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A member asked about the lyrics that were replaced by Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic".
They start out:"John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave". I have no idea what the construction "a-mouldering" is called. Who does?
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no idea what the construction "a-mouldering" is called
Prefixation.
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"Decomposing" is what "a-mouldering" means, but I'm not sure what the "a-" is called. There is in Greek a usage called "alpha privative" where the "a" prefix means "without, -less, not" as in "agenes" = ignoble, from "a- + genos = family, kindred" or "agnotos" = unknown, new, from a- + gnotos = known".
This would seem to be a usage going in a different direction. The a- prefix in English generally connotes duration, or a prolonged or continued action, the same idea which is conveyed in other Indo-European langues by the imperfect tense. But I still don't know what it's called.
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I mo look this up in my Anglo Saxon Grammar when I get home. I think a- was one of the standard OE inseparable prefixes.
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"Decomposing" is what "a-mouldering" means
My dictionary has instead "to crumble into particles". If that's correct (e.g., a cook might molder a slice of toast) then "molder" is a particularly gruesome word to apply to a corpse.
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to have understood wht Dr. Bill was asking or the onliest one to misunderstand him?
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Okay, so the name of the construction is prefixation. But how would you explain to someone learning English what the time element implied is like. It seems to be archaic, used only in old quotes like nursery rhyme "A froggie would a-wooing go...."
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It seems to be archaic, used only in old quotes like nursery rhyme
Hoowever: in song or poem this "a-" gives the writer the extra syllable needed for the meter scheme. (Akin to a poet using "doth go" instead of "goes".)
But is the a- used outside of song/poem, where meter doesn't control? "Mr. A-, I ask you, 'Are you now or have you ever been a member of an ordinary dialect?'"
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no idea what the construction "a-......." is calledSo where's all our USn's who "speak Southern"? Are y'all a-goin' to offer some insight here? I'm a-hollerin' for your help! 
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