O.), In haste, of Edinburgh, the second of Janur. Yours..John Knox.
c. Following an adv., with which it is sometimes closely connected: e.g. down of, up of, off of. dial. or Obs. exc. in forth of, out of, q.v.
c1000ælfric Gram. xlvii. (Z.) 272 Se wyll astah up of ðære eorðan. 1123–31O.E. Chron. an. 1123 Se kyng alihte dune of his hors. c1290Beket 1799 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 158 Ase he come op of þe se. a1300Cursor M. 2842 (Cott.) Our lauerd raind..Dun o lift [Fairf. doun of þe lift], fire and brinstan. c1380Sir Ferumb. 1121 Þay comen doun of þe tour. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 26 b, He a lighted downe of his horse. 1748Richardson Clarissa (1811) V. 211 Biting my lip, got off of that, as fast as possible.
2. Indicating a point of time (or stage of life, etc.) from which something begins or proceeds. Obs. (supplied by from) exc. in archaic expressions, and in such phrases as of late, of recent years, of old, of yore, which have gradually come to have the sense of ‘during’, ‘in the course of’ the time indicated: see 54.
c900tr. Bæda's Hist. i. xii. [xv.] (1890) 52 Of þære tide þe hi ðanon ᵹewiton oð to dæᵹe. c1000Ags. Gosp. Mark x. 20 Eall ðis ic ᵹeheold of minre ᵹeoᵹuðe. a1225Leg. Kath. 79 Ðis meiden was..faderles & moderles of hire childhade. c1425Lydg. Assembly of Gods 457 Thus haue I dewly, with all my dilygence, Executyd the offyce of olde antiquyte. c1470–[see late a.1 B. 2]. 1483Caxton G. de la Tour H v, One his chamberlayne whiche he had nourysshed and brought up of his yougthe. 1520Whitinton Vulg. (1527) 8 b, Brought vp togyder of lytell babes. 1526Tindale Mark ix. 21 How longe is it a goo..? And he sayde, of a chylde. 1551Robinson tr. More's Utop. ii. ix. (1895) 291 The newe yeare..whyche they doo begynne of that same hollye daye. 1591Shakes. Two Gent. iv. iv. 3 One that I brought vp of a puppy. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 534 Of auncient time they were subject to the Chinois, untill [etc.]. a1625in Gutch Coll. Cur. I. 186, I bred him of a Child.
†3. Indicating a situation, condition, or state, the departure from or emergence out of which is figured as (and often accompanied by) actual movement. Obs. (supplied by from or out of).
c1000ælfric Hom. I. 66 Þæt þu of deaðe arise. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 23 On þe þridde dai he aros of deaðe. c1205Lay. 11737 Fiftene þusende þer weoren islaȝen And idon of lif-dæȝen. c1300St. Brandan 451 As hi awoke of slepe. c1380Sir Ferumb. 2143 Many was þe cristene mon þat he had broȝt of dawe. a1450Le Morte Arth. 2006 Off swounynge whan he myght A-wake. 1513Douglas æneis viii. Prol. 38 The thrall to be of thirllage Langis ful sayr. 1579–80North Plutarch (1676) 14 Being delivered of his captivity. a1586Sidney Arcadia (1622) 34 To be thus banished of thy counsels.
4. Expressing position which is (or is treated as) the result of departure, and is therefore defined with reference to the fixed point.
†a. Away from, out of. of live, out of life, dead. Obs.
c1000Sax. Leechd. III. 272 Fixas cwelað gyf hi of wætere beoð. c1205Lay. 9057 Heo cudden Kinbeline Þat his fader wes of liue. a1300K. Horn 652 Heo saȝ Rymenild sitte Also he were of witte. c1350Will. Palerne 420 Sone of his seiȝt þe bestes seþþen ware. a1425Cursor M. 12478 (Trin.) Ioseph..wende þe maistir were of lyue.
b. Now used only in certain phrases, as north of, south of, etc., within (a mile, an hour, an ace, etc.) of, wide of, back of (U.S.), backwards of (arch.), upwards of (a number or amount): see these words.
1494Act 11 Hen. VII, c. 23 Every such Fish should be splatted down to an Handful of the Tail. 1537Lett. Suppress. Monast. (Camden) 157 Within x. or xij. mylles of hit. 1588Shakes. L.L.L. i. i. 119 That no woman shall come within a mile of my Court. 1597― 2 Hen. IV, iv. i. 19 West of this Forrest, scarcely off a mile,..comes on the Enemie. 1762Chron. in Ann. Reg. 104/2 Upwards of 15,000 lb. weight. 1778Robertson Hist. Amer. I. 431 Countries..situate to the east of those [etc.]. 1843Blackw. Mag. LIV. 160 Bill was generally pretty wide of his mark. 1885Act 48 & 49 Vict. c. 54 §14 Churches..within four miles of one another. 1885Fischer in Law Rep. 29 Chanc. Div. 453 Commenced within a few days of each other.
c. N. Amer. and dial. In expressing the time: from or before (a specified hour); = to prep. 6 b. Also ellipt.
1817T. Dean Jrnl. 31 May in Indiana Hist. Soc. Publ. (1918) VI. 278 At 15 minutes of 10 A.M. Paul Dick arrived. 1857M. J. Holmes Meadow Brook v. 64 Five minutes of nine, and round the corner at the foot of the hill appeared a group of children. 1912in Sc. Nat. Dict. (1965) VI. 466/3 It is a quarter of twelve. 1972H. MacInnes Message from Málaga xix. 264, I have to leave by a quarter of four—at the latest. 1973D. MacKenzie Postscript to Dead Let. 22 It was a quarter-of-seven. 1976I. Levin Boys from Brazil iv. 135 ‘Can I go with you?’ ‘Sure... I leave at five of.’
II. Of liberation and privation. Expressing separation from or of a property, possession, or appurtenance. (In OE. expressed by of, from, or genitive case.)
5. In the construction of transitive verbs, of various classes; as
a. to cure, heal, recover; cleanse, clear, purge, wash; bring to bed, deliver, disburden, ease, empty, free, lighten, rid of, etc.
b. to bereave, deprive, divest, drain, exhaust, oust, rob, spoil, strip of, etc.
In these, by a kind of transposition, of introduces that which is removed, the person or thing whence it is removed being made the grammatical object: thus, a prisoner is said to be stripped of his clothes, when in reality the clothes are stripped off or from the prisoner.
a900K. ælfred Solil. 167 Us ᵹeclensast of æallum urum synnum. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. vi. 13 Alys us of yfele. Ibid. Luke vii. 21 He ᵹe-hælde maneᵹa of adlum ᵹe of witum and of yfelum gastum. 1124–31O.E. Chron. an. 1124 Six men [he] spilde of here æᵹon and of here stanes. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 169 Ared me louerd of eche deaðe. c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 453 Allagatis a man most first be purged of dedly [synne]. a1400Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. (1867) 37 We pray þat we be delyuered of all ill thynge. c1440Tundale 10 Ȝyf he..clense hym here of his mysdede. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 5 As y⊇ iewes spoyled Egypte of theyr rychesse. 1616W. Haig in J. Russell Haigs vii. (1881) 163, I humbly beseech your sacred Majesty..to free me of this close prison. 1632J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 22 Without stripping himselfe of his cloathes. 1670R. Montagu in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 473 The King..would release his Christian Majesty of his word. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 486 The Pastor..eases of their Hair, the loaden Herds. 1711Addison Spect. No. 1 ⁋2 She dreamt that she was brought to Bed of a Judge. 1820Keats Grecian Urn iv, What little town..Is emptied of its folk this pious morn? 1847C. G. Addison Law of Contracts ii. iii. §3 (1883) 635 A recovery by one party ousts the other of his right to recover.
6. In the construction of some classes of intrans. verbs; as
a. To recover.
†b. To blin, cease, stint.
13..Guy Warw. (A.) 849 Of rideing wil þai neuer stent. c1450St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 5130 Þe se of flowyng in abade. c1450Merlin 39 Neuer to entermete of that arte. c1460Towneley Myst. xxvi. 92 Centurio, sese of sich saw. 1602Shakes. Ham. i. iv. 3, I thinke it lacks of twelue. 1844J. T. J. Hewlett Parsons & W. xiii, He recovered of his wounds.
7. In the construction of verbal ns. and nouns of action, akin to the preceding verbs. (Now mostly Obs. and replaced by from.)
a1000Ags. Ps. (Th.) xxii. (heading), He þancað Gode his alysnesse of his earfoðum. 1426in Surtees Misc. (1888) 7 To pray..for ease of þe said John Lyllyng. 1463G. Ashby Prisoner's Refl. 349 Of fre liberte a sharp abstinence. c1500Melusine 151 The rescue of the daunger..is worth & ynough for a conqueste. 1534Whitinton Tullyes Offices i. (1540) 75 The rest of cares. c1645Habington Surv. Worcs. (Worcs. Hist. Soc. Proc.) i. 121 For hys salvation and redemption of hys synnes. 1761F. Sheridan Sidney Bidulph I. 14 He..had been ordered by the physicians to Spa for the recovery of a lingering disorder.
8. In the construction of adjs.:
a. whole (of a wound); clean, clear, free, pure, quit, rid, etc.;
b. bare, barren, destitute, devoid, empty, naked, void, etc. Some of these, e.g. clean, empty, free, naked, etc. were in OE. followed by the genitive (cf. IX.); in some from has now taken the place of of: see under the adjs.
c1000Ags. Gosp. Mark v. 34 Beo of ðisum [a plaga tua] hal. c1175Lamb. Hom. 63 Of ure sunne make us clene. c1375Cursor M. 24648 (Fairf.) Lauedi of sorou þou mai be liȝt. 1470–85Malory Arthur viii. xiii, Sir Tristram was..hole of his woundes. 1574tr. Marlorat's Apocalips 6 Their disputing of vertue, is voyde of the holye Ghost. 1611Shakes. Cymb. ii. iii. 94, I am poor of thanks. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 427 The Farmer, now secure of Fear. 1785Burns Earnest Cry & Prayer viii, Picking her pouch as bare as winter Of a' kind coin. 1876Gladstone Glean. (1879) II. 273 Macaulay was singularly free of vices.
III. Of origin or source. Indicating the thing or person whence anything originates, comes, is acquired or sought.
9. a. Expressing racial or local origin, descent, etc.: after the vbs. arise, be, come, descend, spring, be born, bred, propagated, and the like.
c897K. ælfred Gregory's Past. xxxv. 240 Of hwæm hit ærest com. c900tr. Bæda's Hist. i. xii. [xv.] (1890) 52 Of Geata fruman syndon Cantware.. Of Seaxum..coman Eastseaxan and Suðseaxan and Westseaxan. Ibid. iv. xxv[i]. 350 Sum wer of Scotta þeode. c1000Ags. Gosp. John iii. 6 Þæt þe of gaste is acenned þæt is gast. 1129–31O.E. Chron. an. 1129 Boren of þa ricceste men of Rome. c1175Lamb. Hom. 17 He wes iboren of ure lefdi Zeinte Marie. c1200Ormin 495 Alle..þatt off þa tweȝȝen prestess comenn. c1205Lay. 320 His kun þe he of icumen wes. Ibid. 11117 He wes of heore cunne. a1300Cursor M. 14340 (Cott.) Fader i wat i am o [v.r. of] þe. c1425Prymer 6 Sikirli, maide marie..of þee is risun þe sunne of riȝtwisnesse, oure lord ihesu crist. c1435Torr. Portugal 1068 ‘Sir’, quod the kyng, ‘of whens are ye?’ ‘Of Portingale, Sir’, said he. 1513More in Hall Chron., Edw. V, 1 Ye muste first considre of whom he and his brother dessended. 1590Spenser F.Q. ii. vii. 12 Infinite mischiefes of them do arize. 1610Shakes. Temp. ii. i. 82 She was of Carthage, not of Tunis. 1626Bacon Sylva §696 Fleas breed principally Of Straw or Mats. 1669Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1681) 97 It is propagated of the Keys, as the Ash. 1709Steele Tatler No. 112 ⁋5 Young Gentlemen, descended of honest Parents. 1826Disraeli Viv. Grey v. vi, Are you of Dorsetshire? 1851Thackeray Eng. Hum. i. (1853) 2 Of English parents, and of a good English family of clergymen, Swift was born in Dublin. 1888Athenæum 3 Nov. 588/3 The force born of strong womanly instinct.
†b. Expressing the origin or derivation of a name: with various vbs. Obs. (Now from.)
c1000ælfric Gram. xv. (Z.) 93 Ða oðre seofan syndon dirivativa, þat is, þæt hi cumað of þam oðrum. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 93 Assyria haþ þe name of Asur Sem his sone. c1450St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 6675 It takes name of a watir strynde. 1559W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 18 Horizont..is said of ὁριζω, whiche signifieth to decerne, or ende. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 83 Named Portgreves..the which is derived of two Saxon wordes. 1570–6Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 155 He..called it (of the sandie place where it is pitched) Sandgate Castle. 1605Camden Rem. (1637) 127 Names also haue been taken of civill honours, dignities, and estate, as King, Duke, Prince, Lord, Baron, Knight,..Squire, Castellan.
10. After trans. vbs., their pples., gerunds, etc.
a. After borrow, buy, gain, hold, purchase, receive, win, and the like, in which it varies with from; formerly also with get, have, steal, take, etc. where from is now used. See also off prep. 2.
Still used after take advantage, take leave, take an oath, take vengeance.
c1000ælfric Job ii. 10 ᵹif we god underfengon of godes hande. 1127–31O.E. Chron. an. 1127 For to hauene sibbe of se eorl of Angeow. 1140Ibid,, Hi nan helpe ne hæfden of þe kinge. c1175Lamb. Hom. 7 Drihten þu dest þe lof of milc drinkende childre muðe. c1205Lay. 2093 Of Ignogen his quene he hefde þreo sunen scene. Ibid. 29746 We..habbeoð ure irihte of ure arche-biscpe. c1290St. Michael 450 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 312 Alle habbez lijȝt of hire. a1300Cursor M. 460 (Cott.) O me [Gött. of me] seruis sal he non gette. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 234, I haue none gode gyftes of þise grete lordes. c1440Jacob's Well 208 Takyth exaumple of hym! 1640Yorke Union Hon. 154 Joan, wife to Gilbert..of whom hee begot one daughter. 1642tr. Perkins' Prof. Bk. viii. § 533. 233 He shall hold off him of whom his feoffor held. 1697–8Evelyn Mem. 8 Feb., The use which may be derived of such a collection. 1724De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 187 The kings enemies made all the advantages of it that was possible. 1741Richardson Pamela I. 92, I would not take them of her. 1755T. Amory Mem. (1769) I. 240, I hope you will not take it ill of me, that I offer my advice. 1833H. Martineau Loom & Lugger ii. iii. 45 She would have had much more comfort of her son if he had lived. 1885Law Rep. 14 Queen's Bench Div. 735 They agreed to hire another room of the defendants.
b. After ask, beg, crave, demand, desire, entreat, expect, inquire, request, require, seek, and the like; also after learn, hear. (Some of these, as ask, inquire, were formerly constr. with at; in some of varies with from.)
c893K. ælfred Oros. ii. v. §3 He hæfde of oþerum þeodum abeden iiii c m. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2477 Bidde of me what þou wolt. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 47 He asked of hem of whom spac þe lettre. 1382Wyclif Matt. ii. 4 He..enquiride of hem, wher Crist shulde be borun. c1386Chaucer Doctor's T. 197 This cursed Iuge wolde no thyng tarie, Ne heere a word moore of Virginius. a1425Cursor M. 6819 (Trin.) Lerne not of him þat is lyere. 1444Rolls of Parlt. V. 75/1 Without any suyt of any licence of oure Lord Kyng. 1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, v. iv. 23 Lustier maintenance then I did looke for Of such an vngrowne Warriour. 1610Healey St. Aug. Citie of God 93 Sylla ..demanded helpe of his armie. 1791Cowper Retired Cat 10, I know not where she caught the trick..Or else she learned it of her master. 1821J. F. Cooper Spy viii, It is all that is required of me. 1854Dickens Hard T. ii. vii, You expect too much of your sister. 1859G. Meredith R. Feverel xxxiv, I do not beg of you to forgive him now.
c. After various other vbs. Mostly Obs.
a1300Cursor M. 10670 To godd þan was i giuen ar mi moder me of bodi bare. 1660F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 5 The houses are built of the Moresco modell, with galleries.
11. a. After a n. Arising from the elision of a pple. of some vb. of the foregoing classes.
c888K. ælfred Boeth. i. §1 On ðære tide ðe Gotan of Sciððiu mæᵹðe wið Romana rice ᵹewin up ahofon. c900tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. xx. [xxviii.] (1890) 246 Tweᵹen biscopas of Bretta ðeode. c1000ælfric Gen. vii. 8 Þa nitenu of eallum cinne and of eallum fuᵹelcynne. 1520in Vicary's Anat. (1888) App. viii. 213 Camme Pereson & Bankes..& Showed forthe their Graunte of Kyng Edward iiijth. 1789Burns Whistle v, Three noble chieftains, and all of his blood. 1818Cruise Digest (ed. 2) IV. 380 Such person as should be heir male of the body of the wife at her death. 1885Sir R. Baggallay in Law Rep. 10 P.D. 192 There was one child of the marriage.
b. esp. in reference to local origin.
Here the notion of from passes into that of belonging to a place, and so becomes identified with sense 47, q.v.
IV. Of the source or starting-point of action, emotion, etc.; motive, cause, ground, reason.
12. a. Indicating the mental or non-material source or spring of action, emotion, etc.: Out of, from, as an outcome, expression, or consequence of.
Esp. in many phrases, treated, when necessary, under the ns., as of one's own accord, of choice, consequence, course, force, goodwill, one's own head, one's own knowledge, necessity, one's own good pleasure, purpose, right, one's own will; also of courtesy, custom, duty, favour, grace, instinct, kind, nature, office, reason, etc.
This connects the notions of origin and cause.
c888K. ælfred Boeth. xiii. §1 Hit is of his aᵹenre ᵹecynde, næs of þinre. c897― Gregory's Past. xxi. 157 Ðonne hie of yflum willan ne ᵹesyngað ac of unwisdome. c900tr. Bæda's Hist. i. xvi. [xxvii.] (1890) 68 Þonne is hit of lufan to donne. a1225Leg. Kath. 1361 Þe Keiser kaste his heaued as wod mon, of wraððe. 1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 5773 Other werkes noght done of mercy. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) xxix. 131 Godd of his speciall grace herd his praier. c1425Lydg. Assembly of Gods 81 Desyryng of fauour to haue audyence. c1520Trevelyan Papers (Camden) 135 Contryvyd and ymagyned of malyce and dyspleasure. 1541R. Copland Guydon's Quest. Chirurg., Galyen sayeth of the auctoryte of Ypocras, that [etc.]. 1577St. Aug. Manual (Longman) 6 It is of thy goodnes that we be made, of thy justice that we be punished, and of thy mercy that we be delivered. 1578Lyte Dodoens iii. lxxxv. 439 Apples of loue grow not of their owne kinde in this Countrie. 1581Mulcaster Positions xxxix. (1887) 218 If some of choice became both diuines, and physicianes. 1624Capt. Smith Virginia ii. (Arb.) 370 They..serue him more of feare then loue. 1721St. German's Doctor & Stud. 120 It seemeth of Reason. Ibid. 313 The Justices of favour will most commonly help forth the party. 1776Trial of Nundocomar 32/1 Did you know of any bond..of your own knowledge? 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. ix. II. 433 Lewis..laboured, as if of set purpose, to estrange his Dutch friends. 1894Crockett Raiders 15, I seized my oars of instinct and rowed shorewards.
b. of oneself, by one's own impetus or motion, spontaneously, without the instigation or aid of another.
c1000Ags. Gosp. John viii. 28 Ic ne do nan þing of me sylfum. Ibid. xviii. 34 Cwyst þu þis of ðe sylfum? 1382Wyclif John v. 19 The sone may not of him silf do ony thing, no but that thing that he schal se the fadir doynge. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) vii. 24 Þe cuntree es strang ynogh of þe self. 1542Udall Erasm. Apoph. 152, Whatsoever thyng wer not of it self eivill. 1598Chapman Blinde Begger of Alexandria Wks. 1873 I. 11 A man that of himselfe Sits downe and bids you welcome to your feast. 1607Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 67 When an Oxe or Cow in ancient time did dye of themselves. 1621Bp. R. Montagu Diatribæ 503, I speake not of my selfe or without booke. 1707W. Funnell Voy. round World 20 The Goats..would many of them come of themselves to be milked. a1774Goldsm. Surv. Exp. Philos. (1776) I. 106 Matter is of itself entirely passive, incapable of moving itself. 1836Carlyle Let. to sister Jenny 16 May, I judged that Robert and you were happy enough of yourselves for the present. 1886Athenæum 30 Oct. 561/1 [They] therefore can do nothing good of themselves.
13. Indicating the cause, reason, or ground of an action, occurrence, fact, feeling, etc.
a. After an intrans. vb. (e.g. die, perish; savour, smack, smell, taste, ring; etc.) In some of these obs. and supplied by with, from, at.
The sense of cause is sometimes weakened into that of the subject-matter of the action (VIII).
c893K. ælfred Oros. i. iv. §1 Þæt he of ðæm cræfte Pharaone þæm cyninge swa leof wurde. 1119–31O.E. Chron. an. 1119 Forð-ferde se eorl Baldewine of Flandran of þam wundan þe he..ᵹefeng. 1124–31Ibid. an. 1124 Se man..þe nan [god] ne heafde stærf of hungor. c1205Lay. 31482 Heo..menden heom to Pendan Of Oswy þan kinge. c1305St. Edmund Conf. 394 in E.E.P. (1862) 81 Of him wondrede euerech man. c1315Shoreham 48 Word that of God smaketh. 1470–85Malory Arthur viii. xii, My moder dyed of me. Ibid. x. xii, All the forrest rang of the noise. 1548–9(Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Litany, All women labouryng of chylde. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 602 He breath'd of Heav'n, and look'd above a Man. 1843Fraser's Mag. XXVIII. 277, I am dying of fatigue. 1886Manch. Exam. 18 Jan. 5/5 It savours more of statecraft than of statesmanship.
†b. After a trans. vb. or its object (e.g. to esteem, praise, thank, blame, etc.). Obs. (Supplied by for, on account of, etc.)
c1350Will. Palerne 500 Þat perles..is preised ouer alle, Of fairnesse of facion and frely þewes. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. vi. 129 We preye..þat god..ȝelde ȝow of ȝowre almesse þat ȝe ȝiue vs here. 1483Caxton G. de la Tour G ij, Behynd her bak he mocked her of it. a1533Ld. Berners Huon lxi. 212, I thanke you of your courtesye. 1611Bible Transl. Pref. 3 How can wee excuse ourselues of negligence? 1613[see arrest v.]. 1657Trapp Comm. Ps. lxviii. 17 Angels, who are here called, Shinan, of their changeableness.
14. After an adj. or n., indicating that which causes or gives rise to the quality, feeling, or action.
a. After an adj. (e.g. dead, sick, weary; ashamed, afraid, fearful; glad, joyful, sorry; proud, vain; etc.): Because of, on account of.
[In OE. with genitive: cf. 30. In Fr. with de.] In some of these now obs.: see the words themselves.
c1200Ormin 794 Oþre menn unnfæwe Well glade & bliþe sholldenn ben Ec off þatt childess come. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 11178 Þo were þe porters agrise sore of þulke siȝte. 1426Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 3645 As thoȝ ye were In party dronken of your wynes. a1450Knt. de la Tour (1868) 99 She held her..ashamed of that she had be warned of her demaunde and requeste. 1526Tindale Matt. viii. 14 Lyinge sicke of a fevre. 1535Coverdale Jonah iv. 6 And Ionas was exceadinge glad of the wylde vyne. 1568Tilney Disc. Marriage B ij b, They had nothing to be prowde off. 1610Shakes. Temp. v. i. 230 We were dead of sleepe. a1653Binning Serm. (1743) 607 Would not dyvours and prisoners be content of a deliverance? 1715–20Pope Iliad vi. 105 Press'd as we are, and sore of former fight. 1842Macaulay Ess. (1848) I. 321 Sick of inaction.
b. After a n. (e.g. anger, grief, joy, thanks). Mostly Obs. (supplied by on account of, for, at).
13..Guy Warw. (A.) 275 Sorwe he makeþ wiþ þe mest Of Felice þat feir may. c1450Merlin 227 Feire lady, with goode will, and gramercy of youre seruyse. 1497Bp. Alcock Mons Perfect. B iij b, Some in pryde of worde, of garment, & of blood. 1595Shakes. John iv. i. 114 You will but make it blush, And glow with shame of your proceedings. 1598R. Grenewey Tacitus, Ann. xiii. xii. (1622) 198 For want of remedy, and anger of such a destruction. 1599Shakes. Much Ado ii. i. 200, I wish him ioy of her. 1611― Wint. T. v. ii. 54 Ready to leape out of himselfe, for ioy of his found Daughter. 1749Fielding Tom Jones xviii. x, She..wished him heartily Joy of his new-found Uncle. 1760–72H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) II. 112 Pouring forth her tears..for grief of having found him in that condition.
V. Indicating the agent or doer.
15. Introducing the agent after a passive verb. (The regular word for this is now by (sense 33), which began to come in c 1400; but of prevailed till c 1600, and is still in literary use, as a biblical, poetic, or stylistic archaism, or by association with other constructions, e.g. ‘on the part of’. In OE. less used than from: cf. Ger. von from, of.)
The use of of is most frequent after pa. pples. expressing a continued non-physical action (as in admired of, loved of, hated of, ordained of), or a condition resulting from a definite action (as in abandoned of, deserted of, forgotten of, forsaken of, which approach branch II). It is also occasional with ppl. adjs. in un-, as unseen of, unowned of. Of often shows an approach to the subjective genitive: cf. ‘he was chosen of God to this work’ with ‘he was the chosen of the electors’. In other senses the agent has passed into the cause, as in afeard of, afraid of, frightened of, terrified of; or the source or origin, as in born of. Eng. of and by correspond somewhat to F. de and par.
c893K. ælfred Oros. Contents i. x, Hu 11 æþelingas wurdon afliemed of Sciþþium. c1050O.E. Chron. an. 924 (MS. C) æþelstan wæs of Myrcum ᵹecoren to cinge. Ibid. an. 1030 Her wæs Olaf cing ofslaᵹen..of his aᵹenum folce. 1154Ibid. (Laud MS.), Wæl luued of þe kinge and of alle gode men. a1225Ancr. R. 48 Ich wolde þet heo weren of alle iholden. 13..K. Alis. 7709 Adam was byswike of Eve. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 427 þe puple trowiþ betere þerto whanne it is seyd of a maistir. c1400Mandeville (1839) xxi. 222 He was cursed of God. c1440Jacob's Well 230 My preyerys arn noȝt herd of god for þe. 1459Paston Lett. I. 441 Sir Thomas shuld a ben there, but he is hurte of an hors. 1548–9Bk. Com. Prayer 2nd Exhort. Communion, I am commaunded of God, especially to moue and exhorte you. c1550Becon (title) The Principles of Christen Religion, necessary to be knowen of the faythful. 1558Goodman (title) How superior powers oght to be obeyd of their subiects. 1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. (1586) 13 That the juice that the ground requires be not sucked out of the sunne. 1590J. Stockwood Rules Construct. 32 The relatiue is not alwaies gouerned of the verbe that he commeth before. 1600Shakes. A.Y.L. iii. ii. 361, I have been told so of many. 1611Bible Matt. ii. 12 Being warned of God in a dreame. ― Acts xii. 23 Herod..was eaten of wormes. 1711Steele Spect. No. 152 ⁋3 He is beloved of all that behold him. 1725Pope Odyss. vii. 34 A wretched stranger, and of all unknown! 1847D. G. Mitchell Fresh Glean. (1851) 232 Otho was not loved of his kinsfolk in his home. 1869Freeman Norm. Conq. III. xii. 222 A wretch forsaken of God and man. 1898Daily News 10 Oct. 6/3 Everything..seems to be done of those who govern Spain to keep travellers out of that country.
16. Indicating the doer of something characterized by an adj., as it was kind of you (= a kind act or thing done by you, on your part) to help him. Used with an adj. and n., as a cruel act, a cunning trick, a foolish fancy, a good thought, a kind deed, an odd thing; a qualified pa. pple., as cleverly managed, ill done, well done, well thought; or an adjective alone, as good, bad, right, wrong, wise, foolish; clever, stupid, rude, silly, unkind, or any adj. by which conduct can be characterized.
Followed by to do (something), less frequently that (he) did (something), which is the logical subject or object of the statement; e.g. I took it kind of him to tell me = I took his telling me as a thing kindly done by him.
1532Tindale Expos. 73 Is it not a blind thing of the world that either they will do no good works,..or will..have the glory themselves? c1592Marlowe Jew of Malta iv. v, 'Tis a strange thing of that Iew, he lives upon pickled grasshoppers. 1602Shakes. Ham. iii. ii. 110 It was a bruite part of him, to kill so Capitall a Calfe there. 1668H. More Div. Dial. ii. 383 That's a very odd thing of the men of Arcladam. 1733Tull Horse-hoeing Husb. 266 Is it not very unfair of Equivocus to represent [etc.]? 1760–72H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) I. 52 Indeed, it was very naughty of him. 1849F. W. Newman The Soul 104 It was not a proud thing of Paul to say, but a simple truth. 1887L. Carroll Game of Logic iv. 92 It was most absurd of you to offer it!
17. a. After a n., expressing the relation of doer, or that of maker or author (= subjective genitive).
a1175Cott. Hom. 217 Þenche ȝie ælc word of him swete. a1300Cursor M. 24985, I tru in..vprising o [v.r. of] flexs, and lijf wiðuten end. c1380Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 197 In þe aȝenrysyng of just men. 1497Bp. Alcock Mons Perfect. B ij, Grete temptacions of y⊇ worlde, the flesshe, & the deuyl. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 253 As trew as the allegation of him that is burnt in the hande, to saye he was cut with a sikle. 1601Bp. W. Barlow Eagle & Body (1609) C j, By the traditions of antiquitie and the Definitions of Councels. 1656Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini, Pol. Touchstone (1674) 262 The general ransacking of the Vice Roys. 1659B. Harris Parival's Iron Age 13 The conquest of the Romans over them was more sure. 1754Sherlock Disc. (1755) I. viii. 247 The Evidence of the Spirit is not any secret Inspiration. 1856Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. iii. 269 He had the secret approbation of his prince.
b. Indicating the maker or author of a work: Made, written, painted by. Often expressed by the possessive case, as ‘The tragedies of Shakespeare’, ‘Shakespeare's tragedies’, or by a combination of this with the partitive of (44), as ‘a sonata of Beethoven's’.
1382Wyclif Bible (heading), Heere bigynnith the epystle of saynt Jerom preest of alle the bokes of Goddis storye. ― Prov. i. 1 The parablis of Salamon. Ibid. xxxi. 1 The wrdis of Lamuel, the king. 1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 398 The Epistles of Seneca are full of Philosophie. 1812Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 175 The letter of the applicant. 1830D'Israeli Chas. I, III. vi. 92 There exist no autographs of Charles, except some letters. 1871Haweis Music & Mor. (1874) 57 A movement of Beethoven. 1885Sat. Rev. 29 Aug. 300 The Cornish Ballads of the Rev. R. S. Hawker. Mod. The Iliad of Homer, the æneid of Virgil. The ‘Holy Family’ of Rubens, the landscapes of Claude Lorraine. The phonograph of Edison, the kaleidoscope of Brewster.
VI. Indicating means or instrument.
†18.
a. Indicating that by means of or with which something is done. Obs. or dial. (Now usually with.)
c897K. ælfred Gregory's Past. xxxvi. 248 Ðylæs fremde men weorðen ᵹefylled of ðinum ᵹeswince. c900tr. Bæda's Hist. i. xvi. [xxvii.] (1890) 76 Þætte þære menniscan ᵹecynde of ælmehteᵹes Godes ᵹefe ᵹehealden wæs. c1000St. Andrew, etc. (1851) 28 He of v. hlafon and of twam fixum fif þusend manna ᵹefylde. c1175Lamb. Hom. 139 Sunnendei weren engles makede of godes muðe. 13..E.E. Allit. P. B. 1277 Þe gredirne & þe goblotes garnyst of syluer. c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1033 The circuit a myle was aboute Walled of stoon. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) viii. 32 Whare Moyses strake on þe stone with his ȝerde, and it ran of water. Ibid. (1839) xii. 132 Rennynge of mylk and hony. c1477Caxton Jason 17 In makyng reed hys swerd of the bloode of the Esclauon king. c1489― Sonnes of Aymon xvi. 374 So I defended me of all my power. 1551Robinson tr. More's Utop. ii. v. (1895) 165 They begin euerye dynner and supper of reading sumthing that perteineth to good maners and vertue. 1652Evelyn Mem. 6 Mar., A chariot canopied of black velvet. 1824S. E. Ferrier Inherit. xxvii, It was pouring of rain.
b. Indicating that on which any one lives, feeds, etc. Obs. or arch. (Now usually on.)
a1420Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1193, I lyue of almesse. 1533Gau Richt Vay 93 Lat wsz noth liff of okir or be ony falsait. 1581Savile Tacitus, Hist. iv. lx. (1591) 214 Feeding of branches and sprigges. 1588J. Udall Diotrephes (Arb.) 8 Euerie man muste liue of his trade. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 540 They live of bread made of pith of trees. a1718Penn Maxims Wks. 1726 I. 825 [The covetous man] lives of the Offal. 1896Mrs. Caffyn Quaker Grandmother 43 He hobnobbed with soldiers, and was nourished of carnage.
†19. After an adj., indicating that with which anything is filled, imbued, coloured, etc. Obs. (exc. after full, which perh. does not belong here.)
1137–54O.E. Chron. an. 1137 And fylden þe land ful of castles. c1430Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 4098 The ground of bloode was al wete. c1450Merlin 155 The water was all reade of blode. 1450–1530Myrr. our Ladye 248 Hys face made redde of the blode.
VII. Indicating the material or substance of which anything is made or consists.
20. a. After verbs signifying to make, to be made, to consist, to be. Hence such fig. phrases as to make a fool of, to make much of, make the best of, etc.: see make, etc.
c893K. ælfred Oros. iv. xiii. §1 Hie worhton sume of seolfre, sume of treowum. a1000Cædmon's Gen. 365 Adam..þe wæs of eorþan ᵹeworht. c1200Ormin 11081 He wrohhte win Off waterr þurrh hiss mahhte. c1205Lay. 17180 Þat weorc is of stane. a1300Cursor M. 21315 Þe first his greff of irin was, Þe toiþer o þaim was wroght o [v.r. of] bras. c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 2184 To meken vertu of necessitee. c1400Sowdone Bab. 129 The sailes were of rede Sendelle. 1565[see consist v. 7]. 1590Spenser F.Q. ii. vii. 17 Of which the matter of his huge desire..he did compound. 1601Shakes. Twel. N. iii. ii. 14 Will you make an Asse o' me? 1611Bible Job vi. 12 Is my flesh of brasse? 1667Milton P.L. ii. 258 When great things of small..We can create. 1769De Foe's Tour Gt. Brit. II. vii. 412 The Pulpit is old, and of Stone. 1846McCulloch Brit. Empire (1854) I. 623 The houses..are built of brick. 1859Sala Gaslight & D. xxviii. 325 They..make much of one another.
b. Expressing transformation from a former condition. arch. (This has also affinities with 3.)
c900tr. Bæda's Hist. i. vii. (1890) 38 Ða wæs þes man ðurh Godes ᵹyfe of ehtore ᵹeworden soðfæstnesse freond. 1526Tindale Heb. xi. 34 Off [Gr. ἀπὸ, L. de] weake were made stronge, wexed valiant in fyght. 1548E. Courtenay tr. Paleario's Benefit Christ's Death iv. (1855) 121 God..hath made us of enemies most dear children. 1590Spenser F.Q. ii. xii. 86 Streight of beasts they comely men became. 1666South Serm., Titus ii. 15 (1715) I. 207 When Sampson's Eyes were out, of a Publick Magistrate, he was made a Publick Sport. a1680Charnock Attrib. God (1834) I. 430 Of angry he becomes appeased. 1814Cary Dante, Paradise xxxi. 75 Of slave Thou hast to freedom brought me. 1846Manning Serm. (1848) II. i. 8 Our humanity needed to be strengthened and hallowed; of fleshly, to be again made spiritual.
21. After a n., of connects the material immediately with the thing. (Also commonly expressed by a preceding adj. or the n. used attrib. e.g. ‘a floor of wood or tiles’, ‘a wooden or tile floor’.)
c1000Cædmon's Daniel 175 Þære burᵹe weard Anne manlican..Gyld of golde gumum arærde. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. iii. 4 Se Iohannes..hæfde reaf of olfenda hærum. c1205Lay. 30805 ænne ring of rede golde. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. Prol. 168 To bugge a belle of brasse, or of briȝte syluer. c1430Two Cookery-bks. 7 Fride Creme of Almaundys. 1555in Burgon Life Gresham (1839) I. 189 A case of black leather. 1632Milton L'Allegro 21 There on Beds of Violets blew. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 92 A Carravans-raw of white free stone, and the first building of that materiall I saw in those parts. 1760Goldsm. Cit. W. xxxix. ⁋8 He sent me a very fine present of duck-eggs. 1895Pall Mall G. 10 Oct. 2/1 A kind of whip of three flaps of leather. Mod. A bridge of boats. A floor of wood or tiles. A house of cards.
22. a. After a collective term, a quantitative or numeral word, or the name of anything having component parts, of introduces the substance or elements of which this consists. [= OE. genitive.]
c1200Ormin 170 He shall turrnenn mikell flocc Off þiss Iudissken þeode. c1205Lay. 306 Heo funden ane heorde Of heorten. Ibid. 23434 Ten hundred punde Of seoluer and of golde. c1489Caxton Blanchardyn xl. 151 Sadoyne..lefte wythin his cyte..foure thousand of goode knyghtes. 1497Bp. Alcock Mons Perfect. C iij, By a longe tracte of tyme. 1535Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 709 Within les space nor tua or thre of ȝeir. a1548Hall Chron., Edw. IV 227 b, A pece of Crymosen Velvet. Ibid., Hen. VI 135 With bagges of money, or chestes of plate. 1623Gouge Serm. Ext. God's Provid. §15 A masse of ancient heresies. 1657R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 54 A family of a dozen persons. 1786W. Thomson Watson's Philip III (1839) 353 With a Spanish army..of thirty thousand men. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 533 A reward of five hundred pistoles. 1896Law Times Rep. LXXIII. 615/1 A distance of over 700 yards.
b. After class, order, genus, species, kind, sort, manner, etc. See these words.
1382–[see kind n. 14]. 1602Carew Cornwall (1811) 63 Of wheat there are two sorts. 1698Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 344 All manner of Hairs. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) V. 312 Of the..eagle, there are but few species. 1870Anderson Missions Amer. Bd. II. xi. 80 It was a sort of travelling school.
23. Of connects two ns. of which the former denotes the class of which the latter is a particular example; or, of which the former is a connotative and the latter a denotative term (= genitive of definition).
Often passing into grammatical apposition, e.g. the River Thames, formerly ‘the River of Thames’; the city of Rome, OE. Rome-burh: cf. L. urbs Roma, urbs Buthroti.
1123–31O.E. Chron. an. 1123 Forbearn eall meast se burh of Lincolne. c1175Lamb. Hom. 89 Wiðinne þere buruh of ierusalem. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2827 Þe lond of armore. 1340Ayenb. 45 Þe gemenes of des and of tables. 1432–50tr. Higden (Rolls) I. 93 The floode of Tigris. 1530Palsgr. 319/2 Of the colowre of scarlet. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VII 3 b, Within the cytie of London. 1556Robinson tr. More's Utop. ii. (Arb.) 77 marg., In the riuer of Thamys. 1593Shakes. Rich. II, i. iii. 196 This fraile sepulchre of our flesh. a1661Fuller Worthies (1840) II. 518 He was brought into the barn of the grave. 1749Fielding Tom Jones i. viii, The month of November. 1854De Quincey Autobiog. Sk. II. Coleridge 176 In the novel of ‘Edmund Oliver’, written by Charles Lloyd. 1861M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 44 The free towns of Lübeck, Bremen, and Hamburg. Mod. The name of John. The Isle of Wight. The peninsula of Spain and Portugal. The hour of eleven. The action of running. The vice of drunkenness. The fact of your meeting him. The circumstance of there being no one near. A state of rest.
24. Between two ns. in sense-apposition.
a. in the sense ‘in the person of; in respect of being, to be, for’. arch.
The leading n. is the former, of the qualification of which the phrase introduced by of constitutes a limitation; thus ‘he was the greatest traveller of a prince’, i.e. the greatest traveller in the person of a prince, or so far as princes are concerned. The sense often merges on that of the partitive genitive, 43.
1470–85Malory Arthur iii. xv, He was a ryght good knyght of a yonge man. Ibid. xxi. xiii, The trewest louer of a synful man that euer loued woman. 1599Hakluyt Voy. II, The king [is] a very good man of a Moore king. 1697Dryden Virgil (1721) I. Life 46 Cæsar..the greatest Traveller, of a Prince, that had ever been. 1748Chesterfield Lett. (1792) II. clxxii. 137 Allowed to be the best scholar of a gentleman in England. 1871R. Ellis Catullus xlix. 1 Greatest speaker of any born a Roman, Marcus Tullius.
b. in the sense ‘in the form of’.
The leading n. is the latter, to which the prec. n. with of stands as a qualification, equivalent to an adj.; thus ‘that fool of a man’ = that foolish man, that man who deserves to be called ‘fool’; ‘that beast of a place’ = that beastly place.
a1450Knt. de la Tour (1868) 38 Here is a faire body of a woman. 1599Nashe Lenten Stuffe 57 Some euill spirit of an heretique it is. 1663Butler Hud. i. iii. 337 'Twas a strange riddle of a lady. 1683Evelyn Mem. 5 Dec., That monster of a man, Lord Howard of Escrick. 1769Bickerstaffe Dr. Last in his Chariot iii. ix, O! devil of a help-mate, have I found you out? 1849Thackeray Pendennis lxi, That scamp of a husband of hers. Mod. An angel of a woman. A gem of a poem. A duck of a hat (colloq.).
25.
†a. Indicating a person in whom one has, finds, or loses something: = in the person of. Obs. (supplied by in).
1470–85Malory Arthur xv. vi, Thow hast not thy pyere [peer] of ony erthely synful man. 1496–7Plumpton Corr. 122 Ye have a great treasour of Mr. Gascoyne. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 631 The towne of Gaunte hath lost of hym a right valyant man. 1601Shakes. All's Well i. i. 7 You shall find of the King a husband Madame, you sir a father. Ibid. iv. ii. 65 You haue wonne A wife of me. Ibid. v. iii. 1 We lost a Iewell of her. 1651C. Cartwright Cert. Relig. i. 2 It may be your Lordship hopes to meet with a weaker Disputant of me. 1760–72H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) II. 153 We shall have a heavy loss of our friend Ned. 1820Byron Wks. IV. 347 A precious representative I must have had of him.
b. Of things, as in ‘to have a bad time of it’.
of it appears orig. to mean ‘consisting of’ or ‘comprised in’ the fact or circumstance referred to.
1643Trapp Comm. Gen. xxxii. 31 Our Captain had a bloody victory of it. 1670R. Montagu in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 485 Conte de Grammont has had a troublesome journey of it. 1741Richardson Pamela II. 32 What a fine Time a Person..would have of it. 1872Ruskin Fors Clav. xv. 3 Living quite as hard a life of it. Mod. You will have a bad quarter of an hour of it, I assure you.
VIII. Indicating the subject-matter of thought, feeling, or action, i.e. that about which it is exercised.
26. In sense: Concerning, about, with regard to, in reference to. After verbs, substantives, and adjectives.
a. After intransitive verbs; esp. those of learning, knowing, thinking, and expressing thought, as hear, read, know, think, dream, judge, tell, relate, write, and the like. In subject-headings, titles of chapters, etc., often without a vb. as ‘Of Snakes in Iceland’; here, of is now often omitted. To these may be added such as joy, complain, doubt, despair, etc., which are closely akin to IX.
Rare in OE. (which commonly used be, or with some vbs. the genitive); but of occurs after secgan to tell, and in late OE. after sprecan to speak.
c900tr. Bæda's Hist. Pref. ii. (1890) 2 Swyðost he me sæde of Þeodores ᵹemynde. 1129–31O.E. Chron. an. 1129 And þær scolden sprecon of ealle Godes rihtes. a1175Cott. Hom. 217 Þat we hine lufie and of him smaȝe and spece. c1200Ormin Ded. 162–71 All wrohht and writenn uppo boc Off Cristess firste come, Off hu soþ Godd wass wurrþenn mann..And off þatt he shall cumenn efft To demenn alle þede. a1300Cursor M. 24738 (Cott.) Þat i mai of hir louuing rede. 13..Ibid. 5495 heading (Gött.), Of moyses nou wil i tell. c1325[see doubt v.]. c1435Torr. Portugal 587 Leve we now of Torrent there, And speke we of thys squyer more. Ibid. 1104 Listonyth, lordis, of a chaunce. 1444Rolls of Parlt. V. 110/2 To enquere, here, and determyne of Office. c1540tr. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden No. 29) 56 The Burgoignions & Frenchemen begonne to treate of trewce. 1542Udall Erasm. Apoph. 85 b, Of these games is afore mencioned. 1590Spenser F.Q. i. Introd. 1 [To] sing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds. a1592Greene Jas. IV, iv. ii, Understanding of your walking forth. 1607Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 2 Of the Ape. Ibid. 242 Of the disposition of Horses in general. 1658Rowland tr. Moufet's Theat. Ins. i. ii, Of the Politick, Ethick, and Oeconomick virtues of Bees. 1667Milton P.L. i. 1 Of Mans First Disobedience..Sing Heav'nly Muse. 1697Dryden Virgil's Georg. iii. 819 The learned Leaches..shake their Heads, desponding of their Art. 1709Strype Ann. Ref. I. xlix. 498 All these bills were then referred to committees to consider of them. 1816J. Wilson City of Plague i. i. 200 Father, judge kindly of us. 1818Moore Fudge Fam. Paris iii. 1 You may talk of your writing and reading. 1855Browning Women & Roses i, I dream of a red-rose tree. 1863De Morgan in Fr. Matter to Spirit Pref. 8 Far more useful than he knows of, though not exactly in the way he thinks of. 1874J. T. Micklethwaite Par. Churches §xi, Of Lecterns. 1895Bookman Oct. 12/2 He was disposed to thing very well of it.
b. After trans. vbs. and their objects; e.g. after the trans. construction of hear, tell, read, etc. (see a), and after such as inform, admonish, advise, etc.
(These blend with 29 b.)
c893K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §15 Fela spella him sædon þa Beormas..of þæm landum þe ymb hie utan wæron. 1127–31O.E. Chron. an. 1127 Of his utgang ne cunne we iett noht seggon. a1225Ancr. R. 54 Uor to warnie wummen of hore fol eien. a1250Owl & Night. 9 Either seide of otheres custe That alre-worste that hi wuste. c1320Cast. Love 373 Thow owest not to here Mercy Of noo bone that she besecheth the. 1340–70Alex. & Dind. 66, I haue founde ȝou folk faiþful of speche Me to lere of ȝour lif. 1444Rolls of Parlt. V. 112/2 Warn the maister..of the saide covenaunt. 1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. cxxix. [cxxv.] 366 Men..well enstructed of your busynesse. 1526Tindale John xviii. 34 Did other tell ytt the of me? 1653Walton Angler viii. 164 The like I have known of one that has almost watched his Pond. 1654–66Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 650, I first acquainted her of the danger. 1861M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 36 To observe the young prince, and to inform himself of his character. Mod. Have you heard any news of the travellers? To inform his friends of the result.
c. With other vbs. or phrases.
1129–31O.E. Chron. an. 1129 Þa weorð hit eall of earcedæcnes wifes and of preostes wifes. c1330R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 4584 He dred hym of his tresour. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 75 Þus it stondiþ of mannus curs. c1450tr. De Imitatione ii. v, Yf þou kepe silence of oþir men, & specialy beholde þiself. c1470Henry Wallace i. 166 King Herodis part thai playit..Off ȝong childer that thai befor thaim fand. 1579Fulke Heskins' Parl. 495 Maister Heskins..tryfleth off the nearnesse of the bloud of Christe, which hee layeth wee denye. c1590Marlowe Faust. vi, Examine them of their several names. 1655Stanley Hist. Philos. (1701) 2/1 Of this Colony see Herodotus, Strabo, and ælian. 1680–90Temple Ess. Health Wks. 1731 I. 272 Of the first I find no Dispute. a1770Jortin Serm. (1771) IV. i. 6 We need not suppose of him that he prayed against riches. 1849Ruskin Sev. Lamps i. §2. 9 To enter into dispute of all the various objections.
†d. After do. Obs. (Now with: cf. VI.)
1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 7106 Of þe croune of engelond he nuste wat best do. a1300Cursor M. 19040 Þai sald þam and þe pris laght, Be-for þe apostels fete it broght, Þar-of to do quat þaim god thoght. c1386Chaucer Melib. ⁋67 (Harl. MS.) To knowen what schulde be doon of [so Cambr. & Petw. MSS.; other 4 MSS. with] hir persone. c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon i. 26 We..shalle doo of hym that he troweth to doo of me. c1500Melusine 353 Here ben your enemyes as prysonners, doo of them your playsyr. 1566in Peacock Eng. Ch. Furniture (1866) 32 What was done of them we knowe not.
e. After become; formerly also befall, fortune, etc.
c1440Tundale 18, I will ȝou telle how it befell þanne..of a ryche monne. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 774 Thus it fortuned of this adventure. 1535–[see become 4]. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 213 Thus it befell of this..enterprise.
27. After ns. Obs. or arch.
c1375Cursor M. 755 (Fairf.) How adam brake goddis comandement of the appil. c1400Rom. Rose 5661 That may these clerkis seyn and seye In Boice of Consolacioun. 1551Robinson tr. More's Utop. title-p., A fruteful and pleasaunt worke of the beste state of a publyque weale. 1611Rich Honest. Age (1844) 77, I remember a pretty iest of Tobacco. 1684W. Hacke Coll. Voy. i. 7 We concluded the discoursing of Women at Sea was very unlucky. 1688S. Penton Guard. Instr. (1897) 15 Reade Barrow of Charity. 1711Addison Spect. No. 47 ⁋1 Mr. Hobbs, in his Discourse of Human Nature. a1715Burnet Own Time (1823) I. 41 The court judged the paper to be seditious, and to be a lie of the king and his government.
28. After adjs.
c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon i. 30, I am moche wrothe and sory of my son Lohyer. 1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Acts 24 They..were afraied of themselues, lest they..should be stoned. 1615Bedwell Moham. Imp. iii. §113 When I do see man..without any crosse at all,..I am afraid of him [= concerning him]. 1886Sir N. Lindley in Law Rep. 32 Chanc. Div. 28 The same observations are true of all other contracts similarly circumstanced.
IX. Representing an original genitive dependent on a verb or adjective.
Many vbs. and adjs. in OE. were followed by a genitive case as an object or complement. In Latin, also, many adjs. and some vbs. were construed with a genitive, represented in French by de. These are represented in Middle and Mod. English by construction with of. Such of these as now attach themselves closely in sense to one or other of the preceding branches, have been there mentioned; but there remain many verbs and adjs. after which of has hardly more than a constructional force, or in which it does not clearly fall under any of those branches. Many of these come close in sense to branch VIII, while others, esp. the adjs., often approach or coincide with the objective genitive in branch X. It is convenient therefore to consider them here.
29. In the construction of verbs.
a. After intrans. vbs. Many of these in OE. took the genitive, and are found with of in Middle and Early Modern English, but this is now rare, except where of falls in sense under one of the branches already treated; instances are to reck, repent, rue, beware (orig. be ware) of. Verbs of sense, e.g. feel, smell, taste, touch (still with of in dial. or vulgar use), verbs of asking, as ask, beseech, demand, desire, entreat, and others, e.g. distinguish, esteem, forget, like, seize, formerly construed with of, now take a simple object; some, as accept, admit, allow, approve, conceive, recollect, remember, still have both constructions; with others, as hope, look, thirst, wait, etc., of has been displaced by for or some other preposition.
1340–70Alex. & Dind. 868 No [= ne] like no lud of his luþur fare. c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 361 Þe assoilyng serveþ of nouȝt. c1450St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 5287 To pray to god and saynt cuthbert Of help. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 447 They feared of a siege to be layed to them. a1555Ridley Pituous Lament. (1568) D viij b, To fele the smarte, and to fele of the whyp. 1568E. Tilney Disc. Marriage A v, Some liked well of carding and dicing, some of dauncing, and other some of chestes. 1575Abp. Parker Corr. (Parker Soc.) 477 As for the earthquake, I heard not of it, nor it was not felt of here. 1576Whetstone Life Gascoigne xli, Death waites of no man's will. 1624Capt. Smith Virginia iii. 62 We had ranged vp and downe..looking of stones, herbs, and springs. a1628Preston Mt. Ebal (1638) 42 It is not any..niggardly kinde..that hee will like of. 1660F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 83 Two Portuguais ships..seized of the Haven. 1719De Foe Crusoe i. iv, She went to it, smelled of it, and ate it. 1852R. S. Surtees Sponge's Sp. Tour xvi. 81 Don't wait of me, my dear Mr. Sponge..don't wait of me, pray. 1867Dickens & W. Collins No Thoroughfare v, When I felt of his heart, there was no beat. 1888Bryce Amer. Commw. I. xiv. 194 Resolutions which perhaps no single member in his heart approves of.
b. After transitive vbs., the secondary or thing-object is often introduced by of representing an original genitive. Such are balk, cheat, defraud, disappoint, frustrate; accuse, arrest, blame, convict, suspect; possess, seize (a person of); avail, bethink (oneself of); also with impersonal vbs. as it repents me of; and formerly with ask, beg, beseech, thank (a person of), etc.
c1200–[see bethink]. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 227 Bidde god of grace. a1375Joseph Arim. 561 He bi-souȝte him of grace. 1483Caxton G. de la Tour M iv, She made hym to be serued of grete plenty of good and delicate metes. a1555Latimer Serm. & Rem. (1845) 174 He came..desiring him of help. 1581Savile Tacitus, Hist. iii. ii. (1591) 114 To furnish them of men, horses and money. 1590Spenser F.Q. ii. ix. 42 Of pardon I you pray. 1635Laud Wks. (1860) VII. 182 That Ireland should serve itself first of its own land. 1737Whiston Josephus, Hist. iii. v. §1 Providing themselves of such houshold servants. 1820Hazlitt Lect. Dram. Lit. 28 Shakespear..availed himself of the old Chronicles. 1844Alb. Smith Adv. Mr. Ledbury iii. (1886) 11 Our two friends bethought themselves of trying to catch a little slumber.
c. In many verbal phrases, as to have the advantage of; also formerly in to have compassion of, mercy of, pity of, to keep watch of, demand or do justice of (= on), have the victory of (= over).
a1240Lofsong in Cott. Hom. 209 Haue merci of me. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) ii. 5 When any man had þe victory of his enmy. c1420Chron. Vilod. st. 489 Haue pyte of me. c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xiv. 341 We shall doo iustyce of kyng yon. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xvii. 18 That the archers shulde haue noo vauntage of hym. 1737Whiston Josephus, Antiq. ii. vi. §8 Take pity of his old age. a1774Goldsm. Hist. Greece I. 312 Those were intimidated who demanded justice of the murderers. 1891Scribner's Mag. Sept. 279/2 The traveller must keep watch of his clothes.
30. In the construction of adjectives. Besides those mentioned under the preceding divisions, many adjs. are construed with of and an object; the following are representatives of some of the chief groups: fruitful, prolific, ominous, redolent; liberal, lavish, prodigal, scant, short, sparing; capable, incapable, susceptible; worthy, unworthy, guilty, guiltless, innocent; certain, uncertain, confident, diffident, doubtful, sure; aware, conscious, unconscious, ignorant, sensible, insensible; careful, careless, forgetful, heedful, heedless, hopeful, hopeless, mindful, unmindful, reckless, regardless, thoughtless, neglectful, negligent, observant, watchful; ambitious, desirous, eager, emulous, enamoured, envious, fond, greedy, jealous, studious, suspicious; disdainful, indulgent, patient, impatient; those in -ive, as apprehensive, communicative, descriptive, destructive, expressive, indicative, productive; and some in -ic, as characteristic, symbolic.
Many of these involve a substantive, which may be considered as the subject of the genitive relation; e.g. hopeful of, having hope of, envious of, having envy of, etc.; others are verbal derivatives, and are closely akin to the objective-genitive group X, e.g. expressive of = that expresses.
a1225[see guilty]. 1382Wyclif Ps. xxxix. 18 [xl. 17] The Lord is bisi of me. c1450Merlin 32 He that wende to be siker of me hath failed. c1489Caxton Blanchardyn xlvii. 180 They sholde neuer be consentyng of that infydelyte and grete trayson. 1535Coverdale Matt. x. 10 The workman is worthy of his meate. a1548Hall Chron., Edw. IV 211 For suche thynges as wee se before our iyes, we be well ware of. 1567J. Maplet Gr. Forest 85 He is of good memorie and long mindfull of a good tourne. 1687A. Lovell tr. Bergerac's Com. Hist. Sun 2, I was impatient of seeing him. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 83 The Generous Youth..studious of the Prize. Ibid. iv. 796 Four Heifars..all unknowing of the Yoke. a1715Burnet Own Time (1823) I. 572 They were very..oppressive..of those of the other side. 1755Doddridge Hymn, ‘Ye servants of the Lord’ i, Observant of his heavenly word. 1820Lamb Elia Ser. i. Christ's Hospital, I am constitutionally susceptible of noises. 1820Broderip & Bingham's Rep. I. 433 It is conclusive of the facts stated in it. 1873Browning Red Cott. Nt.-cap 143 Symbolic of the place and people too.
X. Expressing the relation of the objective genitive.
31. After a vbl. n. in -ing.
When the vbl. n. is preceded by the or other determinative word, of is still used (a.); otherwise the form in -ing is treated as a gerund taking a direct object without of; but the form with of is still in archaic and dial. use (b.). See -ing1.
a.a1240(title) Þe Wohunge of ure Lauerd. 1382Wyclif Gen. xiv. 17 The Kyng of Sodom ȝede out into the aȝengoyng of him. 1551Robinson tr. More's Utop. ii. (Arb.) 150 For the auoydinge of strife. a1631Donne Serm. IV. xcii. 171 Not the Clothing nor Feeding of Christ but the housing of him. 1642Rogers Naaman 128 The robbing of the church for the saving of some mony. 1712Addison Spect. No. 291 ⁋2 Any..Notions and Observations which he has made in his reading of the Poets. 1824Dibdin Libr. Comp. p. i, The imparting of a moral feeling. 1849Ruskin Sev. Lamps 3 To enter into any curious or special questioning of the hindrances.
b.c1340Hampole Prose Tr. 11 Here is forboden vnryghtwyse hurtynge of any persone. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cxxvi. 152 The Englysshmen departed without wynning of any thynge. c1555Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (Camden) 84 For avoiding of prolixity. 1642Rogers Naaman 451 Rebuked for greeving of God. a1687Petty Pol. Arith. v. (1691) 88 The Burthen of protecting of them all, must lye upon the chief Kingdom England. a1715Burnet Own Time (1823) I. 340 His fear of the danger the king was in by the duke's having of guards. 1750R. Paltock P. Wilkins (1884) I. 159, I can't help loving of you heartily for it. a1800T. Bellamy Beggar Boy (1801) II. 187 By stealing of children. 1874Ruskin Fors Clav. xlviii. 278 We must cease throwing of stones either at saints or squirrels. 1875G. W. Dasent Vikings I. 272 He that owned to burning of churches in the West.
32. After what was formerly a verbal n. governed by in or a, but is now identified with a present participle. The use of of is now dial. or vulgar.[1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 116 He was thre dayes a landyng of all his prouisyon. 1534Tindale Matt. ix. 9 He sawe a man syt a receauynge of custome. 1580Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 367 Camilla, whome he founde in gathering of flowers. 1684Bunyan Pilgr. ii. 15 She is..a taking of her last farewel of her Country.] 1563–87Foxe A. & M. (1631) III. xii. 897/1 Hee found the Bishop basting of himselfe against a great fire. 1593Tell-Troth's N.Y. Gift 4 Who was making faste of the brand gates. 1607Shakes. Timon v. i. 188 Why, I was writing of my epitaph. 1666Pepys Diary 19 Mar., They being altering of the stage. 1694Echard tr. Plautus 178 I'll go see what the merchant..is doing of. 1749Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to C'tess Bute 20 Aug., If ever you catch her stealing of sweetmeats.
33. After a noun of action.
1135O.E. Chron., God man he wes, and micel æie wes of him. c1200Ormin Ded. 19 Ȝiff Ennglissh follc, forr lufe off Crist, Itt wollde ȝerne lernenn. a1300Cursor M. 24984 (Gött.), I tru in..hali kirke,..forgiuenes of sinnes. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 147 Gret desir of heuenely þynges. c1400(title) The Sege off Melayne. a1548Hall Chron., Edw. IV 236 Testifiyng the receipte of the pencion. 1563Homilies ii. Com. Prayer & Sacram. (1859) 356 Confirmation of children, by examining them of their knowledge. 1676–7Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 512 Obstruction of the publick justice. a1715Burnet Own Time (1823) II. 348 He had the management of a secret press. 1791E. Inchbald Simp. Story I. v. 44 An inordinate desire of admiration. 1861M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 48 A domiciliary visit in search of heretical books. 1873Morley Rousseau I. 344 The betrayal of a secret. 1888Athenæum 3 Nov. 595/3 His explanation of various facts is not ours.
34. After an agent-noun.
Sometimes closely approaching the relation of the object possessed, in 48 b.
a1240Lofsong in Cott. Hom. 217 Ich bileue on god feder al-mihti schuppare of heouene and of eorðe. 1382Wyclif Matt. iv. 19, I shal make ȝou to be maad fisheris of men. 1444Rolls of Parlt. V. 124/1 Sellers of ale, that breken th'assise. 1559W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 173 They are great drinkers of Aqua vitæ. 1601Shakes. Twel. N. i. iii. 90, I am a great eater of beefe. 1684I. P. tr. Fambresarius' Art Physick i. 48 Nature, the Architectress of the Body. a1849J. C. Mangan Poems (1859) 397 The Arbitress of thrones. 1856‘Crawley’ Billiards (1859) 6 Many foreigners are very excellent handlers of the cue.
XI. Indicating that in respect of which a quality is attributed, or a fact is predicated.
35. a. After an adj. (e.g. swift of foot): In respect of, in the matter of, in point of, in. Now literary and somewhat archaic, exc. in particular phrases, as blind of one eye. (In OE. on; F. de; L. abl., gen. (acc. of respect).)
The of-clause is grammatically an adverbial qualification of the adj., for which an adv. may often be substituted, e.g. weak of mind, ‘mentally weak’. Taken together, the adj. + the of-clause = a compound (parasynthetic) adj., e.g. light of foot, ‘light-footed’, strong of limb, ‘strong-limbed’. It is further equivalent to the of-clause of quality in XII, e.g. ‘a man weak of mind’ = ‘a man of weak mind’; the latter being the ordinary prose form.
a1225Ancr. R. 158 Ȝung of ȝeres ase he was. a1300Cursor M. 3730 (Gött.) Mith i noght be sua liht of [Cott. o] fote. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. x. 32 Mon is him Most lyk of Marke and of schap. 1393Ibid. C. xv. 187 Þe larke..is loueloker of lydene, And swettur of sauour and swyfter of wynge. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) vii. 24 Þai er blakk of colour. c1420Sir Amadace (Camden) lviii, That ladi..bryȝte of ble. a1533Ld. Berners Huon 314 The emperour was hole of his thygh that Huon had broken. 1605Shakes. Macb. ii. ii. 52 Infirme of purpose. 1611Bible 2 Sam. iv. 4 A sonne that was lame of [Coverd. on] his feete. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 120 Of able Body, sound of Limb and Wind. 1783Morell Ainsworth's Lat. Dict. 11, Luscus, blind of one eye. 1891Cornh. Mag. Oct. 416 Hard he was of hand and harder of heart.
b. After long, late, quick, slow, hard, etc., and followed by a vbl. n. Still in use, esp. in dial. (Sc. lang o' or i'), but more frequently expressed by in, at: see the adjs.
1477Paston Lett. III. 204, I beleve yt not, by cause they have ben so long of comyng. 1741Monro Anat. Bones (ed. 3) 36 The Bones..are so long of hardning. 1824S. E. Ferrier Inher. xxii, That day may be a while of coming. 1842Alison Hist. Europe (1850) XI. lxxiii. §122 The winter was unusually late of setting in. 1887Besant The World went, etc. xxviii. 209 [He] was slow of catching news. Mod. He is rather hard of hearing. I am so quick of catching cold.
c. of length, of breadth, of height, of depth, or the like, define the reference of a statement of measure. Obs. exc. in of age; in other cases supplied by in.
c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) ii. 6 Þe crosse..was of lenth viii. cubits. c1450Merlin 31 The werke of this tour is iii or iiij fadom of height. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cccxxv. 507 The blade was two els of length. 1526Tindale Luke iii. 23 Iesus him silfe was about thirty yere of age. 1843Fraser's Mag. XXVIII. 652 He is..fifty-three years of age.
†36. Following a verb: In respect of. Obs. (supplied by in).
13..Cursor M. 10613 (Gött.) As scho of body wex [Cott. wex on her licame]. c1400Three Kings Cologne 6 Þat hille of Vaws passeþ of heithe all oþer hilles in þat contrey of Ynde. c1450Merlin 92 The tother party..encresed moche of peple. 1563T. Hill Art Garden. (1593) 40 To make it spread of breadth in the growing. 1690W. Walker Idiomat. Anglo-Lat. 346 Land rose of price very much.
37. Following a n.: In respect of, in, by. arch.
c1350Will. Palerne 442 Þat barne..þat flour is of alle frekes of fairnes and miȝt. 1483Caxton G. de la Tour F j, A man..whiche of his craft was a rope maker. 1535Coverdale Prov. xvi. 28 He yt is a blabbe of his tonge, maketh deuysion amonge prynces.
XII. Indicating a quality or other distinguishing mark by which a person or thing is characterized. (For OE. genitive; F. de; = genitive of quality or description.)
38. a. Indicating a quality possessed by the subject.
The quality is usually expressed by a n. qualified by an adj., but may consist of a n. alone, as in ‘a man of tact’, ‘a text-book of authority’. It is often equivalent to an adj. as in ‘a man of tact’ = a tactful man, ‘a work of authority’ = an authoritative work; ‘a flag of three colours’ = a tricolor flag; ‘a people of many languages’ = a polyglot people.
c1200Ormin 49 Alls iff þeȝȝ karrte wærenn Off wheless fowwre. c1290S. Eng. Leg. I. 457/25 A tour of gret bolde. 13..Cursor M. 27685 (Fairf.) Sum sais he is..of [Cott. o] grete almus of grete praier. c1380Wyclif Paternoster in Eng. Wks. (1880) 201 It is of most auctorite. c1430Syr Tryam. 868 Syr Barnard was of myght. c1430–[see age n. 3]. c1440Promp. Parv. 363/1 Of o colowre. 1512Act 4 Hen. VIII, c. 4 §1 To be utterly voyde and of noo force ne effect. 1526Tindale Matt. ix. 2 Sonne be off good chere. 1559W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 80 By the promontory of good hope. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 19 He is still of the same minde. 1591Spenser Ruins of Time 563 Two Beares..Of milde aspect, and haire as soft as silke. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 93 Stealing a trifle, of two shillings value. 1662Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. iii. iii. §4 A God of Infinite Justice, Purity, and Holiness. 1711Steele Spect. No. 6 ⁋2 He was of opinion none but men of fine parts deserve to be hanged. 1741Richardson Pamela II. 360 Four Misses all pretty much of a Size. 1794Hist. in Ann. Reg. 38 Several..officers of note fell. 1817Byron Manfred ii. i. 36 That word was made For brutes of burthen, not for birds of prey. 1886Manch. Exam. 16 Jan. 5/4 An Evangelical of moderate views. 1891Law Rep. Weekly Notes 72/2 All the parties..were not of age.
b. qualified by all, indicating (temporary) condition.
1653H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. v. 12 The masts and sail yards were all of a flame. 1766Goldsm. Vic. W. ix, She observed, that..she was all of a muck of sweat. 1826Disraeli Viv. Grey vi. i, The poor man, sir, was all of an ague. 1849Thackeray Pendennis xvi, ‘Do you say so?’ Smirke said, all of a tremble.
39. a. Indicating quantity, age, extent, price, etc.
c1205Lay. 377 A ȝung mon Of þriti ȝeren. c1230Hali Meid. 11 For an eðelich delit of an hond-hwile. c1450St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 6623 Before he was of ȝeres fourtene. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccxv. 270 Theyr speares of syxe foote of lengthe. 1603Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. i. 204 Are you of fourescore pounds a yeere? 1621Burton Anat. Mel. iii. ii. iv. i. (1651) 520 Calf-skin gloves of four pence a pair. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 11 A Portugall Carrack of above fifteene hundred tunne. 1788Misc. in Ann. Reg. 134 A woman turned of forty. 1865Dickens Mut. Fr. i. 11, A boy of fourteen. 1878M. Stokes Early Chr. Archit. Irel. 4 Simple churches of one chamber. 1891N. & Q. 26 Dec. 511/2 Small farms of from twenty to one hundred acres.
b. To this construction with of an adj. is sometimes added: this is frequent in the case of old; less so with long, broad, high, deep, etc. See old a. 3 b.
1528Paynel Salerne's Regim. (1575) 26 Lammes of a yeare olde. 1611Shakes. Cymb. ii. v. 31 One Vice, but of a minute old. 1670Narborough Jrnl. in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. i. (1711) 68 Large Smelts of 20 Inches long. 1750G. Hughes Barbadoes 234 The stalk..of near one fifth part of an inch thick. 1863Hawthorne Our Old Home, Consular Experiences, A shabby..edifice of four stories high.
40. Indicating an action, fact, or thing that distinguishes, characterizes, or specifies a time, place, etc.
This passes into XIV.
1340–Day of doom [see doom n. 7, day n. 8 b]. 1382Wyclif 2 Sam. xxiii. 20 In the dais of snowȝ [1611 in time of snow]. ― Eccl. iii. 4 Time of weping, and time of laȝhing; time of weiling, and time of leping. c1470Golagros & Gaw. 1 In the tyme of Arthur. 1638–Angle of incidence, etc. [see angle n.2 1 ⁋]. 1660F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 5 Caves..formerly inhabited by the Christians in time of persecution. 1795Gentl. Mag. 545/1 The places of our birth and education. 1816J. Wilson City of Plague i. i. 22 Is it the hour of prayer? 1845M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 10 You will find yourself in the country of the mulberries.
41. Followed by a noun of action with possessive, equivalent to a passive participial phrase, e.g. ‘trees of our planting’ = trees planted by us.
This has affinities with III and XIII.
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 2 Not of myne inuencion. 1553T. Wilson Rhet. (1580) 5 To dispose and order matters of our owne invention. 1607Shakes. Cor. i. i. 220 Fiue Tribunes..Of their owne choice. 1611Bible Ezek. xxvii. 16 Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making. 1825Montgomery Hymn, Stand up and bless the Lord, Ye people of His choice. 1844Lingard Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858) I. v. 195 Their immediate superior was of her appointment. 1885Bible (R.V.) Ps. cvii. 30 margin, The haven of their desire. ― Isa. v. 7 margin, The plant of his delight. Mod. Vegetables of his own growing. A canoe of my son's construction. The new nobility of Henry VII's creation.
XIII. In partitive expressions; indicating things or a thing of which a part is expressed by the preceding words.
42. a. Preceded by a word of number or quantity.
Of may here render L. ex or de. OE. had more commonly the genitive case, e.g.c900tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. vi[ii]. (1890) 174 Moniᵹe þara broðra. c1000Laws of æthelred viii. §1 Ðis is an þara ᵹerædnessa. See const. of one, some, etc.
c900tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. xix. 240 Wæron þær in þa tiid moniᵹe of Ongelþeode [multi de gente Anglorum]. c1000St. Andrew (1851) 16 Þu ne ᵹesihst æniᵹne of Godes þam halᵹum. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. x. 29 An of ðam [unus ex illis] ne befylð on eorðan. c1000Ibid. Luke vi. 2 Ða cwædon sume of þam sundor-halᵹan [quidam Pharisæorum]. Ibid. vi. 13 He..ᵹeceas twelf of him [duodecim ex ipsis]. 1137–54O.E. Chron. an. 1137 In mani of þe castles wæron lof and grin. Ibid. an. 1138 [Hi] sloghen suithe micel of his genge. c1175Lamb. Hom. 35 Eni of þine cunne. c1205Lay. 613 Six hundred of his cnihten. Ibid. 30803 An of hire ringe. 1340Ayenb. 219 Yef tuo of ou oneþ ham to-gidere, me uor to bidde. 1382Wyclif Luke xxii. 24 And stryf was maad among hem, which of hem schulde be seyn to be more. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cccxxii. 501 More than any of his predecessours. 1596Danett tr. Comines (1614) 338 Whither euery of their confederates should send their ambassadors. 1625Bp. R. Montagu App. Cæsar 149 Either of the two States disjoynedly. 1660F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 3 Of sixty five persons that we were in all, but five escaped. 1679Oldham Poems (1686) 34 Not Knights o'th Port Show more of impudence. 1812Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 176 The rest of the world. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. viii. II. 328 Of sixty magistrates and deputy lieutenants..only seven had given favourable answers. 1865Grote Plato (1875) Pref. 8 There..[was] little of negation or refutation in their procedure. 1895Bookman Oct. 17/1 For which some of us would gladly give all the novels ever written.
b. Preceded by a n. (or adj. used absol.).
c900tr. Bæda's Hist. v. iii. 392 Sumu fæmne of ðara nunnena rime [de numero virginum]. c1000ælfric Gen. ii. 11 An ea of þam hatte Fison. 1382Wyclif John iii. 1 Ther was a man of Pharisees [L. ex Pharisæis], Nicodeme bi name, a prince of the Jewis. 1567J. Maplet Gr. Forest 78 b, In the high grasse, wherin nothing can be espied of him saving onelye his hornes. 1792M. Riddell Voy. Madeira 61 The only birds of this order. a1800Cowper Wks. IV. 195 The sagacious of mankind. 1805Oracle in Spir. Pub. Jrnls. (1806) IX. 190 The drudger of the party. 1888Athenæum 3 Nov. 597/1 Had three sons, of whom Thomas married twice.
c. Under the partitive form the whole may be included. (In sense these have affinity with 22.)
1479W. Paston in P. Lett. III. 241 Ther be ii systers of them. 1481Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 71 Thaugh ther of vs were fyue we coude not defende vs. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 261 b, You of the Clergie preache one against another. Ibid., You of the temporaltie, bee not cleane and unspotted of malice and envie. 1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 205 If I fought not with fiftie of them, I am a bunch of Radish. 1711Addison Spect. No. 93 ⁋1 We all of us complain of the Shortness of Time. Mod. There were only five of us; and more than twice as many of them. Take part of it, not the whole of it.
d. Followed by an adj. used absol. (after F. or L.).
1650Earl of Monmouth tr. Senault's Man. bec. Guilty 307 Love undertaketh nothing of generous, without the assistance of desire. 1673Ray Journ. Low C. 67 This Source hath that of peculiar to itself, that [etc.]. 1788Lond. Mag. 429 If their souls carried nothing with them of terrestrial. 1800Fox in Corr. w. Wakefield (1813) 134 In the last..there is something of comic. 1821Byron Wks. VI. 402 All that it had of holy he has hallowed. 1866Ruskin Crown Wild Olive (1873) 143 Whatever of best he can conceive.
43. a. Preceded by a superlative or comparative; or by a word equivalent to a superlative, e.g. chief, flower, cream, dregs.
c1205Lay. 27601 He of alle monnen mæst hine lufede. c1350Will. Palerne 442 Þat barne..þat flour is of alle frekes. a1400–50Alexander 307 Ane of þe grettist of oure godis. 1476Sir J. Paston in P. Lett. III. 166 Ye sholde have that maner in joynture with yowr wyffe to the lenger lyver off yow bothe. 1559W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 43 Th' Earth..is lowest of all Elementes. 1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 398, I count him the rather of the twaine to bee chosen. 1590Spenser F.Q. i. i. Introd. 2 O holy virgin, chiefe of nyne. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 200 He gather'd first of all In Spring the Roses, Apples in the Fall. 1820L. Hunt Indicator No. 49 (1822) I. 389 The absurdest as well as the most impious of all the dreams of fear. 1834Medwin Angler in Wales II. 163 We made the best of our way back to Tregaron. 1892Bookman Oct. 27/2 The most dogged of fighters, the most dangerous of enemies. Mod. Which is the elder of you two?
b. ellipt. of all (of any) = most of all; especially. Freq. in phrases expressing surprise at something or someone unexpected.
1370Robt. Cicyle 58 He trowyd of alle thynge, Hys bredur schulde have made hym kynge. c1460Towneley Myst. xi. 31 Blyssed be thou of alle women. 1594Shakes. Rich. III, iii. i. 68, I doe not like the Tower of any place. 1732Berkeley Alciphr. i. §5 It is what I desire of all things. 1848A. Jameson in G. Macpherson Mem. Life A. Jameson (1878) ix. 254, I ran to Ireland, of all places in the world. 1870Trollope Phineas Finn 400 The Earl desired it of all things. 1885Manch. Exam. 20 Oct. 5/1 He, of all men, should have some sympathy with doubters like himself. 1896Month May 135 ‘I should like it of all things,’ said his sister. 1906W. Churchill Coniston i. xiv. 178 ‘Well, of all people, Cynthia Wetherell!’ he cried. c1921D. H. Lawrence Mr. Noon i. in Mod. Lover (1934) 175 ‘Well, of all the idle scawd-rags!’ he said as he entered with the tray. 1926D. O. Stewart Mr. & Mrs. Haddock in Paris x. 266 ‘Maybe you would like to take a little rest—perhaps at a nice, comfortable movie.’ ‘Well, of all things, Will Haddock!’ 1953A. Huxley Let. 17 Aug. (1969) 683 It is to appear serially—of all places—in Esquire—which is at present engaged in serving God and Mammon. 1956S. Beckett Waiting for Godot i. 40 (He fumbles in his pockets.)..What have I done with my spray? (He fumbles.) Well, of all the ― (he looks up, consternation on his features. Faintly.) I can't find my pulverizer! 1958W. Plomer At Home ii. 38 He actually filled a glass with (of all things, on a black November afternoon) ginger beer.
c. of (all) other, and the like, in which other after a superlative is illogical (unless of orig. had the notion of ‘singled out from’, ‘taken from’).
c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 342 Cristis viker shulde be porerste man of oþir, and mekerst of oþir men. 1470–85Malory Arthur x. xiv, Thou art fayrest of alle other. 1559W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 82 The place most excellent of other in the Earth for pleasure. 1605Shakes. Macb. v. viii. 4 Of all men else I haue auoyded thee. 1635A. Stafford Fem. Glory 43 It comes to them the last of all other. 1667Milton P.L. iv. 324 The fairest of her Daughters Eve. 1884Times (weekly ed.) 17 Oct. 4/4 It is the thing of all others that we want you to do.
d. (One) distinguished out of a number, or out of all, on account of excellence. Also with repetition of n., sometimes intensive, as in the Hebraistic Song of songs, holy of holies; so book of books, man of men, heart of hearts; also used to denote a person who shows strong (spec. national) characteristics.
1382Wyclif Song Sol., Heer gynneth the booc that is clepid Songus of Songis. 1594Marlowe & Nashe Dido iii. iii, That man of men. 1684Bunyan Pilgr. ii. 169 Now the Glass was one of a thousand. 1831Macaulay in Life & Lett. (1880) I. 243 He gave me a dinner of dinners. 1866W. Collins Armadale iv. ii. II. 270 The new sailing-master is a man of ten thousand. 1895G. A. Sala Life (ed. 2) I. vi. 64 Morris Barnett..was a remarkably clever man—a Hebrew of the Hebrews, with a pronounced musical faculty. 1976Times 15 May 14/7 Tévic the Milkman is a Jew of the Jews in character and behaviour, yet his problems are not peculiarly Jewish. 1976Lancet 13 Nov. 1094/2 A Scot of Scots, he was born in 1912 and was educated at St Andrews and Edinburgh Universities.
44. Followed by a possessive case or an absolute possessive pronoun.
Originally partitive, but subseq. used instead of the simple possessive (of the possessor or author) where this would be awkward or ambiguous, or as equivalent to an appositive phrase; e.g. this son of mine = this my son; a dog of John's = a dog which is John's, a dog belonging to John. (All the early examples, and many of the later, are capable of explanation as partitive.)
a1300Cursor M. 6480 Þi neghbur wijf ȝerne noght at haue, Ne aght [Gött. nor best, Trin. beest] of his, ne mai, ne knaue. c1374Chaucer Troylus i. 492 (548) A frend of his þat called was Pandare. c1386― Monk's Prol. 13 Any neighebore of myne. c1400Gamelyn 241–2 ‘Now I haue i-proued many tornes of thyne, Thow most’, he seyde, ‘prouen on or tuo of myne’. 1463Bury Wills (Camden) 23, I ȝeve here..the clothes of myn that longe to the bedde that she hath loyen in. 1502Privy Purse Exp. Eliz. of York (1830) 79 A yong hors of the Quenes. 1527R. Thorne in Hakluyt Voy. (1589) 252 Two Englishmen, friends of mine. 1535Coverdale Micah vii. 8 O thou enemie of myne, reioyce not at my fall. 1600Shakes. A.Y.L. v. ii. 82 Looke, here comes a Louer of mine, and a louer of hers. 1637Milton Lycidas 102 That sacred head of thine. 1638Ld. Digby, etc. Lett. conc. Relig. i. (1651) 1 Many personall defects of mine own. 1687Congreve Old Bach. iii. vi, Adsbud, who's in fault, mistress of mine? 1718Watts Ps. cxix. iii. vi, Thou hast inclin'd this heart of mine Thy statutes to fulfil. 1724De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 255 This was..a false step of the..general's. 1870Lowell Study Wind. 2 It is positive rest to look into that garden of his.
45. a. Without prec. partitive word, as obj. of a verb, or pred. after be: = a portion of, one of, some of, some. Mostly arch.
c900tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. xx. 246 Wæs he of discipulum Aidanes [erat de discipulis]. c1000ælfric Saints' Lives II. xxvi. 260 Ic hæbbe of ðam stocce ðe his heafod on stod. c1000― Gen. iii. 6 Heo..ᵹenam þa of þæs treowes wæstme. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxv. 8 Syllaþ us of eowrum ele. c1205Lay. 14473, I þan norð ende ȝif heom of þine londe. Ibid. 31771 He æt of ane uisce. 1340–70Alex. & Dind. 126 Þan comaundede þe king cofli to feche Of þat freliche frut. c1386Chaucer Prol. 146 Of smale houndes hadde she þat she fedde With rosted flessh. c1450Merlin i. 23 Like as thei hadden ben of the slayn. 1597Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 354 Is shee of the Wicked? 1654–66Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 535 To lose of his own Men, or to kill of the Kings, were equal advantages. 1710Steele Tatler No. 166 ⁋2 You see of them in every Way of Life, and in every Profession. 1820Keats Ode Nightingale i, As though of hemlock I had drunk. 1890Healy Insula Sanctorum 92 When the horses tasted of the grass, they both fell dead.
b. After partake (also formerly part, participate).
c1380Antecrist in Todd Three Treat. Wyclif (1851) 138 Crist parted wiþ folke of goodis þat he had. 1611Bible Rom. xi. 17 And thou..with them partakest of the roote and fatnesse of the Oliue tree. 1654–66Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 687 My looks participated of my hopes. 1848FitzGerald Letters, etc. (1889) I. 191 Whose turkey I accordingly partook of.
46. a. = One of, a member of; hence, belonging to, included in, taking part in.
1425–[see counsel n. 6]. c1440Tindale 1671 He was sum tyme with hym of meyne. 1615G. Sandys Trav. 103 Their Priests were..of his councell in all businesses of importance. 1657Cromwell Sp. 21 Apr. in Carlyle, Who..were all of a piece upon that account. 1673Ray Journ. Low C. 36 If any desire to be admitted of the University. a1709Atkins Parl. & Pol. Tracts (1734) 15 Keble, of Counsel for the Lord B. 1748Richardson Clarissa (1811) IV. 348, I am ever of party against myself. 1806Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 47 Tracy has been of almost every committee during the session. 1845Browning Lost Leader i, Shakespeare was of us, Milton was for us, Burns, Shelley, were with us. a1859Macaulay Hist. Eng. xxiii. V. 83 He had not been sworn of the Council.
b. Followed by an adj. in the superlative: = one of, some of, something of; formerly also advb. = as a thing of.
1542Udall Erasm. Apoph. 212 b, The matter gooeth not all of the wurst. 1548― Erasm. Par. John 7 If any man do not vse all of the best that thing whiche of his nature is..the very best. a1648Ld. Herbert Hen. VIII (1683) 293 Those who thought the late Proceedings to have been of the severest. 1709Mrs. Manley Secr. Mem. (1736) I. 109 That Satisfaction..he was now afraid came of the latest to him. 1877J. D. Chambers Div. Worship 230 The bread should be of the whitest and finest. 1878F. A. Kemble Rec. of a Girlhood II. i. 35 My person was indeed of the shortest.
XIV. In the sense belonging or pertaining to; expressing possession and its converse: ‘the owner of the house’, ‘the house of the owner’.
Formerly expressed by the genitive, and still to some extent by the possessive case (with transposition of order). The use of of began in OE. with senses 47, 48, expressing origin. After the Norman Conquest the example of the French de, which had taken the place of the L. genitive, caused the gradual extension of of to all uses in which OE. had the genitive; the purely possessive sense was the last to be so affected, and it is that in which the genitive or ‘possessive’ case is still chiefly used. Thus, we say the King's English, in preference to the English of the King; but the King of England in preference to England's King, which is not natural or ordinary prose English.
47. a. Belonging to a place, as a native or resident.
This occurs in OE. with the sense of origin = ‘springing or coming from, belonging by origin to’ (properly 11 b); in the 11th c. this passed into the sense ‘belonging to as inhabitants or occupants’, ‘living in’, and so of things ‘situated in or at’.
c893K. ælfred Oros. Contents ii. viii, Hu Gallie of Senno abræcan Romeburᵹ. Ibid. ii. iii. §3 Mutius..an monn of ðære byriᵹ. a900O.E. Chron. an. 896 Ða men of Lunden byriᵹ. 971Blickl. Hom. 71 Hit is se Nadzarenisca witᵹa of Galileum.
1137–54O.E. Chron. an. 1137 ⁋2 Hi suencten suyðe þe uurecce men of þe land mid castel weorces. Ibid. ⁋7 Þe Iudeus of Noruuic bohton an xristen cild. c1175Lamb. Hom. 129 Ðet weter..wes liðe and swete þan folce of israel. Þe wes sur and bitere alle þon monnen of þan londe. c1205Lay. 632 Þa cnihtes of þan castle. 1382Wyclif Matt. xii. 41 Men of Nynyue shall ryse in dome with this generacioun. 1388― Judges ix. 15 Fier go out..and deuoure the cedris of the Liban. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 102 They of the towne wyst nat wher the countesse was become. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 331 They of London, namely the honest Citizens were greatly afrayed. 1708Lond. Gaz. No. 4464/8 Nathaniel Ogborne of Chipping⁓sodbury.., Cheese-Factor. 1830Lindley Nat. Syst. Bot. 98 The Black Birch of North America. 1847Tennyson Princess ii. 34 We of the court.
b. Belonging to a place, as situated, existing, or taking place there; belonging to a place or thing, as forming part of it or of its equipment, or as attached to or derived from it (in which sense it approaches the partitive).
c1122O.E. Chron. an. 1102 Þeofas..breokan þa mynstre of Burh. Ibid. an. 1116 On þisum ylcan ᵹeare bærnde eall þæt mynstre of Burh..and..eall þa mæste dæl of þa tuna. c1250Gen. & Ex. 469 Tubal..Wopen of wiȝte and tol of grið Wel cuðe eȝte [read feȝte]. 1375Barbour Bruce xx. 324 He salit, and left the grund of Spanȝe On north half hym. 1411Rolls of Parlt. III. 650/1 Robert Tirwhit Justice of the Kinges Bench. 1424Paston Lett. I. 13 On the yates of the Priorie of the Trinite chirche of Norwiche. 1608Willet Hexapla Exod. 165 The fables of his religion as he impiouslie calleth them. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 559 The Deserts of Lybia have in them many Hydra's. 1639De Grey Compl. Horsem. 306 Take of the oyle of Aspick one ounce. 1756C. Lennox tr. Sully's Mem. ii. (1778) 124 One side of the barricadoes. 1809Malkin Gil Blas vii. xvi. ⁋13 Innumerable articles of housekeeping. 1843Fraser's Mag. XXVIII. 698 Napoleon reached the plains of Gera. 1844Lingard Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858) I. iii. 125 Companions of his exile. 1891Law Times XCII. 107/1 The 8th section of the Act.
c. Belonging to a time, as existing or taking place in it.
1526Tindale Matt. v. 21 It was sayd vnto them off the olde tyme [Wyclif to eld men; 1611 by them of old time]. 1540Prymer title-p., With the Pystels and Gospels of Sondayes and holydayes in Englysshe. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 378 b, Your letters..of the xxi. of December. 1656Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. ii. xc. (1674) 243 They..finished that which appeared so dreadful to men of former times. 1851Thackeray Eng. Hum. i. (1853) 13 A man of that time. 1861M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 44 The massive and imposing style of the fourteenth century. 1870Bryant Iliad I. iv. 120 By rules like these The men of yore laid level towns and towers. 1885Manch. Exam. 15 May 5/7 A thing of the near future. 1893W. P. Courtney in Academy 13 May 413/1 The best landscape gardeners of the day.
d. Typical or characteristic of (a particular period).
1923H. Simpson (title of play) A man of his time. 1940M. K. Tippett (title of oratorio) A child of our time. 1965Listener 11 Nov. 760/1 It is a highly original picture, but like any work of art it has roots. It is absolutely of its time: all the enthusiasms of those last pre-war years are contained in it at boiling point. 1968Ibid. 4 July 9/2 The ‘Four’ were very much of the 1890s.
48. a. Belonging to a place as deriving a title from it, or as its lord or ruler, as king of, earl of, bishop of, abbot of.
Prob. also from the notion of origin. Rare in OE. till 11th c., when it became the regular equivalent of Fr. de, of and its object being found in apposition with a genitive case.
c893K. ælfred Oros. i. xi. §1 Alexander, Priamises sunu þæs cyninges of Troiana þære byriᵹ, ᵹenom þæs cyninges wif Monelaus of Læcedemonia Creca byriᵹ. 10..ælfric Gen. xiv. 10 Ða feollon ða ciningas..ofslaᵹene of Sodoman and Gomorran þæra manfulra þeoda. a1070O.E. Chron. an. 1066 (MS. C) Harold cyningc of Norweᵹan [Laud MS. Harold se Norrena cyng] and Tostiᵹ eorl. c1122Ibid. an. 1102 (MS. E) Se cyng and se eorl Rotbert of Bælæsme. Ibid. an. 1104 Se eorl Rotbert of Normandiᵹ and Rotbert de Bælesme. Ibid. an. 1120 Seo cyng of Engle lande and se of France..Se eorl of Flandrand and se of Puntiw. c1205Lay. 24459 Þe ærchebiscop of Lundene eode an his riht honden and bi his luft side þe [ilke] of Eouerwike. c1425Lydg. Assembly of Gods 469 Godfrey of Boleyn. 1612Shelton (title) The History of..Don Quixote of the Mancha. 1772Hartford Merc. Suppl. 18 Sept. 2/2 [He] created Lord Herbert, Baron Herbert of Cherbury and of Ludlow. 1791Boswell Johnson 28 Apr. an. 1778, Mr. John Spottiswoode the younger, of Spottiswoode. Mod. The King of Great Britain, Prince of Wales, Archbishop of Canterbury, Duke of Wellington, Earl of Derby, etc.
b. Related to a thing or person as its ruler, superior, possessor, or the like. (Akin to the objective genitive, sense 34; and sometimes interchangeable with a possessive case, esp. when the object is a person.)
1127–31O.E. Chron. an. 1127 He wæs legat of ðone Romescott. c1200Ormin 298 Moysæs wass hæfedd mann Off Issraæle þeode. Ibid. 344 Þatt streon þatt wass Allmahhtiȝ Godd, & King off alle kingess, & Preost off alle preostess ec. c1250Gen. & Ex. 29 Fader god of alle ðinge. Ibid. 122 Of euerilc ouȝt, of euerilc sed, Was erðe mad moder of sped. 1382Wyclif Luke viii. 41 He was prince [1526 Tindale, etc., a ruler] of a synagogue. ― 2 Cor. i. 3 Blessid be God and the fadir of oure Lord Jesu Crist, fadir of mercies and God of al comfort. c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 81 Creon..That lord is now of Thebes the Citee. 1424Paston Lett. I. 16 The Styward of the seyd Duc of Norffolk, of al hese lordshippes in Norffolk and Suffolk. 1596Shakes. Merch. V. iii. ii. 170 But now I was the Lord Of this faire mansion, master of my servants. 1618J. Taylor (Water P.) Penniless Pilgr. Wks. (1883) 62 The Master of the house. 1662Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. i. iv. §3 Gideon the Judge of Israel. 1712Steele Spect. No. 496 ⁋2 The father of him was a coxcomb. 1846McCulloch Acc. Brit. Empire (1854) II. 219 The dean of guild, or head of the Merchant Company.
49. a. Belonging to a person (etc.), as something that he (etc.) has or possesses. (= the poss. gen., and akin to the subjective, sense 17.)
In OE. always, in ME. most frequently, and in Mod.Eng. preferably expressed by the genitive or possessive case, except when for some reason this is difficult or awkward, e.g. in quots. 1386 (second), 1596, 1895.
c1200Ormin 666 Ȝiff þatt itt..seþ Þe wlite off ennglekinde. a1300Cursor M. 20063 (Gött.) Ur aun Langage of þe norþren lede. 1382Wyclif 1 Cor. i. 12 Forsoth I am of Poul [Vulg. Pauli], forsoth I of Appollo, treuly I of Cephas, forsoth I of Crist. [OE. Gregory's Past. C. 210 Paules..Apollan..Petres..Cristes.] c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 70 In the temple of the goddesse clemence. Ibid. 134 The bones of his frendes that weren slayn. 1535Coverdale Ruth Contents i, Ruth the wife of the one sonne. 1559W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 177 The soules of men and women. 1590Spenser F.Q. ii. ii. 13 The children of one syre by mothers three. 1596Shakes. Tam. Shr. v. i. 89 He is..heire to the Lands of me signior Vincentio. 1700Tyrrell Hist. Eng. II. 820 The Ayries of Hawks. 1712Pope Spect. No. 408 ⁋5 The Milk of a Goat. 1808Forster Perenn. Calend. 21 May, The leaves of plants. 1886Pall Mall G. 17 July 5/7 The tomb of England's first martyr. 1895Law Times C. 133/2 The widow of a man who had been killed at a level crossing.
b. Belonging to a person or thing as a quality or attribute. (Also interchanging with the possessive case, esp. when the object is a person, animal, or space of time, as ‘a month's salary’.)
c1220Bestiary 119 Ðurȝ grace off ure driȝtin. a1300Cursor M. 27033 For grettnes of his gilt. c1386Chaucer Prol. 39 To telle yow al the condicion Of ech of hem. c1450Pol. Rel. & L. Poems 104 It is of þe for to forgyfe Alkyn trespas both more and mynn. 1502Arnolde Chron. (1811) 280 In the tendir age off you. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 248 b, The value of the grounde so lytle. 1559J. Aylmer Harborowe D iv b, The welfare or ilfare of the whole realm. 1604Shakes. Oth. iv. i. 206 But yet the pitty of it, Iago; oh Iago, the pitty of it, Iago. 1648Royalist's Defence 109 Words cannot express the barbarousnesse of it. 1714Addison Spect. No. 556 ⁋14 The chief Tendency of my Papers. 1793Smeaton Edystone L. §239 The little irregularities of boring. 1802M. Edgeworth Moral T. (1816) I. Pref. 8 The scene of ‘The Knapsack’ is laid in Sweden. 1843P. Parley's Ann. IV. 346 The breezeless stillness of the summer air. 1886Athenæum 30 Oct. 560/3 His failure seems..to be due to a want of singleness of aim.
50. Belonging to a thing, as something related in a way defined or implied by its nature; e.g. the cause, effect, origin, reason, result of; the correlative, counterpart, match, opposite, original of; a copy, derivative, image, likeness of; the square, cube, logarithm, tangent, differential, or other mathematical function of. See under these words.
c1200Ormin 706 Hiss sune shollde ben Biginning off þatt blisse. c1315–[see cause n.]. c1386–[see effect n.]. 1389–[see copy n.]. 1483Caxton G. de la Tour E iv, The peyntynge of her face..was cause and occasion of suche horryble countrefaiture. 1559W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 71, I am glad you understand the reason of it. 1601–[see correlative n.]. 1617–[see counterpart]. 1639Laud Wks. (1849) II. 277 No good cause can be assigned of it. 1646–[see cube n.1]. 1709Steele Tatler No. 130 ⁋ 10 The Anniversary of the Birth-day of this Glorious Queen. 1776Maiden Aunt II. 16, I informed them the cause and event of my ramble. 1804Mitford Inq. Princ. Harmony Lang. (ed. 2) 405 The analogy of the language. 1807Hutton Course Math. II. 281 We may also derive the fluxion of any fraction, or the quotient of one variable quantity divided by another. 1847Lytton Lucretia 91 Wait..the effect of the cataplasms I have applied.
51. Belonging to an action or the like, as that to which it relates.
1534Ende of felycitie [see end n. 15]. 1593Shakes. Lucr. 113 Far from the purpose of his coming hither, He makes excuses for his being there. 1677Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 540 Those two days afforded litle matter of writing. 1812Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 175 It would only change the topic of abuse. 1886World 18 Aug. 18 The weather is the solitary topic of conversation.
XV. Indicating a point or space of time.
52. a. At some time during, in the course of, on.
App. taking the place of the Com. Teut. and OE. genitive of time. Now only in the colloquial of an evening, of a morning, of a Sunday afternoon, and the like.
[921O.E. Chron. (MS. A.), Þa æfter þam þæs ilcan sumeres ᵹegadorode micel folc hit. c1100Ibid. an. 47 Þis was þes feorðes ᵹeares his rices. c1205Lay. 2861 Fure þe neuer ne aþeostrede, winteres ne sumeres. Ibid. 3255 Heo wolden..feden..þane king..dæies and nihtes.] 1382Wyclif Gen. xx. 8 Anoon of the nyȝt [1388 bi nyȝt] rysynge, Abimalech [etc.]. 1472Presentm. Juries in Surtees Misc. (1888) 23 Maid asalt..& afrayd his neyghburs of Palmsondai. 1590Shakes. Mids. N. ii. i. 253 There sleepes Tytania, sometime of the night. 1612Acct.-bk. W. Wray in Antiquary XXXII. 214 Great thunder..and also the like of new yeares day following. 1657Manchester Court Leet Rec. (1887) IV. 212 For buying and selling pullen both of one day. 1741Richardson Pamela II. 149 Of a Thursday my dear Father and Mother were marry'd. 1741C'tess Pomfret Corr. (1805) III. 178 Here the company meet of a summer's evening. 1830J. H. Newman Lett. (1891) I. 222 My practice to walk of a day to Nuneham. 1831Carlyle Sart. Res. i. iii, All the Intellect of the place assembled of an evening. 1899W. J. Knapp Life Borrow I. 79 The father made his last Will and Testament of a Monday.
b. Sometimes the genitival -s is retained; perh. often understood as plural. Cf. a-nights.
1740Chesterfield Lett. (1792) I. lxviii. 190 [To] sleep sound of nights. 1753A. Murphy Gray's Inn Jrnl. No. 50 [They] begin to drop in here of Evenings. 1820Lamb Elia Ser. i. Christ's Hosp. 35 Yrs. ago, Shut up by himself of nights. 1849Thackeray Pendennis xix, Dice can be played of mornings as well as after dinner. 1867‘E. Kirke’ On Border iii. 67, I don't forget..how you worked of nights. 1891Barrie Little Minister III. xl. 156 So long as women sit up of nights listening for a footstep. 1897J. L. Allen Choir Invisible xvii. 252 You have holiday of Saturdays. I have not, you see.
c. of this date, dating from this day. (Sc. and U.S.)
1866Glasgow Trade Circular, The Subscriber..has retired of this date from the Company. 1882Schouler Hist. U.S. II. 284 All interdictions against Great Britain would cease of the same date [10th of the next June].
53. During, for (a space of time). (In later use only with a negative.) Obs. or arch.
c1369Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 1105, I was warished of all my sorwe Of al day after. c1374― Troylus v. 282 This Pandare þat of al þe day by-forn Ne myght haue comen Troylus to se. c1400Destr. Troy 13456 The biggyng..was of long tyme beleft. c1430Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 1723 Nathanael of al that long night For verrey sorow noght slepe might. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. x. 10 They wist nat of two dayes wher they were. 1587L. Mascall Govt. Cattle, Hogges (1627) 265 Giue him no meat of an houre or two after. 1631Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 220 That he should not weare a shirt of three yeares. 1674P. Henry Diaries & Lett. (1882) 267 It had not rayn'd of many weekes before. 1760–72H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) III. 73 Not seeing or hearing from him of a long time. 1833S. Austin Charac. Goethe II. 334 Persons whom we have not seen of a long time.
54. of old, of yore, of late, of late years, and the like, prob. orig. were in sense 2; but have come to mean In or during the time specified.
c1400Destr. Troy 13454 Thedur kynges wold come by custom of olde, For to hunt at the hert by the holt sydes. 1423Rolls of Parlt. IV. 406/1 Ye verray and trewe makyng of old used and continued. c1470[see late B. 2]. 1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 401 Wee sawe (of late yeares) the epistles..both bredd..and also buried. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 118 Cazbeen is that City which of past ages was cald Arsatia. 1766Goldsm. Vic. W. xxii, Your poor father and I have suffered very much of late. 1812Byron Ch. Har. i. xxix, Where dwelt of yore the Lusians' luckless queen. 1885Law Times LXXIX. 181/1 The duties..have been very much lightened of late years.
XVI. In locative and other obsolete uses.
Many former uses of of are difficult to class. Some of these arose from employing it as a literal rendering of French de (or of L. ab, ex, de), in phrases where English idiom would have required some other preposition; others arose from a confusion with on, or erroneous expansion of a, o = on (a prep.1, o prep.1), or of Sc. a' for i' = in. Others were app. due to confusion of constructions. Without endeavouring to distinguish these, examples are here given in various senses.
†55.
a. In sense on. Obs., colloq., or vulgar.
c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 357 Þis is not groundid of Crist. 1389in Eng. Gilds (1870) 4 Of peyne of a pond wax to þe bretherhede. 1440J. Shirley Dethe K. James 23 Thare heddes set upe of the gates of Sent Johannes Towne. 1516Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 80, I will that myn exrs lay a stone of my grave and that an ymage of our Lady be sett of the same. 1535Coverdale Mark vi. 33 Many..ranne thither together of fote. 1589Marprel. Epit. (1843) 60 Ile bestow a whole booke of him. 1596Shakes. Merch. V. ii. ii. 104, I am sure he had more haire of his taile then I haue of my face. 1597Lyly Wom. in Moone iii. ii, Of that condition I am yours. 1604Meeting of Gallants at Ordinarie (Percy Soc.) 23 Pulling downe a house of Fyre. 1607Dekker Knt.'s Conjur. (1842) 63 Mercurie (that runs of all the errands betweene the gods). 1621Bury Wills (Camden) 167 Desiringe..he would bestowe some of my howsholde of my brother Nicke. 1662W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. xxiv. §5 (1669) 318/2 They turn their back of that light. 1668Dryden Even. Love iv. iii, A mischief of all foolish disguisements! 1736Earl Waldegrave in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 389, I could not light of the Duc..till yesterday. 1746Wesley Wks. (1872) II. 15 She might send him of an errand. 1777Sheridan Sch. Scand. v. i, Oh, plague of his nerves!
b. esp. with side, hand, part, or similar word. Cf. F. du côté de, L. ab, ex parte, etc. Obs.
1432–50tr. Higden (Rolls) I. 93 Assyria hathe on the este parte of hit [ab ortu] Ynde, of the sowthe [ab austro] Media, of the weste parte the floode of Tigris. c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon iii. 73 Of the one side of it [a high rock] was betyng a grete river. 1526Tindale Rev. xxii. 2 Off ether syde [ex utraque parte] off the ryuer was there wode off lyfe. 1535Coverdale 1 Macc. v. 46 They coude not go by it, nether of the right honde ner of the left. 1548–9(Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer Offices 23 Of theyr parte a great token of charitie. 1579–80North Plutarch (1676) 66 Of his Fathers side, he was descended of King Codrus. 1583T. Stocker Civ. Warres Lowe C. i. 64 b, They..of all handes bestirred them. 1662J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 300 Enclos'd of all sides with a high Wall. 1708Burnet Lett. (ed. 3) 136 They thought the Advantage was wholly of that Side. 1779Forrest Voy. N. Guinea 83 Six banks of paddles, three banks of a side.
†56. In sense in. Mostly Obs.
c1430Lydgate Lyke thyn Audience, etc. 90 in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems 28 Antonye and poule..Lyuyd in desert of wilfulle pouert. 1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. cxlvi. [cxlii.] 403 They..made the greattest reuell of the worlde. 1546Nottingham Rec. IV. 131 He dothe sooffer the horses of the market. 1568Of conscience [see conscience n. 10]. 1609Bible (Douay) Num. xxxii. 17 Because of the lying of wayte of the inhabitantes. 1613Hibbaldstow, Lincolnshire MS. Court Roll, Those that are resident of their house which they keep comons for. 1773Goldsm. Stoops to Conq. ii. i, I have just been mortified enough of all conscience.
†57. In sense at (or on). of all, at all = F. du tout (see also ava). Obs.
1419Searchers Verdicts in Surtees Misc. (1888) 15 Twa postes..be set in of hys coste. a1500Wycket (ed. Pantin 1828) p. xvii, That her two sonnes..myght syt one of hys ryght syde & one at hys left syde. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VI 137 All other graynes, wer sold of an excessive price, above the olde custome. c1550Cheke Matt. xx. 21 Yt yees mi ij sones mai sit th'oon of yi right hand and th'other of yi left hand. 1588A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. 220 Thay hauing in tham selues na merits of al. 1690W. Walker Idiomat. Anglo-Lat. 94 It is cheap of twenty pounds. 1696J. F. Merchant's Ware-ho. 32 They look very fine of the Price.
†58. In sense to. Obs.
1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cccciv. 702 They..set fyer of dyuers vyllages in Flaunders. 1604E. Grimstone Hist. Siege Ostend 68 He..would set fire of one of the Magazins.
†59. In sense by. of himself, by himself, alone. Obs. (Cf. 12 b.)
1340–70Alex. & Dind. 33 We ben sengle of us silf, & se men ful bare. 1605Bacon Adv. Learn. i. vii. §9 She was solitary, and of herselfe. 1626― Sylva §323 Another apple, of the same kind, that lay of it Self.
†60. In sense of a prep.1 (= on, in, into): of thre = a-three, in three: fall of = fall a-.
13..Seuyn Sag. (W.) 782 The grehound wolde nowt sessed be, Til that adder ware toren of thre. 1451Rolls of Parlt. V. 216/1 For asmoche as the persones..named, hath been of mysbehavyng aboute youre Roiall persone. 1672Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 269 Others fell of oyling and furbishing their Armour.
†61. In sense with. Mostly Obs. (See also 26 d.)
1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccxiii. 262 Then they fell in communycacion of the lord Charles of Bloys, and of the lord Iohn of Mountfort. 1826Cobbett Poor Man's Friend ii, These severe critics found fault of this working. 1843Longfellow Span. Student i. v, Padre Francisco! Padre Francisco! What do you want of Padre Francisco?
XVII. Phrases.
62. a. Of followed by a n. forms attrib. or advb. phrases: as, of age, of a certainty, of choice, of consequence, of course, of force, of kin, † of life, of necessity, of purpose, of right, of a truth, of use, of wrong, etc.: see the ns.; also of old, etc. in 54.
†b. Of followed by an adj. (or adv.) formerly formed advb. phrases [cf. F. d'avant, de loin, de nouveau, etc.]: as of before, of certain, of enough, of ere, of far, of fore, of fresh, (of afresh), of hard, of high, of light, of more, of new, (of anew), of night, of ordinary, of the same. Obs. exc. in of a sudden, or as repr. by worn-down forms in a- (afar, afresh, alight, anew).
1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 592 Ac noȝt vor þan þat oþer maide he louede more of inou. Ibid. 8018 A worse peire of inou þe oþer suþþe him broȝte. a1425Cursor M. 10748 (Trin.) If he spoused were of ere. c1470Henry Wallace xi. 293 In my mater, as I off for began, I sall conteyn. 1483Caxton G. de la Tour D vj b, The deth that of nyghe foloweth them. c1489― Sonnes of Aymon ii. 62 He..called of heyghe, ‘Barons! kepe well that Reynawde scape not’. Ibid. iii. 110 Began the batayll of a freshe. 1600W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 62 They being of fresh tormented. 1668H. More Div. Dial. I. 59 That the same thing..may..be produced of a-fresh.
63. Of forms the last element of many prepositional phrases: e.g. because of; by means of, by reason of; for fear of, for the sake of, for want of; in behalf of, in case of, in comparison of, in consequence of, in face of, in lieu of, in regard or respect of, in spite of, instead of; on account of, on behalf of, on condition of, on the point of; etc. See the ns.
▪ II. of|ɒv, əv|
joc. (being erroneous in Received Standard) or dial. var. have v. (representing the unstressed pronunc. of have, esp. in such phrases as could have, might have, must have, and would have).
1837W. Tayler Diary 10 May in J. Burnett Useful Toil (1974) ii. 181 Soposing seven hundred and sixty [servants] to of advertised and the same number not to of advertised. 1844Southern Lit. Messenger X. 486/2, I never would of married in the world, ef I couldn't of got jist exactly suited. 1854M. J. Holmes Tempest & Sunshine viii. 115, I don't see why in the old Harry he couldn't of lived. 1913C. Mackenzie Sinister St. I. i. iv. 60 Mrs. Frith used to talk about ‘people as gave theirselves airs which they had no business to of done.’ 1916[see fair n.2 1 c]. 1924A. S. Neill Dominie's Five ii. 31 If Neill had been 'ere, 'e could of told us. 1931E. Linklater Juan in Amer. ii. iv. 79 There's no beer-racket in Paris or Rome, and even if there had been I wouldn't of tried to muscle in on it. Ibid. iii. iii. 226 If I hadn't of worked nights on a correspondence course I'd of been firing a furnace still. 1945A. Kober Parm Me 26 I'm certainly glad to of made your acquaintance. 1946K. Tennant Lost Haven (1947) i. 19 There might have been a time when I thought Kelly was too hard on the kids, and..I might of been glad when he went off with that bloody moll. Ibid. xiii. 202 She must of forgot. 1957[see blower1 3 e]. 1959[see dozer2]. 1977New Yorker 6 June 56/3 Sometimes I get to thinking that I could of raised up four girls and worn out a couple of saddles.
▪ III. of
erroneous form of oð, oþ, oth conj. until.
▪ IV. of
apocopate form of þof, though conj. |