away English · revision 1786

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 725 (Beowulf)|origins=ang on weg}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /əˈweɪ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|awei]], [[m|enm|awey]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[inh|ang|aweg]], a late reduction of earlier [[m|ang|on weg|t=on the way]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Hoad 1986) formed from [[m|ang|on]] (see [[a-]]) and [[m|ang|weg|t=way]] (see [[way]]).^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(SOED 2002) The sense of the original phrase was “on one's way”, that is, to another place.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Skeat 1911) It can be compared with [[goh|in wëg|t=on the way]] and Middle High German [[m|gmh|enwëc]], modern [[de|weg|t=away]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Weekley 1921)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ On one's way, onward (921); from this or that place, to a distance (918), in the Anglo-Saxon period.^(OED 1989)^(HTOED) Barnhart dates ''on weg'' to about 725, in ''Beowulf''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The old sense “on one's way, onward” survives in Scottish and northern English, as in ''come away'' “come along”.^(OED 1989)^(SOED 2002) The meaning “from one's own or usual place” dates from about 1300, “from one state or condition to another” from the mid-14th century, and “out of one's possession” (''give away'', ''throw away'') from about 1400.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The colloquial use for “without delay”, as in ''fire away'' and ''right away'', comes from the earlier sense “onward in time” (16th century);^(Etymonline)^(HTOED) ''away'' for storage or safekeeping (''put away'') dates from 1567.^(HTOED) “At such a distance”, as in ''a mile away'', is recorded by 1712, and the intensive use in ''away back'' is American from 1818.^(Etymonline)^(HTOED) Of sports fixtures played on the opponents' ground it dates from 1890 as an adverb and 1886 as an adjective.^(HTOED)^(Etymonline) In criminal slang ''away'' means “in prison”, first in Australia (1894).^(HTOED)^(GDoS) In Scottish English ''away'' can also mean dead, mad or in a faint.^(MWU 2024)^(Dalzell 2013)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – Old English ''on weg'', in ''Beowulf''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1150 – ''awei''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * c. 1300 – from one's usual place.^(Etymonline)

+ * mid-14th century – from one condition to another.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1400 – out of one's possession.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 16th century – onward in time; continuously.^(Etymonline)^(HTOED)

+ * 1567 – into storage or safekeeping.^(HTOED)

+ * 1712 – at a stated distance.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1818 – intensive, as in ''away back'' (US).^(Etymonline)^(HTOED)

+ * 1886 – of a sports fixture, at the opponents' ground.^(HTOED)

+ * 1894 – in prison (Australia).^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # From a particular place: ''ran away''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Collins 2023)

+ # At or to a distance in space or time: ''a mile away'', ''two weeks away''.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)

+ # In another direction; aside: ''looked away''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Into a proper place for storage or [[safekeeping]]: ''put the toys away''.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Out of existence: ''the music faded away''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # So as to remove or eliminate: ''scraped the paint away''.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)

+ # From one's possession: ''gave the money away''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Continuously; steadily: ''hammering away''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(COED 2004)

+ # Freely, without hesitation: ''fire away''.^(AHD)^(RHWU)

+ # By a long distance: ''away back in 1910''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Absent; not at home: ''away for the weekend''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Distant in space or time.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Of a sports fixture, played at the opponents' ground.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)

+ # ''(baseball)'' [[out|alt=Out]]: ''two away''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(slang)'' In prison.^(Dalzell 2013)^(GDoS)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An away game.^(COED 2004)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[awayness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[way]]

+ * [[aweigh]]

+ * [[a-]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}