eed of supposing it to be either. It is not from _on_;
for in Saxon it sometimes accompanied _on_: as in the phrase, "_on a
weoruld_;" that is, "_on to ages_;" or, as Wickliffe rendered it, "_into
worldis_;" or, as our version has it, "_for ever_." See _Luke_, i, 55. This
preposition was in use long before either _a_ or _an_, as an article,
appeared in its present form in the language; and, for ought I can
discover, it may be as old as either _on_ or _at_. _An_, too, is found to
have had at times the sense and construction of _in_ or _on_; and this
usage is, beyond doubt, older than that which makes it an article. _On_,
however, was an exceedingly common preposition in Saxon, being used almost
always where we now put _on, in, into, upon_, or _among_, and sometimes,
for _with_ or _by_; so, sometimes, where _a_ was afterwards used: thus,
"What in the Saxon Gospel of John, is, 'Ic wylle gan _on_ fixoth,' is, in
the English version, 'I go _a_ fishing.' Chap, xxi, ver. 3." See _Lowth's
Gram._, p. 65; _Churchill's_, 269. And _a_ is now sometimes equivalent to
_on_; as, "He would have a learned University make Barbarisms a
purpose."--_Bentley, Diss. on Phalaris_, p. 223. That is,--"_on_ purpose."
How absurdly then do some grammarians interpret the foregoing text!--"I go
_on_ a fishing."--_Alden's Gram._, p. 117. "I go _on_ a fishing voyage or
business."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 221; _Merchant's_, 101. "It may not be
improper," says Churchill in another place, "to observe here, that the
preposition _on_, is too frequently pronounced as if it were the vowel _a_,
in ordinary conversation; and this corruption _is_ [has] become so
prevalent, that I have even met with 'laid it _a oneside_' in a periodical
publication. It should have been '_on one side_,' if the expression were
meant to be particular; '_aside_,' if general."--_New Gram._, p. 345. By
these writers, _a_ is also supposed to be sometimes a corruption of _of_:
as, "Much in the same manner, Thomas _of_ Becket, by very frequent and
familiar use, became Thomas _a_ Becket; and one _of the_ clock, or perhaps
_on the_ clock, is written one o'clock, but pronounced one _a_ clock. The
phrases with _a_ before a participle are out of use in the solemn style;
but still prevail in familiar discourse. They are established by long
usage, and good authority; and there seems to be no reason, why they should
be utterly rejected."--_Lowth's Gram._, p. 66. "Much in the same manner,
John _of_ Nokes