over-

Looking Over “Over” Compounds

lfsaldenbirch

As I was collecting words, I noticed with surprise that a whole passel of “over-” compounds fell into the Uncommon category.  Overgrow, overhear, overjoyed, overpower, overrun, overshadow, overtake, overthrow, and overturn all made it into the Concordance.  That’s not all of the “over-” compounds in The Hobbit.  Overcome, overhang, overlook, and overwhelm are in the most common 10,000 words.  Still, I am intrigued.

We have time today to do another mini-exploration, so I will be updating the concordance entries of the “over-” compounds – you should be able to click on them or follow the “over-” tag to see what I learned by nightfall.

Update an hour later: all done.  The OED entry for the prefix “over-” is long, delightful, complex, and makes my heart sing at all the subtleties.  Excellent summer reading if you’re casting about for your next entertainment.

I recollect that the sentence “his linen socc fel oferbord and scranc” featured in an early lesson in my Old English class all those years ago – over- compounds are of great antiquity!

Overturn

lfsaldenbirch , ,

Obviously here in Smaug’s lair, Tolkien means that the benches are toppled.  I am intrigues to learn that the word can also mean “rotate” as a wheel, to fall to grief or ruin, or to disorder a stomach.

  • 13.046 and benches were lying there overturned,

“overturn, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.

Overthrow

lfsaldenbirch , ,

While there’s the figurative meaning of casting one’s opponent out of a position of influence, there’s a less common literal meaning of throwing someone over onto their backside on the ground.  I’m certain both images work here.

  • 18.042 and the goblins overthrown,

“overthrow, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.

Overrun

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The strategists in the Battle of Five Armies plan to lead the goblins between the spurs of the mountain unless they are so numerous as to overrun the Mountain.  Here we have both the spatial sense of running over the surface to cover it and the superiority sense of being most powerful.

  • 17.045 to overrun the Mountain itself,

“overrun, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.

Overjoyed

lfsaldenbirch , ,

With an obscure meaning of being too happy, overjoyed does come from the verb “overjoy” – to transport with gladness.

  • 12.018 Balin was overjoyed to see the hobbit again,

“overjoy, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.

“overjoyed, adj.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.

Overhear

lfsaldenbirch , ,

Apparently the Old English meaning of “overhear” was to not pay attention to something you heard, as in “disobey”.  Our hobbit is the only character who overhears in the novel, by the modern usage “to hear without the speaker intending you should do so”.

  • 01.097 if I have overheard words that you were saying.
  • 09.013 to overhear some of the guards talking
  • 19.006 for he overheard the words of the wizard to Elrond.

“over-, prefix.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.

“overhear, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.

Overgrow

lfsaldenbirch , ,

King Alfred used this word in his treatise on Pastoral Care in Old English about 1200 years ago!  His spelling is recorded as “ofergreow”.  I learn from the OED that the over-prefix can have spatial or temporal connotations.

  • 07.130 was overgrown and disused at the eastern end

“over-, prefix.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.

“overgrow, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.