Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

A or An, indef. art., the two forms differing as at present. An for a: “an hair,” Tp. I, 2, 30. “an happy end,” John III, 2, 10. “an hasty-witted body,” Shr. V, 2, 40. “an Hebrew,” Gent. II, 5, 57. “an heretic,” Wiv. IV, 4, 9. Wint. II, 3, 114. John III, 1, 175. H8 III, 2, 102. “an hospital,” LLL V, 2, 881. “an host,” H6B III, 1, 342. Ant. II, 5, 87. “an hostess,” Troil. III, 3, 253. “an household,” H4B IV, 1, 95. “an hundred,” LLL IV, 2, 63. R2 IV, 16. H6B IV, 8, 59. H6C II, 5, 81. H8 V, 1, 172. Cor. IV, 5, 114. Caes. II, 2, 77. IV, 3, 175. Hml. II, 2, 383 (Qq. a hundred). Lr. I, 1, 135. “an hypocrite,” Meas. V, 41. H4B II, 2, 64. Per. I, 1, 122. “an eunuch,” Tw. I, 2, 56. H6B IV, 2, 175. Cor. III, 2, 114. Tit. II, 3, 128. Ant. II, 5, 5. III, 7, 15. “an humour,” H5 II, 1, 58. “an union,” Mids. III, 2, 210 (Ff a union). “an universal,” Troil. I, 3, 121. Caes. I, 1, 49. “an urinal,” Gent. II, 1, 41. “an usurer,” II, 1, 196. “an usurper,” H6B I, 3, 188; cf. Oth. I, 3, 346. Before one generally a; f. i. Wiv. III, 3, 122. Meas. III, 1, 71. Err. III, 2, 91. IV, 2, 23. Cor. III, 1, 105. Mcb. IV, 3, 101; cf. Such-a-one. Twice “such an one:” Mcb. IV, 3, 66. Ant. I, 2, 118. An before w: “have an wish,” Per. IV, 4, 2. Of the original indiscriminate use of an before consonants as well as vowels a trace is left in the pun of Mrs Quickly: “An fool's head,” Wiv. I, 4, 134.
Superfluous repetition of the ind. art. before adjectives: “a blasting and a scandalous breath,” Meas. V, 122. “a present and a dangerous courtesy,” IV, 2, 171. “a virtuous and a reverend lady,” Err. V, 134. “a dulcet and a heavenly sound,” Shr. Ind. 1, 51. “a common and an outward man,” Alls III, 1, 11. “a maiden and an innocent hand,” John IV, 2, 252. “a mighty and a fearful head,” H4A III, 2, 167. “a slobbery and a dirty farm,” H5 III, 5, 13. “a peaceful and a sweet retire,” IV, 3, 86. “a puissant and a mighty power,” H6B IV, 9, 25. “a weighty and a serious brow,” H6B IV, 9, 25. “a dismal and a fatal end,” Mcb. III, 5, 21. “a nipping and an eager air,” Hml. I, 4, 2. “a tyrannous and a damned light,” II, 2, 482 (F1 and damned). “a malignant and a turbaned Turk,” Oth. V, 2, 352. No less before adjectives placed after their substantives: “a proper stripling and an amorous,” Shr. I, 2, 144. “a goodly portly man and a corpulent,” H4A II, 4, 464. “a goodly dwelling and a rich,” H4B V, 3, 6. “an honest gentleman, and a courteous, and a kind,” Rom. II, 5, 56. “a very valiant Briton and a good,” Cymb. IV, 2, 369.
As before hundred and thousand (q. v.) the art. is, though seldom, found before other numerals: “never a one of you,” Tim. V, 1, 96. “not a one of them,” Mcb. III, 4, 131. “a 'leven,” Merch. II, 2, 171 (Q1 eleven). “a fourteen,” H4B III, 2, 53. Similarly before many, q. v.
Its use after as, how, so and such is in general conformable to the now prevailing rule (f. i. “so fair a house,” Tp. I, 2, 458. “as good a thing,” V, 169. “how high a pitch,” R2 I, 1, 109), and the passage in H6B IV, 9, 17: continue still in this so good a mind, cannot be called an exception; but there are a few instances of its omission: “in so profound abysm,” Sonn. 112, 9. “as good deed,” H4A II, 1, 33 (Ff as good a deed). “with as big heart,” Cor. III, 2, 128. It seems to have strayed from its place in the following expressions: “so rare a wondered father,” Tp. IV, 123 (== so rarely wondered a father, i. e. a father endowed with such a rare power of working miracles). “so fair an offered chain,” Err. III, 2, 186. “so new a fashioned robe,” John IV, 2, 27. cf. “such a coloured periwig,” Gent. IV, 4, 196; the phrases so rare a wonder, such a colour etc. being treated as simple words, from which adjectives in ed might be derived.
Similarly placed between comparatives and their substantives: “with more tame a tongue,” Meas. II, 2, 46; especially when preceded by no: “no better a musician,” Merch. V, 106. “no worse a name,” As I, 3, 126. “with no greater a run,” Shr. IV, 1, 16. “upon no better a ground,” Cor. II, 2, 13. “no worse a place,” Oth. I, 1, 11. “no worse a husband,” Ant. II, 2, 131.
According to custom, the poet says: once a day, a thousand pound a year (f. i. Tp. I, 2, 490. Meas. I, 2, 50. II, 1, 127. IV, 2, 158. Err. IV, 1, 21), but also: “once in a month,” Tp. I, 2, 262. “one day in a week,” LLL I, 1, 39.
The art. omitted after ever and never (f. i. Tp. III, 2, 30. Wiv. III, 5, 94. Err. II, 2, 117. Merch. II, 1, 41), even before the object: “who never yields us kind answer,” Tp. I, 2, 309. “never to speak to lady,” Merch. II, 1, 41. “I never gave you kingdom,” Lr. III, 2, 17; cf. H4A II, 4, 287. H6A III, 2, 134. III, 4, 19. H6C I, 1, 217. Oth. IV, 1, 111 (Qq a woman). V, 2, 61. Cymb. IV, 4, 39 etc. Keeping, however, its place, when never is but emphatically used for not: “never a woman in Windsor knows more of Anne's mind,” Wiv. I, 4, 135. cf. Meas. IV, 2, 5. Ado II, 1, 336. Merch. II, 2, 166. As III, 3, 107. Shr. I, 1, 240. I, 2, 80. H4A I, 2, 109. II, 1, 19. II, 1, 19 H4B II, 2, 62. R3 III, 4, 53. R3 III, 4, 53. Hml. I, 5, 123. Even in: “there's ne'er a one of you,” Tim. V, 1, 96.
Its omission in the predicate of rare occurrence: “if you be maid or no,” Tp. I, 2, 427. “which would be great impeachment to his age,” Gent. I, 3, 15. “I will return perfect courtier,” Alls I, 1, 221. “as I am true knight,” Tw. II, 3, 54. “he is knight,” III, 4, 257. “I am dog at a catch,” II, 3, 64. “I am courtier cap-a-pe,” Wint. IV, 4, 761. “turn true man,” H4A II, 2, 24. “I must be good angel to thee,” III, 3, 199. “as thou art prince,” III, 3, 199 “Marcius is chief enemy to the people,” Cor. I, 1, 7. “I'll turn craver,” Per. II, 1, 92. “to be beadle,” Per. II, 1, 92 cf. H6A V 4, 170. Lr. I, 2, 79.
Often omitted in comparative sentences, and whenever the respective noun expresses the whole class: “stone at rain relenteth,” Ven. 200. “as falcon to the lure away she flies,” Ven. 200 “wilt thou be glass wherein it shall discern authority for sin?” Lucr. 619. “loathsome canker lives in sweetest bud,” Sonn. 35, 4. 22, 12. 55, 4. 85, 6. 85, 6 Meas. II, 1, 269. Mids. I, 1, 184. III, 2, 101. V, 401. As II, 7, 52. As II, 7, 52 As II, 7, 52 IV, 3, 33. Alls IV, 3, 369. Tw. I, 3, 66. III, 1, 131. H6B I, 4, 78. III, 2, 63. H8 I, 1, 158. III, 2, 132. Troil. I, 1, 59. II, 3, 204. III, 2, 200. Tit. II, 3, 302. IV, 2, 172. Caes. V, 2, 5. Hml. I, 3, 76. Lr. II, 4, 270. V, 3, 10. Ant. I, 1, 17. But also in a particular sense: “with coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers,” Mids. IV, 1, 57. “by new act of parliament,” H6C II, 2, 91. “in posture that acts my words,” Cymb. III, 3, 95. In an apposition: “doff this habit, shame to your estate,” Shr. III, 2, 102. Inserted, on the other hand, contrary to the common use: “would he not, a naughty man, let it sleep?” Troil. IV, 2, 34.
Used for one: “he shall not have a Scot of them,” H4A I, 3, 214. “these foils have all a length,” Hml. V, 2, 276. Oftenest in prepositional phrases: “at a birth,” Oth. II, 3, 212. “at a blow,” H6C V, 1, 50. “at a burden,” Err. V, 343. Wint. IV, 4, 267. “at an instant,” Wiv. IV, 4, 4. H4A V, 4, 151. “at a shot,” Hml. V, 2, 377. “at a sitting,” Merch. III, 1, 116. “at a time,” Tp. III, 3, 102. “they are both in a tale,” Ado IV, 2, 33. “in a tune,” As V, 3, 15. “in a word,” Gent. II, 4, 71. Merch. I, 1, 35. Troil. V, 10, 20. “of an age,” Rom. I, 3, 20. “of a bigness,” H4B II, 4, 265. “an two men ride of a horse,” Ado III, 5, 40. “of a mind,” Alls I, 3, 244. “sip on a cup,” Wiv. II, 2, 77. “on a horse,” As V, 3, 16. “on a stalk,” R3 IV, 3, 12. “with a breath,” H8 I, 4, 30. “rosemary and Romeo begin with a letter,” Rom. II, 4, 220.
Inserted before names serving for war-cries: “a Talbot! a Talbot!” H6A I, 1, 128. “a Clifford! a Clifford!” H6B IV, 8, 55. “a Helen, and a woe!” Troil. II, 2, 111. Before names peculiarly used as appellatives: “as I am an honest Puck,” Mids. V, 438. “'tis a noble Lepidus,” Ant. III, 2, 6.