Acloud

/əˈklaʊd/ adverb

Definition

Archaic or poetic term meaning in or among clouds, or shrouded in cloud.

Etymology

From Middle English 'a-' (on, in) + 'cloud,' where 'a-' was a productive prefix denoting position or state, creating adverbs and adjectival phrases common in Early Modern English.

Kelly Says

Medieval writers used 'a-' like a linguistic Swiss Army knife — 'afire,' 'aflame,' 'acloud' — all expressing 'being in a state of,' but we abandoned this entire prefix category for simpler constructions.

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