Archaic or dialectal form meaning 'in motion,' 'astir,' or 'moving about'; in a state of agitation or movement.
From Middle English 'awag' or 'on wag,' meaning literally 'on the move' or 'in motion,' combining 'a-' with 'wag' (movement, oscillation). Related to 'to wag' but describing a state rather than an action.
Medieval and Renaissance writers loved compounds with 'a-' to describe vivid states—'awag' perfectly captures that moment when a crowd or gathering is 'astir' with excitement, a feeling that perfectly matches the word's sound!
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