A-verb-ing

Question

The Times they are a-changin'That is the title of Bob Dylans song. What is this «a-»? What does that mean?

Toms Mathew · Accepted Answer

Hi,

'all'

Thanks.

Cool Breeze · Answer

arthurAWESOMEWhat is this «a-»? What does that mean?

In this case, nothing. It's a reduced form of on still occasionally used especially in dialectal English.

A reduced form of the Old English preposition on, meaning “on,” “in,” “into,” “to,” “toward,” preserved before a noun in a prepositional phrase, forming a predicate adjective or an adverbial element (afoot; abed; ashore; aside; away), or before an adjective (afar; aloud; alow), as a moribund prefix with a verb (acknowledge), and in archaic and dialectal use before a present participle in -ing (set the bells aringing); and added to a verb stem with the force of a present participle (ablaze; agape; aglow; astride; and originally, awry).