“Adjoin” is another Latin derivative, this time quite clearly from ad + iungere “toward join”.
- 09.037 The rest went into the adjoining cellar with the trapdoors.
“adjoin, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 18 May 2015.
word
Acquaint
I was interested to learn if “acquaint” was one of the English “a-” prefix or preposition words, but that letter A is of more classical ancestry, it’s the Latin ad of adcognitare.
- 06.030 who was acquainted with this part of the mountains;
“acquaint, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 18 May 2015.
Abreast
This use of “a-” forms adverbs and prepositions and comes from the “on – ” preposition which we saw in “ablaze”, so both Prefix 3 and Preposition 1 are in play here!
- 01.109 and three may walk abreast” say the runes,
- 03.040 and three may walk abreast.'”
- 13.048 wide enough for many men abreast.
“a-, prefix3.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
“a, prep.1.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 18 May 2015.
“abreast, adv. and prep.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
Ablaze
“Ablaze” enters The Hobbit in its adverbial form (it can also be an adjective), and only in Chapter 14 in reference to Smaug! The “a-” prefix is the unstressed spelling of “on” as in “on fire” which became one word with use.
- 14.014 seeking only to set their town ablaze.
- 14.017 Soon he would set all the shoreland woods ablaze
“a, prep.1.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
“ablaze, adj. and adv.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
Abode
In the sense of “dwelling place”, OED calls this a literary word, and I temporarily tagged it thus. (Update 2015.06.08) Only one other literary word raised its head in our explorations, so I remove the tag.
Apparently “a-” here is a variant of the unstressed prefix “or-”, which creates nouns and verbs, as in “ordeal”.
18.032 There now Dain son of Nain took up his abode,
“a-, prefix1.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
“abide, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
“abode, n.1.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
“† or-, prefix.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
Aback
The OED calls this a rare word, not archaic, when used in its figurative sense, as here:
- 12.068 but poor Bilbo was really very taken aback.
“Aback” is “backward from the action” and to take aback, therefore, is to discomfit. The “a-” prefix here is a descendant of the unaccented prefix “on-“, a particle which forms verbs, adverbs, and prepositions with the sense of “on”.
“a-, prefix3.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
“aback, adv.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
“take, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 16 May 2015.
Toast
In Chapter 8, Bilbo’s daydreams of toast make him nod off, allowing the great spider to approach and be-web him. This is the moment that he remembers his little sword, takes it in hand, and changes his destiny.
- 02.043 They were toasting mutton on long spits of wood,
- 02.116 and bacon to toast
- 06.078 Bake and toast ’em, fry and roast ’em!
- 06.100 better than bits of meat toasted on sticks.
- 07.001 nor tea nor toast nor bacon for his breakfast,
- 08.074 and toast
Thyme
Thyme, along with sage and marjoram, grow wild in Chapter 6, but they disappear in frequency as Thorin and Company hike on. While these particular plants are not eaten by the characters, they are common culinary herbs and they disappear as the company faces their massively depleted resources following the goblin escapade. Their good fortune in staying with Beorn ameliorates this particular round of hunger.
- 06.040 the thyme
Strawberry
Bilbo managed to find wild strawberries – small but oh so flavorful! – when he tried to feed himself in the wild. Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and elder-berries are all specifically mentioned in the book, although we are setting elder-berries aside for another day as they are indicated by a hyphenated word.
- 06.039 and he ate three wild strawberries that he found on its bank,
Stew
Somehow I doubt that goblins have the patience to stew something really well before devouring.
- 06.074 Roast ’em alive, or stew them in a pot;
- 13.051 in the stewing depths
words that you were saying 