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Etymology
Dictionary
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Origin of the word A-DO. Etymology of the word
A-DO.
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From An Etymology
Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat, 1893 |
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A-DO,
to-do, trouble. (E.) M.E. at do, to do.
'We have othere thinges at do;' Towneley Mysteries, p. 181; and
again, 'With that prynce... Must we have at do;' id. p.
237. In course of time the phrase at do was shortened to ado,
in one word, and regarded as a substantive. 'Ado, or grete
busynesse, sollicitudo;' Prompt. Parv. p. 7. ¶
The prep. at is found thus prefixed to other infinitives, as at ga,
to go; Seuyn Sages, 3017; 'That es at say,' that is to say;
Halliwell's Dict. s.v. at. See Mätzner, Engl. Gram. ii. 2.
58. β. This idiom was properly peculiar to Northern English, and is
of Scandinavian origin, as is evident from the fact that the sign of the
infinitive is at in Icelandic, Swedish, &c.
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| Etymology
Dictionary Index |
| A, B,
C, D, E,
F, G, H,
I, J, K,
L, M, N,
O, P, Q,
R, S, T,
U, V, W,
X, Y, Z
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| Key |
| Arab.=Arabic. |
| A.S.=Anglo
Saxon. |
| Bavar.=Bavarian |
| Bohem.=Bohemian. |
| C.=Celtic,
used as a general term for Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Breton,
Cornish, &c. |
| Corn.=Cornish. |
| Dan.=Danish. |
| Du.=Dutch |
| E.=English. |
| E.E.=Early
English. |
| Europ.=European. |
| F.=French. |
| G.=German. |
| Gk.=Greek. |
| Goth.=Gothic. |
| Icel.=Icelandic. |
| Ital.=Italian. |
| L. or
Lat.=Latin. |
| Lith.
& Lithuan.=Lithuanian. |
| M.E.=Middle
English. |
| M.F.=Middle
French |
| M.H.G.=Middle
High German. |
| Norw.=Norwegian. |
| O.F.=Old
French. |
| O.H.G.=Old
High German. |
| Pers.=Persian. |
| Port.=Portuguese. |
| Scand.=Scandinavian,
used as a general term for Icelandic, Swedish, Danish,
&c. |
| Sc.=Scottish. |
| Skt.=Sanskrit. |
| Span.=Spanish. |
| Swed.=Sweish. |
| Teut.=Teutonic |
| Turk.=Turkish. |
| W.=Welsh. |
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