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From: deb5@ellis.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Linguistic history of Mc & Mac in Scotland?
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References: <1995May10.135154.29062@onionsnatcorp.ox.ac.uk> <D8E4np.nB@midway.uchicago.edu> <goolsby-1105951001510001@port47.rain.org> <D8GAL2.Ktr@midway.uchicago.edu>
Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 05:54:22 GMT
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In article <D8GAL2.Ktr@midway.uchicago.edu>,
Daniel von Brighoff <deb5@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote:
>In article <goolsby-1105951001510001@port47.rain.org>,
>J Goolsby <goolsby@rain.org> wrote:

>>Is their a connection between 'hard' and 'ard'? If so, when or how did
>>'ard' come to mean excessive? 

[from the OED2]

-ard,
in MHG. and Dutch a formative of common nouns, generally
pejorative, whence adopted in the Rom. langs.  Used in Fr. as masculine
formative, intensive, augmentative, and often pejorative, and became at
length a living formative of English derivatives, with sense of `one who 
does to excess, or who does what is discreditable.'  In some words it has 
taken the place of an earlier -ar, -er of the simple agent.

[Examples deleted because I couldn't get them to display properly.]


















































-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
