| 释义 |
▪ I. æ
(usually written as a digraph or ligature, but also, and in the earliest times, separately ae) was in OE. the symbol of a simple vowel, intermediate between a and e. When short, as in glæd, fæder, it represented orig. Teut. short a, and had the power of modern Eng. a. in man, glad; when long, as in sǽ, flǽsc, the same sound prolonged, as in a common American pronunciation of bear, hair, there. After 1100 the short æ was generally replaced by a (though sometimes by e); the long ǽ continued to be written æ in the 12th and early 13th c., the OE. eá passing into the same sound and symbol, but in the development of ME. this symbol died out, and was replaced by simple e or ee. Thus OE. sǽ, flǽsc, eár, eást are in Ormin and Layamon sæ, flæssh, ær, æst, but afterwards se(e, flesh, ere, eest. The symbol æ, which thus disappeared from the language in 13th c., was re-introduced in 16th c. in forms derived from Latin words with æ, and (this being the Latin symbolization of Greek αι) Greek words in αι; as ædify, æther. But this æ had only an etymological value, and whenever a word became thoroughly English, the æ or ae was changed into simple e as edify, ether. The æ or ae now remains, only (1) in Greek and Lat. proper names as in æneas, Cæsar; even these, when familiar, often take e as Judea, Etna; (2) in words belonging to Roman or Gr. Antiquities as ædile, ægis; (3) in scientific or technical terms as ætiology, æstivation, phænogamous, Athenæum; these also when they become popularized take e, as phenomenon, Lyceum, museum, era.
æ initial is thus to be looked upon as an earlier spelling of E, and will here occur only (1) in EE. words that became obsolete, before changing to e, as æ law (OE. ǽ), æ river (OE. eá); (2) in words directly adopted or formed from Latin and Greek which became obsolete before changing to e as ædituate; or have not changed to e because they indicate ancient things as ædile, ægis, or are technical as ægilops, ægrotant, ætiology. All other words will be found under their later form in E.
In many modern books the digraph æ is regularly resolved as ae; when this is done, dissyllabic ae ought to be printed aë: thus either ægis, aereal, or aegis, aëreal; but simple ae is often used in both.
As to pronunciation usage differs. The analogy of the language, the practice of orthoepists, and the alternate spelling with e, are in favour of æ being treated precisely like e in the same position. But there is a strong tendency with classical scholars (at variance with their practice as to other long L. and Gr. vowels) to make it long |iː| in all positions. This influences popular usage to some extent, so long as æ is written; as soon as e takes its place, natural English habits prevail: cf. æstivate, æstuary, estuary.
▪ II. † æ, n.1 Obs.
Forms: 1 eá, é; 1–3 æ.
[OE. eá, é, ǽ, cogn. w. OFris. â, ê, ON. â, OS. and OHG. aha, Goth. ahwa, L. aqua.]
A river, a running water. See also aa1 and ea.
896O.E. Chron. 92 On twa healfe þaer é. Ibid. 94 Up be þære eǽ..On twa healfe ðære eás. c1000Ags. Psalms xxxv. 8 On ðære ǽ..þú hý drencst. c1200Ormul. 7091 Tær iss i þatt illke land An æ Sabá ȝehatenn. 1205Layamon 1400 In are swiðe feire æ Þer Læire falleð i þa sæ.
▪ III. † æ, n.2 Obs.
Forms: 1 æw, 1–3 æ, 2–3 e.
[OE. æ, æw, cogn. w. OS. êo, OFris. ewa, êwe, ê, â, OHG. êwa, êha, êa, ê; Skr. ewa course.]
Law, especially the law of nature, or of God; hence, legal custom, rite, marriage.
c975Rushw. Gosp. John xv. 25 In æ hiora awriten is. c1000Ags. Gosp. ibid., On hyra æ awriten ys. [c1160Hatton Gosp. ibid., On heora laga ys awritan.] c1175Cott. Hom. 227 Þes cenne god sælde and ȝesette æ [vel laga]. c1175Lamb. Hom. 89 Ðreo tiden beoð on þissere worlde. An is þet wes buten e, and oðer is þe þet wes under þere e, þe þridde is nu..we ne beoð na buten e, ne we ne moten holden moyses e licamliche. c1200Ormul. 145 Þatt hemm wass sett þurrh Godess æ.
Comb. æu-breche, eau-bruche, adultery. |