An English Grammar Part 64

Abaft is exclusively a sea term, meaning _back of_.

Among (or amongst) and between (or betwixt) have a difference in meaning, and usually a difference in use. _Among_ originally meant in the crowd (_on gemong_), referring to several objects; _between_ and _betwixt_ were originally made up of the preposition _be_ (meaning _by_) and _tweon_ or _tweonum_ (modern _twain_), _by two_, and _be_ with _twih_ (or _twuh_), having the same meaning, _by two_ objects.

As to modern use, see "Syntax" (Sec. 459).

PREPOSITIONS OF TIME.

314. They are _after_, _during_, _pending_, _till_ or _until_; also many of the prepositions of place express time when put before words indicating time, such as _at_, _between_, _by_, _about_, _on_, _within_, etc.

These are all familiar, and need no special remark.

EXCLUSION OR SEPARATION.

315. The chief ones are _besides_, _but_, _except_, _save_, _without_. The participle _excepting_ is also used as a preposition.

MISCELLANEOUS PREPOSITIONS.

316. Against implies opposition, sometimes place where. In colloquial English it is sometimes used to express time, now and then also in literary English; for example,--

She contrived to fit up the baby's cradle for me _against_ night.--SWIFT

About, and the participial prepositions concerning, respecting, regarding, mean _with reference to_.

[Sidenote: _Phrase prepositions._]

317. Many phrases are used as single prepositions: _by means of_, _by virtue of_, _by help of_, _by dint of_, _by force of_; _out of_, _on account of_, _by way of_, _for the sake of_; _in consideration of_, _in spite of_, _in defiance of_, _instead of_, _in view of_, _in place of_; _with respect to_, _with regard to_, _according to_, _agreeably to_; and some others.

318. Besides all these, there are some prepositions that have so many meanings that they require separate and careful treatment: _on_ (_upon_), _at_, _by_, _for_, _from_, _of_, _to_, _with_.

No attempt will be made to give _all_ the meanings that each one in this list has: the purpose is to stimulate observation, and to show how useful prepositions really are.

At.

319. The general meaning of at is _near_, _close to_, after a verb or expression implying position; and _towards_ after a verb or expression indicating motion. It defines position approximately, while _in_ is exact, meaning _within_.

Its princ.i.p.al uses are as follows:--

(1) _Place where._

They who heard it listened with a curling horror _at_ the heart.--J.F. COOPER.

There had been a strike _at_ the neighboring manufacturing village, and there was to be a public meeting, _at_ which he was besought to be present.--T.W. HIGGINSON.

(2) _Time_, more exact, meaning the point of time at which.

He wished to attack _at_ daybreak.--PARKMAN.

They buried him darkly, _at_ dead of night.--WOLFE

(3) _Direction._

The mother stood looking wildly down _at_ the unseemly object.--COOPER.

You are next invited...to grasp _at_ the opportunity, and take for your subject, "Health."--HIGGINSON.

Here belong such expressions as _laugh at_, _look at_, _wink at_, _gaze at_, _stare at_, _peep at_, _scowl at_, _sneer at_, _frown at_, etc.

We _laugh at_ the elixir that promises to prolong life to a thousand years.--JOHNSON.

"You never mean to say," pursued Dot, sitting on the floor and _shaking_ her head _at_ him.--d.i.c.kENS.

(4) _Source_ or _cause_, meaning _because of_, _by reason of_.

I felt my heart chill _at_ the dismal sound.--T.W. KNOX.

Delighted _at_ this outburst against the Spaniards.--PARKMAN.

(5) Then the idiomatic phrases _at last_, _at length_, _at any rate_, _at the best_, _at the worst_, _at least_, _at most_, _at first_, _at once_, _at all_, _at one_, _at naught_, _at random_, etc.; and phrases signifying state or condition of being, as, _at work_, _at play_, _at peace_, _at war_, _at rest_, etc.

Exercise.--Find sentences with three different uses of _at_.

By.

320. Like _at_, by means _near_ or _close to_, but has several other meanings more or less connected with this,--

(1) The general meaning of _place_.

Richard was standing _by_ the window.--ALDRICH.

Provided always the coach had not shed a wheel _by_ the roadside.--_Id._

(2) _Time._