An archaic or dialectal form meaning to dawn or break (of day).
From Old English 'adagan' with roots in Proto-Germanic; the 'a-' prefix intensified the verb 'daw' (to dawn), representing early Middle English variant forms.
This beautiful old word shows English's lost particle verbs—speakers would add 'a-' to almost any verb to create new shades of meaning, like adjusting a color dial we've since forgotten how to turn.
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