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I couldn't think what to call it and still can't. "Conversion" refers to the element in "afire", "abed": converting noun "fire", "bed" to an adjective. In the case of "I'm wooing" vs "I'm a-wooing" there's no such conversion: they're both progressive tenses.
It's hard to get a feel for the difference because we (or most of us) no longer use it. See if this feels right: the "a-" forms an intransitive, naming just the activity of the verb, without a specific object. (In this case it would be conversive of transitivity.)
"Froggy goes a-wooing" vs "Froggy goes wooing the widow next door"
"Papa is a-hunting" vs "Papa is hunting woodsnipe"
But I don't know, and you might well find counterexamples. Just an idea.
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted interesting construction wwh 08/23/01 01:40 AM Re: interesting construction Faldage 08/23/01 12:25 PM Re: interesting construction WhitmanO'Neill 08/24/01 03:04 AM Re: interesting construction Bobyoungbalt 08/23/01 07:00 PM Actually® Faldage 08/23/01 07:03 PM Re: Actually® Keiva 08/23/01 08:01 PM Am I the onliest one Faldage 08/23/01 08:12 PM Re: Am I the onliest one wwh 08/23/01 08:37 PM Re: Am I the onliest one Keiva 08/23/01 11:11 PM Re: The Old English prefix a- Faldage 08/24/01 11:56 AM Re: interesting construction Bingley 08/24/01 04:55 AM Re: interesting construction NicholasW 08/24/01 07:44 AM Re: interesting construction of troy 08/24/01 12:08 PM Re: Froggy went Faldage 08/24/01 01:03 PM Re: interesting construction Flatlander 08/24/01 01:34 PM Wooing (courting ) Froggy Bobyoungbalt 08/24/01 02:52 PM Re: Wooing (courting ) Froggy of troy 08/24/01 03:21 PM Re: interesting construction TEd Remington 08/24/01 03:39 PM
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