| 单词 | a pretty many |
| 释义 | > as lemmasa †considerable (also good, great, †pretty, †jolly) many 6. Preceded by the indefinite article and frequently (now always exc. English regional) an adjective, as in a †considerable (also good, great, †pretty, †jolly) many: a (great) number; also †no small many. [a meinie is already found with a following partitive construction in the 15th cent. (see meinie n. 4, 5a, 6, 7). After the mid 16th cent. the form many is regular (but compare quots. 1556 at sense B. 6c, 1564 at sense B. 6c). The transference from meinie to many was probably assisted by the analogy of a few (see few adj. 2a): the parallel between a many of + noun phrase and a few of + noun phrase is likely to have led to the emergence of a many + noun phrase parallel with a few + noun phrase.] extracted from manyadj.pron.n.adv. a. With of and a noun phrase (now only one consisting of a noun modified by the definite article, a demonstrative, or a possessive, or of a pronoun). ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > number > plurality > great number, numerousness > [noun] > a large number or multitude sandc825 thousandc1000 un-i-rimeOE legiona1325 fernc1325 multitudec1350 hundred1362 abundancec1384 quantityc1390 sight1390 felec1394 manyheada1400 lastc1405 sortc1475 infinityc1480 multiplie1488 numbers1488 power1489 many1525 flock1535 heapa1547 multitudine1547 sort1548 myriads1555 myriads1559 infinite1563 tot-quot1565 dickera1586 multiplea1595 troop1596 multitudes1598 myriad1611 sea-sands1656 plurality1657 a vast many1695 dozen1734 a good few1756 nation1762 vast1793 a wheen (of)1814 swad1828 lot1833 tribe1833 slew1839 such a many1841 right smart1842 a million and one1856 horde1860 a good several1865 sheaf1865 a (bad, good, etc.) sortc1869 immense1872 dunnamuch1875 telephone number1880 umpty1905 dunnamany1906 skit1913 umpteen1919 zillion1922 gang1928 scrillion1935 jillion1942 900 number1977 gazillion1978 fuckload1984 1525 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles II. xxiv. 64 Beneth in the courte he sawe a great many of asses. 1562 P. Whitehorne tr. N. Machiavelli Arte of Warre iv. f. lx Caius Sulpitius..set a greate many of sackes vpon Mules. 1584 R. Scot Discouerie Witchcraft xii. iii. 219 If Incubus could beget Merlins among vs, we should haue a iollie manie of cold prophets. 1652 J. Gaule Πυς-μαντια 352 He..had invited..a many of his kindred and friends. 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso ii. xxiv. 262 An infinite many of men. 1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 37. ¶1 I had an Opportunity of turning over a great many of her Books. 1716 B. Church Entertaining Passages Philip's War i. 38 He pick'd up a considerable many of their Women and Children. 1852 W. M. Thackeray Henry Esmond I. iii. 77 This was chiefly of the Catholic gentry, of whom there were a pretty many in the country. 1860 W. Collins Woman in White (new ed.) II. 349 She had winded a many of them in her time. 1905 Daily Chron. 13 July 5/6 A great many of these are obviously of the ‘stagging’ order. 1935 E. Pyle Maria Pyle in D. Nichols Ernie's Amer. (1990) 15 A good many of our neighbours have deservedly felt the whip of her tongue. 1962 Sunday Times 10 June (Colour Suppl.) 7 This is also true of American records, a great many of which are only released because companies have to take them to get some really lucrative artist. 1997 Church Times 12 Dec. 12/1 Primitive Christianity..was the heir to a great many of the apocalyptic concepts found in the Scrolls. b. Immediately premodifying a plural noun or noun phrase.a many alone is virtually identical with sense A. 2a, but is now Obsolete N.E.D. (1905) says that it is ‘now somewhat rare in literary use, though a good many, a great many, are common colloquially.’ ΚΠ a1580 G. Harvey Story Mercy Harvey in Wks. (1885) III. 89 Swearing that she should..vse him as familiarly..as her owne brother; with a many sutch goodly supplicamussis. a1593 C. Marlowe Edward II (1594) sig. H1 Though a many friends Are made a way. 1615 J. Day Festivals 300 There are in this Israel, the Sacred Scriptures of God, a many, many Widowes. a1643 J. Shute Judgem. & Mercy (1645) 180 Hee were a mad man that to Secure himselfe from the Fire, would pile a many Billets betweene him and the flame. 1653 H. More Antidote Atheism (1662) 97 A many such miracles. 1690 N. Luttrell Diary in Brief Hist. Relation State Affairs (1857) II. 126 And great many men were at work upon the fortifications. 1776 Trial Maha Rajah Nundocomar for Forgery 23/2 A great many people have seen him besides. 1813 Sketches of Character (ed. 2) I. 205 It is a good many years since I have seen him. 1832 Ld. Tennyson Miller's Daughter xxiii, in Poems (new ed.) 46 They have not shed a many tears, Dear eyes! 1841 G. Catlin Lett. N. Amer. Indians II. xlix. 122 They use a vast many beads. 1884 Manch. Examiner 17 May 4/8 There are a great many schools..of technicology scattered over the Continent. 1931 H. S. Williams Bk. Marvels 67 One theory has it that there is a layer of atmosphere a good many miles above the earth's surface that has its atoms ‘ionized’ by the action of electrons coming from the sun. 1952 C. E. L. Phillips Small Garden xi. 106 A great many herbaceous plants will go on and on if dead-headed. 1988 S. E. McKay New Child Safety Handbk. vi. 89/1 A great many fire fighters believe that smokers can actually sleep-smoke without waking up. 1992 F. Markmiller in C. Blank Lang. & Civilization I. 290 The establishment of the seminary guaranteed at least the continued existence of the monastery for a good many decades. c. Without construction, as head of its noun phrase. ΚΠ 1556 J. Olde tr. R. Gwalther Antichrist f. 6 To the undoing of a great meanye. 1564 T. Becon Displayeng Popishe Masse f. xlvii, in Wks. iii Ye praye for Philippe and Chenye, mo than a good meany.] 1604 S. Hieron Preachers Plea in Wks. (1620) I. 507 These and the like are the thoughts and speeches of no small many. 1611 B. Jonson Catiline To Rdr. sig. A3 The commendation of good things may fall within a many, their approbation but in a few. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry V (1623) iii. vii. 73 Const. And yet my Sky shall not want [stars]. Dolph. That may be, for you beare a many superfluously. View more context for this quotation 1705 Boston News-let. 23 Apr. 2/2 The Undertaker..is willing to try it for another year, unless some generous Soul (out of the many far better qualified, especially of those that are so apt & ready to carp at his weakness) will please to undertake it. 1788 T. Taylor Diss. Platonic Doctr. Ideas in tr. Proclus Philos. & Math. Comm. I. p. xcv Plato is ignorantly accused by a many, for affirming that [etc.]. 1875 T. W. Higginson Young Folks' Hist. U.S. viii. 64 A good many died of hardship and fatigue. 1880 Millikin in Punch's Almanack Feb. Crab your enemies,—I've got a many, You can pot 'em proper for a penny. 1957 R. Hoggart Uses of Literacy vi. 167 Though few people take the trouble thoroughly to understand any problem, a great many assume that their opinions on almost every general issue will have weight. 1984 in C. Kightly Country Voices i. 20 There ain't a-many liked it, but they hed to goo! 1986 J. Huxley Leaves of Tulip Tree v. 96 It has been found that a good many were separated at birth from their mothers for health or other reasons. a pretty many a. Considerable, sizeable. a pretty many, †a pretty deal (obsolete): a good many, a good deal. Cf. pretty adv. 1, fair adj. 5.Cf. a pretty penny at penny n. Phrases 1c. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] > considerable in amount or degree goodeOE fairOE goodlyc1275 largea1375 no littlea1413 substantial1413 unleast?1440 prettya1475 reasonablea1500 substantious1545 substantive1575 sensible1581 pretty and ——1596 goody1597 greatish1611 considerable1651 sonsy1721 respectable1736 smart1750 quite a little ——1763 gey1796 smartish1799 canny1805 serious1810 right smart1825 dunnamuch1831 snug1833 tidy1839 bonnyish1855 largish1872 a nice little ——1891 significant1898 healthy1901 beaucoup1917 the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > [noun] > (a) great quantity or amount > (a) considerable amount a pretty deala1475 a good sup1601 might1834 right smart1842 mittful1918 a1475 Dis. Hawk (Harl. 2340) f. 35, in Middle Eng. Dict. at Prati(e For A hawke þat may not caste, gyfe hyr halowynsicatre þe quantite of A praty castyng. a1475 in J. O. Halliwell Early Eng. Misc. (1855) 88 Caste in your colours that schalbe rede afore a prety whyle, and..let hem boyle togedyris. 1589 Voy. W. Towrson in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations i. 106 Their bowes be short, and of a prettie strength. 1656 P. Heylyn Surv. Estate France 8 Swine also they have in prety number. 1680 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. xii. 208 With a pretty strength press the middle of one end of your Work. 1761 G. James Descr. S. Carolina 63 There are a pretty many Indians among the Kays, about the Cape of Florida. 1790 J. Beekman Let. 4 Dec. in Beekman Mercantile Papers (1956) III. 1213 He..was obliged to take Bonds of People who were possessed of pretty Property, assuring him that it was absolutely out of their power to perform their Promises. 1852 W. M. Thackeray Henry Esmond III. i. 5 The transfer of his commission, which brought a pretty sum into his pocket. 1894 ‘A. Hope’ Prisoner of Zenda i. 9 Prince Rudolf..was adroitly smuggled off by the Ruritanian ambassador, who had found him a pretty handful. 1932 New Eng. Q. 5 300 Partridge had a ‘pretty deal of discourse’ with ‘our hearty friend, Oglethorpe’. 1990 C. R. Johnson Middle Passage (1991) v. 102 Most nations will pay a pretty whack to possess a creature such as this. 2005 Financial Times (Nexis) 6 Aug. (Outdoors section) 5 I'd bet a pretty sum that there are more cute china animals and quaint loo signs for sale per head of population than anywhere in England. < as lemmas |
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