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Sir said Galahad by this shelde ben many merueils fallen / Sir sayd the knyght hit befelle after the passion of our lord Ihesu Crist xxxij yere that Ioseph of Armathye the gentyl knyghte / the whiche took doune oure lord of the hooly Crosse att that tyme he departed from Iherusalem with a grete party of his kynred with hym
Sir, said Galahad, by this shield many marvels have fallen / Sir, said the knight, it befell after the passion of our lord Jesus Christ, year 32, when Joseph of Arimathea, the gentile knight, / took down our lord of the holy Cross. At that time, he departed from Jerusalem with a great party of his kindred with him
1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy,, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 3, member 5, subsection 2:
Against headache, vertigo, vapours which ascend forth of the stomach to molest the head, read Hercules de Saxonia and others.
Though Washington does not officially recognize Moscow, the Hoover Administration permits a Soviet Russian Information Bureau to flourish in a modest red brick house on Massachusetts Avenue, within a mile of the White House.
There are now upwards of 1.4 million 99ers in America facing a life with no benefits and few prospects for finding a job in a market in which companies are still not hiring.
And ther with on his handes and on his knees he wente soo nyghe that he touched the holy vessel / and kyste hit / and anone he was hole / and thenne he sayd lord god I thanke the / for I am helyd of this sekenesse
And there, with his hands and on his knees, he got so close that he touched the holy vessel / and kissed it / and he was whole straight away / and then he said: lord God, I thank thee / for I am healed of this sickness
Antigonus [took] upon him to favour a souldier of his by reason of his vertue and valour, to have great care of him, and see whether they could recover him of a lingering and inward disease which had long tormented him […]
1816 February 20, Jane Austen, Letter:
I am almost entirely cured of my rheumatism—just a little pain in my knee now and then, to make me remember what it was, and keep on flannel.
In Houston, ten minutes after the Lindquist Finance Corp. was robbed of $447, Office Manager Howard Willson got a phone call from the thief who complained: "You didn't have enough money over there."
Indicating removal, absence or separation, with resulting state indicated by an adjective.
He seemed devoid of human feelings.
1731 August 28, Jonathan Swift, Letter:
But schemes are perfectly accidental: some will appear barren of hints and matter, but prove to be fruitful […]
They wondred all, and marveylled sayinge amonge themselves: Loke, are not all these which speake off galile? And howe heare we every man his awne tongue wherein we were boren?
1954, The Rotarian, volume 85:6:
My father was born of a family of weavers in Manchester, England.
2010, “The Cost of Repair”, in The Economist:
Nothing may come of these ideas, yet their potential should not be dismissed.
Faire knyght said Palomydes me semeth we haue assayed eyther other passyng sore / and yf hit may please the / I requyre the of thy knyghthode telle me thy name / Sir said the knyȝt to Palomydes / that is me loth to doo / for thou hast done me wronge.
Fair knight, said Palamedes, seems to me we have assayed, either other passing sore / and if it may please thee / I request thee, of thy knighthood, tell me thy name / Sir, said the knight to Palamedes, / I am loath to do that / for thou hast done me wrong.
1803, John Smalley, Sermons:
Undoubtedly it is to be understood, that inflicting deserved punishment on all evil doers, of right, belongs to God.
The woman who danced for me said she was there of her own free will, but when I pushed a bit further, I discovered that she "owed a man a lot of money", and had to pay it back quickly.
(following an intransitive verb)Indicates the source or cause of the verb.
It is said that she died of a broken heart.
2006, Joyce Carol Oates, The Female of the Species:
He smelled of beer and cigarette smoke and his own body.
2010 October 5, Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi, The Guardian:
Two men, one from Somalia and one from Zimbabwe, died of terminal illnesses shortly after their incarceration ended.
(following an adjective)Indicates the subject or cause of the adjective.
I am tired of all this nonsense.
2010 September 23, Bagehot, The Economist:
Lib Dems were appalled by Mr Boles’s offer, however kindly meant: the party is so frightened of losing its independence under Mr Clegg that such a pact would “kill” him, says a senior member.
2015, Vincent J. M. DiMaio, Gunshot Wounds:
Thus, one finds individuals dead of a gunshot wound with potentially lethal levels of drugs.
Expressing agency.
(following a passive verb)Indicates the agent (for most verbs, now usually expressed with by).
[S]he might appeare to be the lively patterne of another Lucrece, yet know I certainly that, both before that time and afterward, she had beene enjoyed of others upon easier composition.
1995, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
The family is ordained of God.
2008 March 27, “Selling rhythm to the world”, in The Economist:
Colombia and Venezuela share an elegantly restrained style, with much back-stepping, smaller hand-movements and little use of the elaborate, arm-tangling moves beloved of Cuban dancers.
The contract can be terminated at any time with the agreement of both parties.
1994, Paul Coates, Film at the Intersection of High and Mass Culture, page 136:
In Blood and Sand, meanwhile, Valentino repeatedly solicits the attention of women who have turned away from him.
2009 December 28, “Head to head”, in The Economist:
Somehow Croatia has escaped the opprobrium of the likes of the German Christian Democrats and others that are against any rapid enlargement of the European Union to the include rest of the western Balkans.
(following an adjective)Used to indicate the agent of something described by the adjective.
It was very brave of you to speak out like that.
1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], Emma:, volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: for John Murray, →OCLC:
When this was over, Mr. Woodhouse gratefully observed,—"It is very kind of you, Mr. Knightley, to come out at this late hour to call upon us."
Morrissey's spokesperson says he is considering the offer. It would perhaps be rude of him to decline.
Expressing composition, substance.
(after a verb expressing construction, making etc.)Used to indicate the material or substance used.
Many 'corks' are now actually made of plastic.
1846 February, Henry Melville, Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life, London: John Murray:
The mallet is made of a hard heavy wood resembling ebony, is about twelve inches in length, and perhaps two in breadth, with a rounded handle at one end […]
(directly following a noun)Used to indicate the material of the just-mentioned object.
Perhaps symbolically, Van Doesburg was building a house of straw: he died within a few months of completion, not in Meudon but in Davos, of a heart attack following a bout of asthma.
It's 25km of rolling pitch from the start of the 175 to Nansi. If you want to continue riding through more undeveloped natural landscape, head up the east side of Tsengwen Reservoir.
I'd expected to be confronted by oodles of barely suppressed tension and leather-clad, pouty-mouthed, large-haired sexiness; the visual shorthand of rock gods in general, and Jon Bon Jovi in particular.
Used to link a given class of things with a specific example of that class.
"I'm having a bitch of a day," he says, after ordering a restorative pint of Guinness and flopping down in a seat by the front window.
Introducing subject matter.
Links an intransitive verb, or a transitive verb and its subject (especially verbs to do with thinking, feeling, expressing etc.), with its subject-matter; concerning, with regard to.
I'm always thinking of you.
1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], Emma:, volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: for John Murray, →OCLC:
[H]e spoke of his uncle with warm regard, was fond of talking of him […]
while producing Cook, which includes more than 250 seasonal recipes by 80 different chefs, we washed up more than 500 times (oh, how I dreamed of dishwashers).
(following a noun (now chiefly nouns of knowledge, communication etc.))Introduces its subject matter; about, concerning.
He told us the story of his journey to India.
2010 October 21, The Economist:
Recession and rising unemployment have put paid to most thoughts of further EU enlargement.
(following an adjective)Introduces its subject matter.
But as for me said sire Gareth I medle not of their maters therfore there is none of them that loueth me / And for I vnderstande they be murtherers of good knyghtes I lefte theyre company
But as for me, said Sir Gareth, I do not meddle their matters, therefore none of them loves me / And, since I understand they are murderers of good knights, I left their company.
In its flattering way, the press tried to invest this habit of Bush's with the sense that it was indicative of a particularly sharp wit.
Expressing possession.
Belonging to, existing in, or taking place in a given location, place or time. Compare "origin" senses, above.
He was perhaps the most famous scientist of the twentieth century.
1774, Edward Long, The History of Jamaica. Or, General Survey of the Antient and Modern State of that Island, volume 2, book 2, chapter 7, 5:
The building was erected in two years, at the parochial expence, on the foundation of the former one, which was irreparably damaged by the hurricane of Auguſt, 1712.
1908, E. F. Benson, The Blotting Book:
Thus, as he dressed, the thoughts and the rage of yesterday began to stir and move in his mind again.
Within ten seconds, the citizens of New York, Cleveland, Detroit and Toronto were being given first-hand experience of what it was like to live in the nineteenth century.
In a much-anticipated radio broadcast the Duke of Edinburgh said last night that Britain will be a grim place in the year 2000 […]
2001, Dictionary of National Biography, page 27:
The third son, William John (1826-1902), was headmaster of the Boys' British School, Hitchin […]
Belonging to (someone or something) as something they possess or have as a characteristic; the "possessive genitive". (With abstract nouns, this intersects with the subjective genitive, above under "agency" senses.)
Keep the handle of the saucepan away from the flames.
1933, Havelock Ellis, Psychology of Sex, volume 4:
The breasts of young girls sometimes become tender at puberty in sympathy with the evolution of the sexual organs […]
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
2000, Sheila Ruth, Issues in Feminism:
Antifeminism has been a credible cover and an effective vehicle because the hatred of women is not politically anathema on either the Right or the Left.
1903, Frank Norris, The Pit, Doubleday, published 1924, page 4:
She was a tall young girl of about twenty-two or three, holding herself erect and with fine dignity.
1996, Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett, Principles of Physics, published 2006, page 428:
A police car, traveling southbound at a speed of 40.0 m/s, approaches with its siren producing sound at a frequency of 2 500 Hz.
(US,informal, considered incorrect by some)Used to link singular indefinite nouns (preceded by the indefinite article) and attributive adjectives modified by certain common adverbs of degree.
It's not that big of a deal.
1990, Mary Crain, “The Social Construction of National Identity in Highland Ecuador”, in Anthropological Quarterly, volume 61, number 1, page 43:
Such hegemonic projects often appropriate certain local traditions and re-inscribe them as "national," while dismissing other traditions which pose too great of a threat to the reproduction of the existing socio-political order.
1998, Lyle McDonald, The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Guide for the Dieter and Practitioner, page 98:
For some individuals, even 1000 calories/day may be too great of a deficit.
2017, Jean Reith Schroedel, Artour Aslanian, “A Case Study of Descriptive Representation: The Experience of Native American Elected Officials in South Dakota”, in American Indian Quarterly, volume 41, number 3, page 278:
While it is quite obvious that the state continues to try and dilute the voting power of Native Americans, at least as big of a challenge is the need for mobilizing Native American voters.
Expressing a point in time.
(chiefly regional)During the course of (a set period of time, day of the week etc.), now specifically with implied repetition or regularity.
Of an evening, we would often go for a stroll along the river.
1861, Charles Dickens, “Tom Tiddler’s Ground. Chapter VI. Picking Up Miss Kimmeens.”, in Christmas Stories (The Works of Charles Dickens; XV), de luxe edition, London: Chapman and Hall, published 1881, →OCLC, page 242:
For, sometimes of an afternoon when Miss Pupford has been reading the paper through her little gold eye-glass[…], she has become agitated, […]
1897 October 16, Henry James, What Maisie Knew, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Herbert S. Stone & Co., →OCLC:
If there was a type Ida despised, Sir Claude communicated to Maisie, it was the man who pottered about town of a Sunday […]
I’ll be ready at 1:50, or 2:50, or whatever time ending in 50 makes most sense in context.
2022 May 16, Ariel Levine, 09:20 from the start, in Giancarlo Esposito, director, Better Call Saul S6E6: Axe and Grind (TV series), spoken by Private Investigator (Lennie Loftin):
Wednesday was more of the same. Out at 08:30, got to the office by quarter of, clients all day.
Usage notes
(belonging to or associated with): When applied to a person or persons, the possessive is generally used instead.
(containing, comprising, or made from):Of may be used directly with a verb or adjectival phrase.
The use of of to link nouns to attributive adjectives modified by certain adverbs is always optional; omitting of in such instances is always permissible and does not alter the meaning of the expression. Adverbs that may be used with this construction include too, so, how, as, more, less, this, and that.
Mandarin: ...的(zh)(...de), ...之(zh)(...zhī) (in classical Chinese and in set expressions)
Cornish:
Kernewek Kemmyn: possessive construction (a son of a teacher = mab dyskador; the son of a/the teacher = mab an dyskador; a/the son of the teacher = mab an dyskador)
Latin: in classical Latin, apposition with the same case is used; in medieval Latin, the example of a class can be used in the genitive modifying the class
Latvian: please add this translation if you can
Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
I have refrained from giving many details which I might of done, from feelings of delicacy; indeed, they were of so dark and dreadful a nature, that I could do no more than hint at them
1926, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Penguin, published 2000, page 33:
"I had a woman up here last week to look at my feet, and when she have been the bill you'd of thought she had my appendicitus out."
1943, Raymond Chandler, The High Window, Penguin, published 2005, page 87:
‘You must of left your door unlocked. Or even open.’
Not uncommonly seen in colloquial writing, outside the context of intentional eye dialect spelling. This usage is considered erroneous and often vigorously proscribed.
Paul Heacock , editors (2009), “of”, in Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, retrieved 21 July 2017, reproduced in the Cambridge English Dictionary website, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cognate with Germanab, Dutchaf, Englishof and off. The expected Luxembourgish forms are af (< af) and uef (< ave). The form of was probably formed as a compromise between both variants. Otherwise it would imply an irregularly lengthened Middle High German *āf, *āve.
"Eal his reaf wæs awefen of olfendes hǽrum, his bigleofa wæs stiðlic; ne dranc he wines drenc, ne nanes gemencgedes wætan, ne gebrowenes: ofet hine fedde, and wude-hunig, and oðre waclice ðigena."
"All his garment was woven of camel's hair, his food was coarse; he drank not drink of wine, nor of any mixed or prepared fluid: fruit fed him and wood-honey, and other common things."
Usage notes
Of does not mean "of," even though it's where the word "of" comes from. Instead, the Anglo-Saxons mostly used the genitive case where they would say "of": Dēaðes god man sċeal ofslēan and mann undēadlīcne dōn ("The god of death must be killed and man made immortal"), Iċ hine huntiġe oþ eorðan endas ("I'll hunt him to the ends of the Earth"). Even the occasional instances where "of" translates of are a survival of its original sense "from" or "out of": sē weall is ġeworht of tiġelan and eorþteorwe ("the wall is made of brick and asphalt"), Sē Hǣlend sċolde bēon of fǣmnan ġeboren ("Jesus was supposedly born of a virgin").
Note also that of never means "about." Phrases like "to think of" and "to speak of" are rendered with be or ymb.
For doing something "out of" an emotion, for is typically used instead of of: Þætte for lufum ġedōn biþ, þæt ġewierþ simle beġeondan gōde and yfele ("What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil").
For dying "of" a cause, various other prepositions or the bare dative/instrumental case are used; see sweltan.
(with accusative) “of”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Etymology 2
Unclear, but totally overtook the function of g-, inherited from Proto-Germanic*ga-. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.
1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 58:
Muskawn of buthther.
A large lump of butter.
1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 5, page 96:
To his sweethearth, an smack lick a dab of a brough.
To his sweetheart, and smacked like a slap of a shoe.
References
Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 96